We transitioned then to the main stage where Tara
and I were the featured speakers.  She spoke of her
involvement on the Biggest Loser TV Show and how
she is developing a new fitness plan which involves
racing at each of our Rev3 Events (rev3tri.com)
throughout the 2010 season.

Tara was great the entire day taking time to meet
with every person who came by our Rev3 Booth.
The line continued the entire day – she was a big
hit !!

I also had the opportunity to personally speak on
the kitchen stage sharing my thoughts to the crowd
on nutrition and leading a healthy lifestyle.  It was
great to talk about the products I use daily and simply
share  with others was has helped me win Ironman
Events, recover and do it all over again !!

Saturday evening we attended a special event at
the University of Tennessee as guests of  our good friends
Don and Maureen Bosch.  Tennessee Head Basketball
Coach Bruce Pearl and Florida Head Basketball
Coach Billy Donavan co-hosted a fundraiser for
cancer research.  I also had the opportunity to be
interviewed by CBS Sports about Rev3 !!  It was a
very memorable evening.

January is early when racing a 70.3 but it has always gotten me motivated to get out there and train a bit over the Holiday’s.  It fits perfect with my season plan of building strength in the early season including weights and low cadence work on the bike – due to my lack of hills in Florida.  Speaking of which (lack of hills) doing treadmill hill work or running the bridge is imperative, (yes we have one hill where I live about 30 minutes away – however most people call it a bridge).

The swim in Pucon is a two lap swim and I felt good on the first lap and ok on the second – a buildup of yardage will help with that.  I was the fourth woman out of the water and in to transition.  I was extremely pleased with my bike and felt very comfortable on my new Kestrel (Yahoo !!)  I just signed a new contract with Kestrel and am very excited about the opportunity.  I have now found a small enough frame that will allow me to get low enough to take my biking to a new level – thanks Steven !!  I have been riding in the new position for just three weeks, and although I love the ride – I didn’t feel so “comfortable” getting off the bike and on to the run.

Wow, the legs just did not respond and unfortunately I had one of my slowest run splits here.  I ended the day second to Amanda Lovato who had a great day.  I know how emotional it felt to win my first big race back in 2003, I had not realized it was Amanda’s first 70.3 win until her victory speech,  I was happy to see her win but was not surprised, she is tough. Teresa Macel Team TTB another amazing pro  finished behind me in third to round out the podium.

The Pucon 70.3 in Chile is without a doubt one of my favorite races for a number of reasons.  First, the location – Pucon is a quaint and very beautiful city.  Not many places can you wake up in the morning and see a snow capped volcano out your window

Second, the people of South America have always been wonderful (especially when you struggle as you try to speak to them in broken Spanish J ).   There is a tremendous amount of support locally and they really get excited come race day.  The day prior to our event they have a kid’s event.  Over 250 kids participated and they are fast !!  It’s terrific to see the younger generation so excited about this sport and I love interacting with them after the race.

Additionally the organizers of this race, Pedro and his crew, really know how to take care of us.  We have been very fortunate over the years as we have gotten to know this crew very well, I have won this race twice and have been coming here every January for many years now.  This year we invited our good friend Don Bosch from Tennessee and his wife Maureen.  The four of us had a great time sharing our meals together, walking around town sampling desserts and Maureen and I enjoyed some quality time shopping for shoes.  They are a great couple and we were so glad that we could share the Pucon experience with them.

Todd and I will be staying a few extra days and traveling to Pedro’s house (the Race Director) up in the mountains.  His home is nestled in the woods by a pristine lake with the mountains as a backdrop – very beautiful and very peaceful.

It was an amazing day and a half at Pedro’s home in the mountains we had the opportunity to hike, water ski, go on the catamaran, kayak.  Yep, this girl hadn’t been on one ski water skiing in fifteen years – what fun !

A big thank you once again to the race organizers and the people of Pucon for supporting this race the way you do.  And to my wonderful Sponsors, without your support this would not be possible.  To Trakkers, K-Swiss, All3Sports, Kestrel, First Endurance, Ed and the crew at Village Bikes, GU , Lifesport, Oakley, Premium Leisure, and William Muhlstadt at the Center4.  To all of you a huge THANK YOU – I value your support as well as your friendship.

