My first encounters with Brooke Davison were at Flatiron Athletic Club Master's swim squad practices three years ago when the upbeat speedy swimmer in the Cal swim cap would either be leading the fastest of the six lanes with the likes of the fastest triathlon swimmers like Simon Lessing, Monica Byrn, Matty Reed and Joanna Zeiger, or would be swimming circles around the lesser-mortals like myself. I knew of her as the ‘fast mom’ and ‘former Cal swimmer’. Fast forward a few years and at Dave Scott’s swim practice one morning, he toasted Brooke in front of the entire practice during his pre-practice monologue telling of her foray into triathlon with her impressive amateur victory at Boise 70.3 from the previous weekend. At that point, I did not know Brooke competed in triathlon, but like many others, this soon became obvious as I began to watch her compile victory after victory in dominating fashion. As a testament to this athletically gifted yet determined mother of three, one would never know from talking with Brooke that she had accomplished so much in such a short lifespan in her multisport career. She is a humble champion and I had the opportunity to sit down and reflect with her on her fast and furious coming out party in 2008.
Slowtwitch: You're joining us after a phenomenal finish to the season with the top overall amateur finish at Clearwater in 4:12:10. That is faster than Sam McGlone's winning time from 2006. It seems an appropriate finish for the way you've dominated races all season long. Can you tell us about your lead up to the race and your personal race day?
Brooke Davison: My lead up to the race was just right. I had a few races in September and early October that left me feeling a bit tired from the travel-race-recover-travel cycle, and prior to Clearwater I had a solid five weeks to recover, build back up, get a few solid weeks of great running and riding in, and then a nice week of rest. It was just right. We traveled on Wednesday, and I took a short ride on Thursday, a 15 minute easy run on Friday and that was it. I was feeling a bit on the edge of sickness, and opted to take it totally easy and hope for the best on Saturday morning. As luck would have it, I woke up Saturday feeling great, alive and ready to race. My swim was mediocre. I had a great start, broke away, and yet by the time I settled into a nice rhytm, I was already beginning the weaving in and out of the backs of the waves in front of us. This is always a bit tricky. I felt excellent on the bike. Coming down from altitude makes a huge difference and I really felt it on the bike. I felt strong and had fun there, until right around mile 48 when I began to fatigue a bit. I finished the bike, and was excited to see what I could do on the run. Again, I felt strong for the first lap of the course. I was racing (around) some of the pro women who were finishing their second lap, and I am guessing that I let go of my race plan a bit, so instead of negative splitting the two laps, I went a bit hard on the first lap, and suffered a bit coming home. That said, with four miles to go, I began to get a bit emotional reflecting on my season, nearing the end, anticipating seeing my family (and hopefully celebrating), and I was able to complete the run feeling solid in my legs, inspired by where I was, and extremely grateful for my health and ability.
ST: What was your athletic background? How long did you swim competitively for? What were your favorite events?
Brooke: I grew up swimming USS in Connecticut until age 14, and then moved to California to swim with a coach in a more competitive atmosphere. I swam until my sophomore year at University of California Berkeley (Go Bears!). I was the classic case of burn out. That said, I wasn't really done competing when I retired. I just didn't know that it would be triathlon later in life. My best events were the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and 200 IM. If my memory serves, my best times were as follows: 100 meter breast 1:12.75, 100 yard breast 1:02. 200 breast for the life of me, I can't remember. 200 meter IM was 2:20. 200 yard IM was 2:01. That was really digging into the depths of my memory. In fact, I had to call my mom!
ST: You started running after your swimming career and before you began triathlon. What got you interested in running? What kind of running did you do?
Brooke: If you can call it running! I began jogging strictly for fitness sake, and also to run a few marathons with one of my sisters, and with friends. It was purely goal setting, and a social outlet. So I ran two marathons - LA and NYC. I was just thrilled to cross the finish line uninjured. My times? 4:30 at LA, and 4:00 at NYC. Loved them both and had tons of fun. Other than that, I ran the Bolder Boulder each year and I have no idea what those times were, but definitely nowhere near what I have run off the bike in 10k’s this year!
ST: You dipped your big toe in the triathlon waters, competing in two local races in 2007, but did you change your approach to the training and your race schedule this year? How so?
