Erika Csomor

 Felix Felicis is a banned substance at any sport competitions in Harry Potter’s wizarding worlds.

However Challenge Roth is a magical event -the muggle NADA/ WADA/ DTU’s anti-doping list does not include it.

Thus, I started the race day at 3 a.m. with the golden liquid- a can of Red Bull. After few caffeine-free and therefore moody days,  I felt immediately that this day was going to be perfect, the race of my life SO FAR…..

Indeed, looking out of the window, watching the purring rain – a mean grin settled upon my face- “Bye-bye skinny girls!”

-I managed to keep my home-stay family’s hyperactive cat from falling into my breakfast (the adolescent beast drove me crazy by chasing my air cartridges on the wooden floor, chewing trough my energy gels, tearing my bib number to pieces, and making persistent efforts to sleep with me …)

-I found the best parking spot -for someone, like me, who failed to pass her road test 4 times due to the inability to parallel park- that is a heart- lifting present. The 5^th failure would have lead to a psychiatric exam- almost equal to a DQ

-I managed to pump up my tires without help-“look Ma, no hands!”-psssszzzz…..

-No waiting at the mobile toilets…

-Someone zipped me in my Vendetta without asking for a favor…thanx Guy!

-Best spot at the start, next to a Hungarian guy…

-Smoking start, no smacks, perfect position on the feet of my fellow Hungarian….

The only person I had to wrestle with was in yellow cap, the defending champion-Yvonne VV….At this point I began to suspect something had dropped in my magic potion, probably a cat’s hair…..

Well, we raced like Siamese-twins against each-other. I scored a brilliant 53 minutes, 4 minutes faster then last year, here! I emerged out of the water by Leanda Cave. Did she miss the start-gun by 5 minutes?! Well, the lanky British, as I found out later was racing with broken ribs. Nobody heard any complaints from her, but I guess- being the skinniest girl in the field, she must have had a hell of a day out there.

On the bike, more like normal twins, we stuck together no matter what. We shared the same goal-to not allow Belinda (who was riding in front hard) to get too far ahead, and  stay within 10 minutes of her. On the second lap I had better legs and definitely climbed stronger, so I led most of the way.

I am not sure where we passed Rebecca Keat, but as we learned later, she stopped and asked for a jacket from Felix, the race director. By the rules that is an outside asistance-therefore DQ….???

Well, as Butch Cassidy said: “Rules?! In a knife-duell?!”

There was only 4 girls who did not complain about the rain- too busy racing- the Team TBB trio (Beli G, HiBiscus and me), and Yvonne who is used to Dutch weather.

At the beginning of the run, Felix informed us that we were about 7 minutes behind Belinda.

Here I strictly followed the Doc’s tactic of trailing Yvonne from 5 meters. “Why 5m?”- I asked?! “Because it is the most annoying distance.” We were both very confused by this tactic. I am a front runner, who prefers to make my race and she is as well, so what was I doing behind her?

Around 15 kms we passed Belinda who cheered me along and so did all the boys running in the other direction. Most of them signaled silently at the moment when Yvonne could not see anymore… J

Still,  halfway through I started to feel uncomfortable with the speed and her cheer

leader from the other side of the canal, who were constantly yelling- 5 meters, 6, 5, 7, 8 , 5….After some clumsiness at the aid stations the gap widened. I felt it was too early to bring it on. I started to run my pace. At 35 kms I was already 2 minutes behind. On the last 3 kms, seeing my time I decided to go as hard as I could. I realized only at the finish line, that I still had some more left in my legs. Oh, well.  I was happy with my time. 8:47:05!!! That is just my luck: I break an old-classic world-record and that very same day, someone does the same and finishes in front of me! Hmmmm. I guess I was not the only Witch in the field…and I will kill that cat!

What else can I say? Magical day, like always here in Roth!

Felix, Felicis!

Far, far away in the Swiss galaxy on a green planet covered in fog -called Leysin - a bunch of Jedi are preparing for the coming soon intergalactic wars all across in Europe

We send our Princess of Kona, Chrissie (with Kona being a highly-desired exotic planet far, far away) to
Frankfurt battle the German clone army and spreading the message, 2008 is The Return of the Jedi!