Tara Costa one of the most popular contestants ever from NBC’s Biggest Loser is training for the Rev3 Triathlon Series.  After losing a staggering 155 pounds while on the show Tara is ready to take on a new challenge – Triathlon.  I am excited that she has chosen me and Rev3 Coaching to help guide her through this next chapter in her life.  She visited me in Florida this past weekend in order to get a jump start on this exciting new partnership.

Heather and Tara

The time I spent coaching Tara has been amazing.  Our first day was all about getting to know her, what she is like, what motivates her and how I can be most instrumental in her success as she takes on the challenge of finishing the Rev3 Tri Series of races in 2010.

Tara is a beginner triathlete (Triathlon/ Swim – Bike – Run) but not a beginner runner.  I though best to start with her strength so we drove to Clearwater to do the Phinley Holiday 10k Run Phor Phun (yes, its spelled that way).  I am used to going to race events and having other athletes ask, “Oh are you Heather the Pro Triathlete, or there is Heather” but Tara was noticed everywhere and it was fun to see it from the other side.  We have been getting stopped everywhere we go, lunch – dinner – photo here photo there, my husband Todd joked that now I know how he feels every time he goes with me to a race.

The 10k race itself was great and the Race Director was thrilled to have both of us compete.  I finished my race and circled back to find Tara so I could run in with her.  Tara was having a very nice run and as we were approaching the finish line I noticed the clock and the competitive side of me came out as I screamed “Come on we have to go under One Hour!!”  She did it !  Being the tough athletes we are we then decided to do the 5k Race as well !  Tara is tough !! and motivated.

Our next Triathlon activity was a Bike Fit for Tara at Village Bikes (www.villagebikes.com).  Ed Levins is the owner of Village, a Sponsor of mine for years and simply a really great guy.  Ed took time to fit Tara as we discussed biking as it relates to Triathlon.  There were some hilarious moments as we discussed things like bike pads, bike seat cutouts and why they are necessary as well as how to go potty while riding – some priceless moments.

We are fortunate that a new friend and wonderful photographer Eric Wynn (www.ericwynn.org) flew in for the weekend to capture all the action.  While here he took over 900 photos and hours of video – all the photos you are enjoying are courtesy of Eric.  Thanks Eric for your professionalism and keen eye.

After the Bike Fit Todd, Eric, Tara and I went out for a nice dinner and continued to educate Tara on her new role as a Triathlete.  Of course we couldn’t make it through a meal without several people recognizing Tara.  Our waitress was simply giddy – I can honestly say that I think that was the best service I can remember in a long while.  It was a great day overall.

Bike fit with Ed Levins

We are fortunate that a new friend and wonderful photographer Eric Wynn (www.ericwynn.org) flew in for the weekend to capture all the action.  While here he took over 900 photos and hours of video – all the photos you are enjoying are courtesy of Eric.  Thanks Eric for your professionalism and keen eye.

After the Bike Fit Todd, Eric, Tara and I went out for a nice dinner and continued to educate Tara on her new role as a Triathlete.  Of course we couldn’t make it through a meal without several people recognizing Tara.  Our waitress was simply giddy – I can honestly say that I think that was the best service I can remember in a long while.  It was a great day overall.

Day two started with the fun of fitting Tara in a bike helmet before proceeding out on a foggy but warm bike ride.  It was a quality learning experience for Tara as we went over pedal efficiency, one leg drills, pacing and cornering.  She did a fantastic job and is a natural on the bike.

Great day for a ride !!

Weight Session at Fitness Together

Now Tara is a newbie when it comes to this sport and makes no bones about it so I don’t take anything for granted.  When we got to the pool she went in to the locker room to change while I waited for her on the deck.  She walked out in an old school swimming suit with skirt attached.  It’s something your Grandma would wear to the pool – she walked right up to me however with a straight face.  Eric was filming the entire event and said when she came out my face was expressionless.  I tried as hard as I could to be nice but in the back of my mind thought this girl is crazy if she plans on working out in that.  I tried to explain how the drag of the skirt would be a detriment – she was very polite and looked me right in the eye as I tried hard to not hurt her feelings and explain why this wasn’t going to work.  Eventually she couldn’t hold it back any longer and burst out laughing – she got me – nice practical joke.