Brooke: I changed my approach in that I had very quickly fallen in love with riding, after having a bike for a few months. So I rode through the winter when the weather cooperated, and went to Dave Scott's spin classes at FAC (Flatiron Athletic Center, a popular training facility for local triathletes). It was at these spin classes that I learned so much to help prepare me for the season ahead. Yet, truth be told, until St. Anthonys, which was my first race in 2008, I didn't think much about my season, and wasn't doing anything too out of the norm as far as training and preparation. Just staying fit, and perhaps a bit more focus on riding and running. After my race at St. Anthony's I reevaluated a bit and then really began to focus my efforts as well as get more clear about my goals for the year.
ST: Rumor has it you have a funny story behind your entry into St. Anthony’s?
Brooke: In early April I was getting anxious to race, and as of that point, the first race I had scheduled was Boise 70.3 in early June. I was poking around the Internet looking for races that would be sooner. At this point, I truly knew so little about triathlon and had never even heard of St. Anthony's. Anyhow, of course, the race was sold out and had been for months. On a complete whim, I called the phone number on the race site, expecting to get passed along to voicemail. Not only did an actual person answer the phone, but it was Philip LaHaye, the race director. The conversation that ensued was nothing but embarrassing on my end. Basically, I asked if he would be willing to let me in the race, that I was a ‘nobody’ from Boulder, had only raced in two triathlons to date, and just already really had a passion for the sport. He asked if I was an elite amateur, and I exclaimed, ‘of course not’. The stars aligned in that moment, and Philip graciously agreed to slip me into the spreadsheet that he had open in that moment and was finalizing right then and there. I couldn't have been more thankful. I had never been away from my kids in seven years, and I thought this would be the perfect first weekend away. After checking into the elite amateur wave meaning, I realized I had indeed qualified to race in that wave from my Boulder Peak 2007 result. I then called Philip one more time to see if I could really push the envelope and have him slip me into the elite amateur wave. No such luck. Spreadsheets were finalized and done, and if anything perhaps at race registration I could pull it off. I got to St. Petersburg went to race registration and was able to get into the elite amateur wave. My goal at that point was to place in the top 10, which I thought was a complete long shot at best. I ended up winning the wave with a minute or two to spare. Immediately following the race, Dave (Scott) basically said, ‘I told you so, and let the fun begin’. And so the story goes. I truly credit Philip LaHaye for giving me the opportunity to see what I had in me. It was the kick off to a season I couldn't be more grateful for, and happier with.
ST: What was your most rewarding result from this season?
Brooke: My most rewarding race was Clearwater. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I really wanted to have a solid day, perform to my ability, and complete my undefeated season. I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I just couldn't imagine any other outcome. I was a bit tired going into the race, tired of training in general and ready to be done. Of course, the moment the gun went off, I was thrilled to be racing, and honored to be racing at the world championships. That said, I wasn't firing on all cylinders. There wasn't a single race this season that I was firing on all cylinders. It always seemed that of the three disciplines, at least one was off, if not in time, in feel. I want it all. I want to feel solid and have times to reflect that. The race I had to overcome the most adversity was at Age Group Nationals. I went into Portland very, very weak and tired. I had a lot going on personally and I was just plain exhausted. I didn't want to race. I wanted to be home with my kids, and yet I also knew how important it would be to win Nationals. I was by no means guaranteed a win with such a strong national field of women, so I put my head down, and literally gutted out the entire day. I think I only felt decent on the swim there, and the bike was manageable, but the run was pure hell. All six miles of it were awful and I couldn't walk for a few days after it. It was the closest I came to being injured, by running through whatever was going on for me that day. My legs were done.
ST: What was your perspective on the drafting out on the Clearwater race course?