However it is just a prelude to the big Star Wars. While our two droids, the small R2D2 (a.k.a. Becky P.) and the lanky C3PO (Donna Ph.) will attack the Zurich planet plus our Jedi couple (Bella Comeforte and Steve Bypass)- hand in hand- will cover the Klagenfurt planet, we gave the main hit to the “Death Star” called ROTH with 6 Jedis: Princess Biscuit, Beli G., Hanna Solo (it is me!) and Luke Skywalker (alias Dragstra), Just in and Chewbacca (alias Big Sexy)!

Our master, Yoda (alias Doc, less green but the tummy is correct) is one of the very last masters of the Force that makes sure no Jedi will go into the war unprepared.

“Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

Do you remember the part of the movie when the little cheeky master jumped on the Jedi’s back and made him run up and down?! Take that one! Or the Jedi had to hit the target with blindfold on? Take that one too….

A triathlon Jedi has some special exercises too. First in every single day, fight the pool –it’s called swimming- with different torture variations like the Master band your legs, where you have to go only with your hands, or the pilot lessons, when you have to ride your rocket, wild fast in tight formation, taking the corners with speed, up and down, (mostly UP!!!) then running in rounds till you get dizzy. Then, the Jedis take their backpacks. And since we have one master but many Jedis, he will not jump into any of our sacks.

Instead, he will put several “BRICKs” into our pack and make us get back onto our rockets and go UP!!!

Training like a Jedi is not always fun. We are all covered with some bruises and patches but we are still going hard. We already
defeated the big Dark Weather, so the Sun is covering our small green planet again!

The Force be with You!

WHY? (1.)

Why 3 half- ironman distance race in row?

Just because:

- I am a woman, who goes to the shoes- shop “really” needing a pair of shoes and coming back with 3 pairs….(simply not being able to choose witch one)

- Therefore (with this shopping attitude) I always welcome some pocket money…

- Needing to look around on the “market” , regarding both sexes…

- I am being silly, and always forget to check the competitor- list before entering a race…

- I am Erika.

(If you want to have a more detailed race report, check out the result- list with splits, Nicola’s blog and whatever you can find about the race on our team’s website.

Shortly: we, the long distance girls were beaten up hard by two short distance girls, who are happen to be the best cyclists in the triathlon circuit and not only “wet runners”…

I was still happy covering the back-field and stand up onto the podium in my pretty shoes…)

WHY? (2.)

Why the head line?

Since my last blog, I got some offers about hiding ads into my popular stories.

I got the smelliest one from the famous perfume company so they got the head-line.

Why Coco?

I got a new nickname here in the team, it is originated from Coconut (what is one of the toughest nuts and my favorite) NOT from cocaine (as “coco” is the Hungarian nickname for this drug)!!!

We like the name, so both Belinda and I already thinking to name our future daughter Coco. However if I will ever have a son I will give him an old, historical Hungarian name: Almos, it means: “Sleepy”.

I think it is pretty cool- while other nations have “Alexander the Great”, “Ivan the Bloodthirsty”-the greatest Hungarian conqueror simply called “Sleepy”. He was the biggest one of those seven leaders of different Hungarian tribes who occupied the Carpathian Pool more than 1000 years ago. The names of these seven were one of the first things we had to know by heart on our history lesson. However I and almost every kid (quite under stable at age of 7) were mixing up them with Disney’s dwarfs. (How Snowwhite wakes up the dwarfs? -7 UP!- Pepsi peeps, you know my bank account…)

So, as “Grumpy” was my favorite dwarf, I have never forgotten him out of the line for the biggest annoy of our teacher. She was kept telling us there was no “Grumpy” among our great-great fathers. However I think she was wrong! There was. The very same one already mentioned. Sleepy was the Grumpy, when they woke him up saying”-My Lord, it is time to conquer some!”

Every single morning going down to the swimming pool, I feel my great ancestor’s blood running through my veins: sleepy and grumpy- therefore ready for conquer.

Yes, we are working on the “Vendetta” project, just to give you a little update of my last blog. However the “Italian job” did not work out, yet. The team has some single girls, and as we are sharing everything (mostly information) among us, poor guy is scared away, I am afraid….so no happy end.