She changed and put on her Rev3 swimsuit, her Rev3 swim cap and goggles and was off.  We spent some quality time doing some underwater videotaping and analyzing her swim stroke – not a great swimmer, YET !  But most importantly is very coachable, listens well and makes changes right away.  After a bit she even started to look like a swimmer – without the skirt of course…

Off to a great Start - Go Tara !!

Tara and I are working on putting together a very special Team – so check back soon for all the details !!

“Biggest Loser” Star Joining REV3 in 2010!

Here at REVOLUTION3 Triathlon, we’re always thrilled when high-profile athletes register for our events, as this motivates others to get involved and make a difference. Next year, Tara Costa will join the ranks of celebrities to take part in our three annual races. A featured contestant on the previous season of the hit reality show “The Biggest Loser”, Tara has lost a whopping 155 pounds since first joining the show in September 2008.

Tara will compete in all three of our 2010 events: the Olympic event at Knoxville, the half-Rev at Quassy in Middlebury, CT., and the full-Rev triathlon at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH.. To prepare, Tara will train with Heather Gollnick, a Pro Triathlete, five-time Ironman Champion and CEO of REV3 Coaching.

“I am thrilled to be working with Tara – I have a tremendous amount of respect for what she has accomplished. I look very forward to guiding her training as she begins the journey of accomplishing her next goal, completing the REV3 Triathlon Series” states REV3 Coaching CEO Heather Gollnick

About Tara
Well before “The Biggest Loser”, Tara Costa grew up in a small town, raised by a single mother who taught her the merits of working ethically and honestly to achieve a sense of fulfillment and independence. After years of grappling with her weight, Tara landed a job as a plus-sized model for one of the top New York modeling agencies. With a degree from New York University, she wound up snaring a finance position at one of the nation’s most prominent beauty supply companies.

In September of 2008, Tara made the life-changing decision to leave her job and home in New York to join “The Biggest Loser” cast. Starting out at a weight of 294 pounds, she worked tenaciously to shed 155 pounds in just 18 weeks. Along the way, Tara inspired millions with her spirit of determination and unwavering optimism.

Since earning her reality show fame, Tara has been featured on the covers of Good Housekeeping and OK magazines. What’s next on the horizon for this newly svelte athlete and role model? “I just want to keep pushing myself,” she says. “I’m excited about getting out there and trying things I never would have been capable of before.”

Why REV3?
We asked Tara to share her motivation for participating in the REV3 trio of events. “I want to encourage people to do things they never thought possible, and motivate them to lead a healthy lifestyle,” she says. “Participating in these triathlons is a great way to lead by example.”

The REV3 events are appropriate for athletes of all ages and skill sets. You don’t have to be a celebrity, a professional athlete, or even an amateur triathlete to be inspired by these fun, challenging races. That said, they’re challenging enough to push you to achieve your personal best.

You can keep up with Tara’s progress by reading her training blogs and viewing her videos at http://www.taracosta.com/, or by visiting the REV3 blog. In addition to updates provided by Tara, her coach Heather (www.heathergollnick.com) will also be blogging about the experience!

We welcome Tara to the REV3 training team, and we look forward to helping her continue to exceed her goals! Visit us at www.REV3tri.com to learn more about our events and triathlon coaching programs and our other celebrity participants.

Then there was Clearwater.  I went up to do some Rev3 Sponsorship, work and watch the race.  I went with my BFF Morgan Clark – the owner of ALL3 Sports.  We stayed with Mary Miller, Joe Gambles and Eric Wynn.  The post race party in Clearwater was a blast as we stayed up late into the night dancing which I love.

Then it was back home where we had a Birthday Party for Morgan

My twin’s 13^th birthday party followed Clearwater.  This was a special day for me as thirteen years ago my twins Josh and Jordan were born.  As preemies at birth they were given slim chances at survival.  Each birthday was a milestone and to see the young adults that they are turning in to brings tears to my eyes.  My son Joshua is one of the kindest kids I know as is handsome, smart and very helpful.  Our daughter Jordan is a go – getter, smart as a whip with extreme drive and a little attitude to boot.