Brooke: No doubt that the sheer number of people on the very flat course in Clearwater made for a very fast bike for age groupers. I had one interaction with one man, who I was passing, who actually had the audacity to ask me if I would like to take turns (drafting off each other). I told him to ‘F&%@ Off’. I had heard all the stories, been forewarned, and yet I couldn't believe that I was actually experiencing something so blatantly dishonest. I was so bummed. After having raced Clearwater once now in an age group wave, I am grateful that I won't have to experience that again. It is such a bummer for those who like to race with integrity and honesty. I think it is hard to do so, given the dynamics and physics of the Clearwater bike course. That said, if people would truly follow the rule of falling back, I do think that it could be a bit better, yet still not perfect. I rarely experienced anyone truly falling back after passing. At about mile 45, I passed a friend I know who is in a younger age group. She told me later, that I had a string of about ten men following very closely behind me, unbeknown to me. I think some of the drafting packs were hard to avoid, despite people's best intentions. Parts of the course are worse than others, yet I can tell you there was only one section of the course where I saw a marshal. I was thrilled to see her, too. There is so much more I could say about this yet, the truth of the matter is that no matter what anyone says about the age group bike portion at Clearwater, you are benefiting from the slip stream that inevitably occurs out there. Perhaps not the entire 56 miles, yet definitely for parts of it.
ST: You accomplished all this as a mother of three children! Do you have any tips on how busy parents out there can get in quality training?
Brooke: I am incredibly fortunate to have an amazing nanny, and a supportive husband. I am able to get the majority of my training done during the work week, while kids are at school, or with Andrea (our nanny). I do think it takes being creative with time, sometimes training during non-optimal hours, yet appreciating it all as a means to an end, and not the end all be all.
ST: As a mother trying to maximize her athletic potential, what do you sacrifice in your training to be a better mom? What do you sacrifice with your kids to be a better athlete? Or, tell me I'm wrong, and can you achieve it all?
Brooke: I truly don't feel like I have to make any sacrifices in my training. I am a mother first and foremost. If my kids are sick, or have needs, they come first. If that means that I miss a workout, then I miss a workout. To me that is not a sacrifice, yet perhaps the forced rest that people talk about. I don't schedule in many rest days, because inevitably the forced rest occurs. At times I have tremendous guilt about being away from the kids for my long rides, yet I also try to see it as a healthy thing for everyone. I am able to get my training done, reinvigorate myself, use my body and mind, and return to the kids refreshed and a better mom. I like to think that one can achieve it all. Its all about perspective and balance. Of course, I am not getting the same number of hours of training in as a pro with no children, nor do I ever get to put my feet up or nap, yet I also have the benefit of a very balanced perspective about triathlon's role in my life. I feel unbelievably fortunate to be a mother and race in triathlon.
ST: Do you train alone? With other athletes? Do you use a coach?
Brooke: I always swim with others. Ironically, this is where I need the most discipline and we have great masters groups with amazing coaches, so they are fun, as well. I love to do some of my riding with a great group of women, and select men, and I prefer to run alone. This is my true quiet time. I don't ever wear an iPod, and I appreciate the quiet time away. I am coached by Dave Scott. He is on deck when I swim masters, he coaches me at a Wednesday track session that is amazing, and he strategizes and plans my training blocks in between races.
ST: Will you change your approach next year as it will be your first racing in the pro division?
Brooke: As of right now, I don't think I will be changing my approach to training too much. I have not determined my 2009 race schedule yet, but I imagine it might be a bit different than this past year.
ST: You raced Sprint, Olympic and Half-Iron distances this year. Which do you prefer? Which suits your strengths best?
Brooke: I don't care if I ever do another Sprint distance race.
The Boulder Sprint about killed me. That said, I absolutely love Olympic distance races. The thrill of the two hours all out, and the challenge of continually trying to improve on the 10k running off the bike is something I absolutely thrive on. However, I really like the 70.3 distance as well. My body is probably best suited for the Olympic distance, yet my mind may be best served at the 70.3 distance. I am still learning. Stay tuned.
ST: What are your plans in and out of the sport five years from now?
Brooke: I hope to still be competing and improving. Perhaps I will attempt the Ironman distance somewhere down the road when my kids are a bit older and training doesn't impact them quite as much. Out of the sport, I hope to be involved in my kids lives as much as possible, involved in service work and giving back to the sport that has already given me so much!
ST: What was your favorite racing memory from 2008?
Brooke: My favorite memory from 2008 race season was having my entire family on the course and at the finish in Clearwater. I loved seeing them out there, and I felt so happy to be able to be doing something I love so very much, and sharing it with the people I love most in this world. It was pretty outrageous for me.
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Photographs by Timothy Carlson/Slowtwitch.