Next time….

Bravissimo Massimo!

Forgive me to start my race report with the guys. Not only because the Italian gigolo was the fastest on Ironman 70.3 in St.Polten, but also very handsome and just my type. (Both in loooking and as an athlete) He is bad swimmer, quite good in cycling and a killer runner! (we have already so much in common! :-))

As a former cyclist he has potential. Hmmm. Can we take Italian guys into the team to lift up the spirit and work ethic of the girls, like me?

Ok, let´s continue with the chick´s race. You can understans as last year´s winner and this year´s second placed girl I am less excited about the female champion…

Yvonne and me (as former duathletes) we have some decent years back together ( I mean against each-other).

Our relationships is very steady and honest: if I beat her-she does not talk to me, if she beat me than I do not talk to her….as there is no third way because we definitely will not finish any race with hand in hands-it will be like this forever…

I got the first adrenalin shock 10 minutes before the start gun: I ripped off the zip of my pinkish panther suit (by accident!) Wowww…a V-neck down till my belly button, it was gonna be a bonus track to the spectators! Bad new for the picture collectors, I managed to have a top under the suit so…not so excited, but a smack to the aerodynamics.

We lined up on the pontoon. Yvonne took the very spot right behind me, it was the biggest compliment about my swimming so far! Well, I did the job for her-I pulled straight our little gruop in the first lake. Yes, there was a second lake too, after 200-300 meters wetsuit running. Luckily someone took over my charge so I managed to swim 1 minute faster than last year.

The riding was kind of tactical-soon the first 5 girls jammed together caused almost a drama for me on the narrow downhill section- the media and refrees with full apparent wanted to record the action, so I almost crashed into one of them.

Well, the race and Yvonne VV went away on the long uphill section! Poor me, my climbing reputation is spoiled…

I got 1 and half minute into T2 from the leading 2 girls. I felt ok on the running but the Dutch girl still made more time on me so I got to go for the second place, and the German girl still did not give it easy, but she had to

I knew I was not in top shape but still a bit sad to break my winning series…

My next meeting with YVV is in Roth, where she is the defending champion and where Team TBB is start with 3 girls. Hillary, Belinda and me (it is not a relay team, but we certainly would have some chances in this order! :-))

I am thinking to having a new Xterra wetsuit there (is anybody from Xterra wetsuit reading this?)-the VENDETTA! Because I like to give names to my actions…

Dear Yvonne, if you read this, you are wanted, DEAD or alive!

I had many good reasons to take part on the Hungarian Middle distance Triathlon Champs.

Besides doing strong brick training and I also wanted to show up with my pretty bike and wheel set, demonstrating I am still ‘real’ and Hungarian by my heart.

I save you going too excited about the result, I won it easily however I generated some surprise, so probably I am still considered as not “real” (normal).

Let’s start with the beginning when I put my rocket into T1: my funny seat got already some attention by it’s name: ISM. It is the signal of the highly criticized Hungarian Sport Ministry. Not cool even to sit on it….

Before jumping into the water, I want to warn you about Hungarian races: they could be funny.

The swim course was already funny….

Imagine a small lake with a labyrinth, marked with pool lanes. It was quite clear from outside, from the bird-view.

Starting in waves into the one-way course, I got a confident start with a bunch of Hungarian girls. I was very excited and lactic swimming with the first small group (with those who were faster last year) when we lost track.

When a bunch of girl get confused and making wrong decision- you can be sure- it because of boys! We faced with some guys swimming in our direction on the one-way course….so our front girl turned direction crossing the lane…I was pretty sure we are going the wrong way but I was too determined to keep with the front group and a bit coward to swim against the “current”.

(Same in life, many times I am just following the mass- knowing we are on the wrong direction- because I am tired of going alone even if it is the right way…lesson to learn, stick to your right even when everybody else would think different)

So I followed them with less enthusiasm into the “dead end”. Little panic, then I told them to follow me and I took them back into the right direction making some short cut…. I was sure about our DQs, but with the mess, nobody realized that some competitors finished the swimming by an alternative way.

We lost only a little time thanks to me. It would be the main point of the race for me-practice the open water swim in wetsuit, pity it turned into orientation swim.