Then it was on to Thanksgiving – (is that a party? Seemed like it as we had 16 people eating dinner here).  My sister, her husband Mike and their three kids came down from Virginia along with my parents.  Todd’s dad was here, the kids Auntie Barb and one of their close friends from church – it was a wonderful party (celebration).  It was great getting everyone together and to top it off we all ate dinner outside by the pool – yep, its Florida – love this time of year !!

Although this was a no pressure/ fun race, I woke up feeling incredible butterflies in my stomach – my great mentor, Marc Strickland always told me it was ok to have butterflies as long as they are all flying in the same direction.  Well, to go along with the butterflies, I needed the porta-john A LOT.  After a few long waits in line – I zipped up the wetsuit, got to the beach and I had to go again.  I saw someone’s Hotel Room Door open on the beach and thought, “what the heck- I am sure they will say not but… can I please use your restroom?  The women, obviously not dressed to race looked mortified and was shaking her head NO !!  hand stretched out to motion for me to stop – at the same time her husband waved me in and said sure – I think he recognized me, I can only imagine that whispering conversation going on while I was using their bathroomJ

On to the race… I had one of my best swims.  My time was over 3 ½ minutes slower than my PR, as the water was rough but I was particularly pleased with the outcome.  I started smart, quickly dolphining my way out of the shallow water and got with a pack – I fought hard to stay with this pack until the end of the first loop.  A small gap quickly formed before the second loop where you exited the water, I ran around the fencing on the sand and re-entered the water.  There were two male pros ahead of me about twenty feet – then myself,  and three or four behind me about ten feet.  I pushed hard to catch the two in front and stayed with them for the second loop and felt very good about my swim overall.

The bike was a fast course and I did a good job riding a fair and honest race.  Bella caught me at the beginning of the bike and since she won the race five times I decided I would pace off her.  She also rode a very fair race.  Sophi who would win the race rode with us for forty miles and then got caught with a pack of men and put a lot of time into both Bella and I by being with the pack of men.  The slower women swimmers and the age groupers were in some massive packs.  I am sure many of you have seen it first hand on U-Tube but honestly unless you are non competitive and completely soft pedal 25x its hard – they really need to have a wave start.

The run finally felt good, not my fastest run but I was not throwing up or wanting to stop and ran tough.  I ran part of loop one with my friend Scottie Defilipino – he was cramping so he’d stop at the aid station while I used the porta pottie (way too many times).  I was energized throughout the run as members of our local Tri Club the Sarasota Storm as well as friends on course cheered constant words  of encouragement.  This took me back to one of the reasons I wanted to do this race to begin with – I wanted to have Fun and enjoy the moment.   I ended finishing in fifth place but had a great overall day.

The highlight though was after – being at the finish line for my athletes I coach.  A HUGE Congratulations to Brett Paddock and Andy Berster (1^st time Ironman Finishers) and Regina and Julia – Great Days SUB 12 hours!  Tough Women !!

I am thankful to all of those who helped me along the path to race day including my great sponsors: Trakkers, K-Swiss, Quintana Roo, First Endurance, Fuel Belt, Gu, Village Bikes, Zipp, Oakley, Lifesport, Marc Strickland and the Center 4Massage – you are the Best – your continued support means the world to me!!

www.heathergollnick.com
@heathergollnick

We had sooooo much fun after the award ceremony - GO STORM

The main reason is the Ironman Florida falls shortly after the World Championships in Kona.  I believe there is only one other pro woman who will be at the start line that also completed Kona four weeks ago.  I look very forward to this challenge and finding out what is left in my legs after starting the season in early January of this year with a victory at Ironman 70.3 in Pucon Chile.

What also makes this weekend so enjoyable is the large group of athletes and friends competing from our local Tri Club, The Sarasota Storm.  I also am proud to have four athletes that I coach doing the Ironman and two “first timers” or (Iron Virgins).  Below are some pictures from the first few days.

Regina, Andy, John, myself and Jackie

Part of my Pre-Race Photo Shoot with Ironman

Our Local Tri Club - GO STORM !!!

Jackie, Regina and I at the Pasta Dinner

Regina wanted her picture with Ironman, so Andy & I agreed

One last STORM get together before the fun tomorrow - Good Luck All

To the best video guys around, they have been covering me for years!Have a GREAT RACE EVERYONE !!!