On the 4 laps bike course the chaos continued. Thanks to the narrow out and back course it became “Tour de Hongrie”, a draft fest. I did not mind it- I cut my way trough riders and cars like knife the butter.

I also wanted to try out some nutrition ideas of mine. One of them was removing the wraps of bars before the race -because throw away trashes is forbidden (not in Hungary yet). I formed some neat Powerballs what is melted down with the rest of the countain of my little frame bag.

My fellow competitors -sticking to my wheel- were shocked to see me sucking the air cartridge…as feeding myself 

Sometimes forgetting about myself at the aid station I asked for water saying “water please!” While I am only could dream and count  in Hungarian, my competition language became English?!

I had a comfortable lead into the run so I was “jogging” the half marathon while I entertained others in and outside of the course.

I wanted to save my pretty legs for the next and NEXT weekend when I will toe to the start water-line on Ironman 70.3 in Austrian and Switzerland.

The high-light of the day was the prize giving. In Hungary it is always fun.

Beside some good old Hungarian forint -as a pocket money- we used to get some surprise- presents as well. In the past I got already wild-pig skin, marble table, sugar -equals to my weight (the public scaling was quite embarrassing). This year I was surprised with a free rental of a caravan.

Cool! I was considering to take it to Leysin but I could not see myself driving a caravan up and down in the Swiss mountains with a mobile toilet inside…

Further adventures of this ‘unreal’ creature is coming soon when I will facing some more crazy girls.

Au revoir!

I would start my post race blog with a story within the story.

How did it happen that two Hungarians coming from the same small home town won the Ironman in Arizona?!

I have no idea.

We both grew up in a small town in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plains, without swimming pools (no wonder why we emerged from Tempe Town Lake together far behind the leaders…) athletic tracks, mountains, rivers or lakes….

We had what every kid had:  Soccer. Playing anywhere, with 2 piles of sweaters serving as goal-posts. We played all day.

Even though our families lived within a kilometer of each other, we never played together, both because of the age difference, as well as the fact that we belonged to two different leagues.

We started triathlon at the same time, but never trained together or  shared a coach.

After high school we took different paths, occasionally meeting  at races.

Last year only the two of us represented Hungary in Hawaii. As it turned out, we both scored one of the best running times of the day.

Last Xmas I visited my Mom,  and while running in the snowy-foggy countryside, I saw a figure moving fast in the distance - I immediately knew who it could be, so we did our Xmas run together.

He is blond, I am a brunette, and we have very different personalities. What do we still have in common? We share the same passion and humilty for this sport and our roots. Roots, as in background and roots as a plant in desolate country reaching deep into the soil to squeeze every drop of nutrition out of it’s surroundings so it can live and flourish.

That thought leads us back to desolate Arizona

I emerged from the water a bit later then expected, thanks to my ususal slow start. Somehow my improved  swimming is still invisible in open water…

8 minutes behind the leader girls I stared the bike leg with a cool head. Our first lap was super fast due to the quiet weather, however from the second lap on we rode in a  huge wind. I always hated wind, but now I welcomed the it like my friend, and I made a big move ahead while everyone else struggled with the hardening conditions. I took the face wind like a steady, long climb and the tail wind as a speedy downhill. This is how a flat bike course became hilly.

Even though I yelled my throat sick (I suppose everone else is deaf in these aero helmets ) with “FROM LEFT!” passing age grouppers, I still recieved a yellow card for illegal passing/crossing the middle line  while passing 3 or 4 riders riding side-by-side….

The penalty for a yellow card is that you have to stop at the peanlty tent to register, which caused me at least 1 minute, considering the tent was set up on a slope.  Once inside to register, after I signed up, they politely asked me to print my name…?!

After this little adventure I was still leading the race so luckily it did not effect the outcome much.

Arriving first into T2 I was criticized for my slow tranistion compared to Michellie….the truth is I took a quick toliet break. If  I am after a new course running record, it’s better to take a pit stop during the T2 time instead of the pure running time. This was a strategic decision, not a mistake. Ironman is not about transition times anyway.

I did not chase records on the run, I simply wanted to bring this race home too. I did that without any problems, and still broke the record for best run time on this course.