My recovery has been going well since Kona and I have decided to compete in Ironman Florida in 10 days !!  I have never done Ironman Florida so I am very excited, there is a huge group from our local tri club the Sarasota Storm, which will make it extra fun.  I have never done two Ironman events this close.  Back when I started competing (I’m not trying to date myself here – ha ha) but athletes didn’t do multiple Ironman’s in a year or especially on back to back weekends – now that is truly crazy! !   For me, I still can’t walk well the following weekend.

I am intelligent enough as an athlete and coach to know I may not be completely recovered but becoming the best competitor you can means loving competing more than winning.  I love winning, but I definitely love competing even more and I am psyched to get out there and do it all over again.

You have to love it to do this.  Nowhere is it clearer than in competitive sport that you have to love it, especially Ironman.  I love the grinding, the searching, the pushing, the victories, the defeats, the lessons and the battle itself.  I LOVE the BATTLE – so Ironman Florida – here I come !

I am ready to push the envelope both mentally and physically !!

The day started with tons of nerves as usual. I planned to meet my friend Don Bosch to do a good swim warm-up but we never made a meeting spot and there were athletes and spectators galore gathered all around the start. Prerace I spent most of my time after check in near the “ladies room”. I finally made my way to the pier at 6:20 in my new TYR Sayonara and to my delight Don was standing there with a smile. We got in and did a ten minute warm-up, gave each other a big good luck water hug and I was off to the professional start line. The minutes leading up to the start of the race are very nerve racking and exciting at the same time – but the last five minutes seem to go so long as you never know exactly when they will fire the cannon. Then suddenly BAM !! In the first 50 feet I got one side of my goggles kicked off and they were hanging by one eye, I was ticked that I missed the pack but thankful they actually stayed on my head. I made a quick adjustment and was back on track. I worked hard throughout the swim to keep a good line and stay in a draft when possible. I was satisfied with the swim although a faster time would have been nice !

Next up the 112 mile bike – Overall my bike ride was so much fun!! I got on the bike but within minutes my computer was lodged in the rear cog – I was screaming for help and a nice guy just tore it off my bike and I was back moving. In the short debacle I lost the athletes I was out of the water with, but about ten minutes later a group caught me which included Sandra Wallenhorst, Yvonne Van Vierken and Kate Major. It was a blessing in disguise because I was warmed up and ready to keep contact. The four of us stayed 10 meters apart for about fifteen miles, then shortly after Yvonne broke away.

I started to get sick on the bike about mile 95 and got passed by Linsey Corbin and a few others. I got off the bike and OUCH !! My legs were cramping from loss of fluid, had a long transition and the shuffle began. I must honestly admit I was feeling awful and getting worse. I was doing the walk, jog, shuffle thing trying to take in calories but I seemed to be getting worse. I wanted to quit – people were cheering like crazy and all I wanted to do was cry – I had imagined pushing my body and running fast and my stomach hurt so much that I couldn’t. I saw Todd, gave him a hug – had a few tears and said I was going to do the best I could as I thought of my daughter Jordan. Many people know the story but my daughter has cerebral palsy and has fought her entire life to overcome and in doing so has come so far. I know that she would give anything to be able to run someday so the thought of stopping a race because of the pain I am in is not an option in my mind. If nothing else I would walk the entire race and keep going for Jordan.

I saw coach Paul from Lifesport – my mind was saying stop but Paul encouraged me to “keep going – it will come back” I walked half way up Palani then started to run once again. I got salt from a competitor and fluid from the aid station and finally started to feel a little better. Each mile got better and better, it was an amazing turnaround. The last half of the race I felt great and pulled in almost all the women who passed me earlier. It is a great life lesson to never quit no matter what the circumstances as you never know what is around the corner. I finished this Ironman day with a smile on my face and a thankful heart.

I am thankful to all of those who helped me along the path to race day including my great sponsors: Trakkers, K-Swiss, Quintana Roo, First Endurance, Fuel Belt, Gu, Village Bikes, Zipp, Oakley, Lifesport, Marc Strickland and the Center 4Massage – you are the Best – your continued support means the world to me!!

Below runners take the underpants oath before beginning their one mile jog through town. The pictures below speak for themselves – it is quite the site to behold, or participate in!