My biggest surprise of the day was waiting for me at the finish line - the male winner with a broad smile - Jozsef Major from Abony, Hungary.

Honestly, I was happier for his win than for mine. He sprinted down 3 men on the last mile….that’s my boy!

I think there must have been something in the drinking water in our town

To sum things up I guess I can say I came, I saw, and I certainly conquered .

Soon I am heading home to enjoy the spoils of my victories, but trust me, as soon as they’re gone, I’ll be back….

See you in Kona!

If you had known that Hungary lost all of her battles and wars in the past 500 years, then you would no longer wonder why hungarians are so tough…..

Preparing for all upcoming battles of the tri world I spent the last 5 weeks training in the Philippines with Team TBB and our coach.

Joining the team gave me a great opportunity to train with half of  the world’s best long distance girls, and I can assure you it’s with the better half!

Going to the Californian 70.3 triathlon, I was facing the “rest of the best”. If I counted well , there were 4 triathlon World Champions, plus 2 duathlon World Champions (this is including me) lined up to start. No wonder I spent the last night sleepless, all excited about the race.

I did my usual nice, but not too speedy swim start: I found myself alone between 2 groups. At the half-way turning bouy the pack of 8 lost a bit of direction, so I was finally able to catch up and cruise “home” on their backs. (In this situation it’s always advisable to try to join the front group and not wait or drop back to the one behind you.)

Not a spectacular swim, but solid, and “only” 2 and half minutes behind the main pack.

I lost another half minute with my usaual transition clumsiness, this time it was not my wetsuit but my cycling shoes. I opted for road shoes instead of a triathlon one and I had a hell of a time putting them on, I even had to get off the bike to fix them.

I finally settled down on my Cervelo rocket - I found the hidden switch-on button. The key to the magic - put a bib number on me, flapping on my back.

My first big scalp was the defending ITU duathlon long distance world champion after a few kilometers. My only thought was, that she’s having a bad day. Soon, around 25 kms I passed Mirinda, the recent 70.3 world champ biking along with Samantha. Unfortunately (for them) I got them on an uphill so I passed them with Ease (with a capital E). I did not attack them,  my legs were simply loaded with the power of a horse - thanks to those countless hill repeats. Here I got alarmed for going too fast…?

Instead of pushing more I kept myself back a bit, thinking it’s too early to give everything. Around half-way I got a glimpse of something pink ahead of me, still careful, I pulled myself up on those hills to arrive at the front with around 30 kms to go.

Joining the leading girls- Michellie and Leanda -I finished my “chasing mode” and switched on to “racing mode”. This was my mental battle with the animal inside of me.

Sitting behind them, yawning, I kept telling my devil:- “NO! We do not attack them!”                                                          -”We need more time to put on the fast runners (Mirinda and Sam)!”                                                                                              - “We are also runners, so we know how to play this game! Sit on your butt, keep your legs for the run!                               -”I want to show our back to these girls!”                                                                                                                                                -”NO! We do not impress anybody, not the girls, not the spectators arriving first into T2, we want to win this race!!!”

Mixed up with these girls, who all had a reputation of being fast runners, it was quite hard to wait and play the game, but  I would have been silly to attack them and risk everything for a few seconds that I could have gained on the lat flat section of the course.

Arriving to the transition all together I was able to control the race from the front - it is always easier than chasing from behind. It was me who dictated the pace and I never looked back, but of course I kept my eyes on Mirinda even though I  felt no danger,  I was feeling great.

Finishing first I was surprised how “easy” it was, but it is always the same, when you are strong, everything seems easy.

I guess I surprised many, except those few in the Philippines. Am I surprised?  Not really. I am getting to know my limits  and potentials better, without fooling myself. I still have loads to improve to achieve my dreams both in sports and in life, but now I got a huge tail-wind knowing I am on the right path.

I wanted to thank you all for your help with this win (I will do Arizona IM for  my own pleasure

Keep up the awesome work in Subic,  way to go!

Next weekend watch out for Chrissie spanking the cangurus!

If the thesis is true “we are, what we eat” then I have coconut water running through my veins, have a big red papaya heart (soft and sweet) and my body? Probably from Meat Plus peanut butter….well it is time to say goodbye for Subic Bay after a hard 5 weeks training camp. Definietly the food what I will miss from here on the first place.

Oh yes, I will miss the guys and girls too, however I will take with me my most intimate friend-the Pull B(u)oy…

I will miss -my cosy jet-stream line in the swimming pool, my personal jacuzzi between the countless 25 meters repeats,

-the morning hill repeats on the bike with cheering monkeys on the side- board,

-the smell of the melting track with half naked guys shiny from sweat (in wet pants).

But it is time to go! America is waiting for me. (sorry another english word joke: I AmErica….)

Nicely moved up onto a rocket (called Cervelo) equipped with funny looking, noseless ISM saddle, HydroTail and toy -light HED wheels; dressed up in sexy pink-panterish team outfit, I feel ready to make some demage in the USA.

However I am afraid I will look like a very cool american age-group triathlete and will lose my exotic hungarian charm.

Seriously, I had a great 5 weeks here, learning and sweating much, feeling strong.

Thanks for everybody here for the company,the support, the help pushing me with swimming, riding, running next to me, front of me, behide me….YESS!

See you Subic in September? and see you guys in Switzerland!

Watch out the results of Californian 70.3 and IM Arizona

While I am preparing and packing for the training camp in Philippines,

(running over Budapest city for my surviving kits, like extra big pull-buoy for Brett request, spear goggles, tires , swimming suits. I heard some rumors about 3 swimming session per day, so I went for chloride resistance types instead of “fast-skin” ones, feared the swimming pool will be my home for the next weeks. Also got some cute, PINK, swimming caps with fish design, its have even little fins! The Hungarian kids are loving them, so I guess everybody will want one there too…..bad news for the team members with big head, it is only exist in children size. Also will look good on the Pilipino kids. I cleaned my Camel-bag. It is the usual battle between me and the germs in my water battles….in case of the Camel no brushes can help so I went for the chemical weapon: Clorox, probably not a fair solution but fast and effective. Do not forget to wash it over few times with clean water.)

I make time for an another request, doing my internet work, well it is the part of my new job from now. As I have not many messages on the web-forum yet, I go for writing my first blog in my life, in English!

I decided to write about how come to me to join to the Team TBB. It is started when last summer on the press conference of Challenge Triathlon Roth they made me sitting next to a handsome blondy guy. The conference was long and boring enough so I could examine the blondy from my corner of my eyes. Not much later lamenting about my swimming inability, he said: “My coach can teach swimming everybody!”, I asked surprised who is your coach?! The answer “Brett Sutton” hit me. NO. It is started BEFORE.

Last year in this time we had an argument with Benny (Vansteelant) about the “Sutton” method. We did not know Brett personally but as absolute everybody knows him in the triathlon world we knew enough for talk about. Benny’s point was what he and his team is doing is GREAT. My point was why I would train double or triple times harder if I still can challenge his athletes?! He got the final point saying who mind challenging them, if you would leave your comfort zone you could beat them. My mathematics brain counted; double-triple effort for a little difference?! Yeah, if a little difference makes that Difference…..

Benny had an annoying habit, he was always right.

Why Luke’s answer hit me. Because I got the answer I looked for in the past year, slowly converting from duathlons to triathlons. Need a super coach with a super team. More, I need the best from both.

But my head as strong as rock, I still believed there is more than one road to the top.

Panoramic road, that was what I liked, so I visited the blondy in Leysin only by romantic reasons. I made him some headache by my skeptical and critical observations. Probably that was my last, desperated try to defend my well built, comfy athletic world.

The next few weeks, months brought real drama into my life. With losing Benny in a bike-car accident I lost almost everything. He was lot more than a friend, he was my rock, my inspiration, my “family”.

My plain ticket to Hawaii was bought before the accident, so I went there scoring a good (for me) swimming, slow riding and a surprising (started running from 29^th position) good marathon running, finishing 10^th. Got my place for next year. I saw the PROOF, she is called Chrissie Wellington. Than I decided there will be next year! Well, I have nothing else in this life to live for. And as I am 34 years old already, probably have no time for touristing my panoramic road, so here I am, taking the STRAIGHT road, up.

I would appreciate all of your patient and help pushing me up, up by going strong.

See you soon, Erika