Christine Anderson had planned to turn Pro in 2011, but a freak accident threw a wrench in her plans. But now she has her Pro card and can test herself at the big dance.
Slowtwitch: Good to chat with you Christine.
Christine: Great chatting with you too!
ST: It appears you have an exciting year ahead of you now that you turned Pro.
Christine: Yes, this will be my first season racing against the fast pro women. Looking forward to the competition and hoping it will drive me to race faster and train smarter.
ST: I seem to recall that you planned to move to the Pro ranks last year. Why the delay?
Christine: I made the decision to step up and race professionally in 2011 although an unfortunate accident in December, 2010 prevented that debut. During a business trip I was landed on by a colleague while playing basketball as a team building exercise. My foot was shattered, with 6 broken bones. This accident required surgery inserting 1 pin and 4 screws to piece it back together. My surgeon informed me I would never run again therefore I was forced to race amateur for another season.
ST: Racing triathlons though as an amateur is a far cry from never running again.
Christine: Yes, I was on crutches for 3 months, which was quite painful. I continued to do Pilates, lift and swim. On a follow up visit with my surgeon months later he asked if I had tried running yet. When I told him my run that morning was up to 10 miles he threw my chart down replying, “Well you should wear an S on your chest because you’re SuperWoman!”
ST: Is that colleague who shattered your foot still washing your car, cleaning the dishes and doing your laundry as we speak?
Christine: None of the above, although those are great ideas for Joe. It was a complete accident; my ankles are super flexible from years of swimming. I assume my foot was on its side when he landed on it at just the right (or wrong) angle.
ST: What is on your schedule this year?
Christine: My first race is Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Leadman 125 in Las Vegas at month’s end. Following that I will race Wildflower in California in early May. Next I will race as a team with teammate Bruce Gennari at Triple T in Ohio. I’ll try my first Rev 3 race in Portland as well as 4 Ironman 70.3 triathlons throughout the summer. I’m planning to return to Chicago to race in the Chicago Triathlon for the 6th year in a row.
ST: You resided in Chicago until fairly recently and that is most likely not a place most folks consider as triathlon training base, no matter how cool the city is itself.
Christine: I actually moved to Boulder, CO in December, 2010 (1 week before my accident). Chicago is a great city and I enjoyed living there for 5 years post-college but it was not conducive for training or the outdoor lifestyle I prefer to live.
ST: But the area is home to you, right?
Christine: I grew up in St. Charles, IL a suburb of Chicago. Most of my family still lives in St. Charles therefore I come back to visit a few times every year. Business also brings me back to Chicago since my corporate office is in Northbrook, IL.
ST: Explain your corporate gig, now that you mentioned it a couple times.
Christine: I am a customer lifecycle manager for W.W. Grainger. I manage all Government contracts in the Western region. I work cross functionally to build customer programs staying within Grainger’s operational, legal and financial guidelines responding to large bids
ST: Looking back at 2011, was the highlight Hy-Vee even though you did not win?
Christine: I wouldn’t say Hy-Vee was the highlight of my 2011 season. I’m not a fan of coming in 2nd place, in my mind finishing 2nd is the same as finishing last. I certainly didn’t have a bad race there; Kim just had a better race. The course proved to favor the runners and I didn’t have the speed for a fast run in 2011 due to my foot injury. Kim passed me in the final stretch. She raced smart and I couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishment. I am happiest with my results at Buffalo Springs 70.3 and Boulder 70.3 in 2011. Both were raced in very high temperatures, which I’ve learned to excel in.
ST: Anything you learned from that experience?
Christine: This is the closest race I’ve had finishing 2nd. I experienced the regretful feeling that I could have pushed harder at any point during the race to take the win. I’m determined to never let a takeover like this ever happen again.
ST: How about Kona?
Christine: My Kona performance proves just how difficult that race course is. I struggled from beginning to end of the Ironman. The swim was wavier than 2010 and I struggled to find a pack to swim with. I received a penalty on the bike, which pushed me back to riding with the masses. When I began my run I could tell my legs just didn’t have their usual peppiness. I literally slugged through the entire marathon. At the finish line I said I would never do another Ironman (I don’t excel at this distance) but after much reflecting I would like to attempt qualifying for Kona in 2013. I’ve had 2 disappointing races there and would take great pleasure in returning for a successful performance.
ST: As a Pro returning to Kona will be quite a bit tougher.
Christine: I’m not planning any Ironman distance races this year, which will make it impossible to qualify for Kona. I’m not chasing points as a first year pro in an effort to avoid injury. I’m racing many ½ ironman distance races which are not WTC in addition to those that are. There are so many great triathlons out there, I’d like to participate in as many diverse races as possible.
ST: But you mentioned trying to qualify in 2013.
Christine: Yes, in 2012 I am just getting my feet wet as a pro. In 2013 I’ll enter the points game with a goal of qualifying for Kona. I plan to race a few tris beyond September in 2012, points from these races will count towards 2013 qualification.
ST: Did the Timex Camp this year find you well?
Christine: This is my fourth year on the Timex Team and camp proved to be as outrageous as ever. We were spoiled with swag from our many generous sponsors. Timex, Quintana Roo, Shimano and Nathan Hydration held presentations educating us as brand ambassadors on exciting new products. Sweat rate testing was performed; results will be used to calculate the water and salt intake necessary for Ironman and 70.3 races.
I find the best part of the Timex Team is the caliber of people. I’ve made friendships with so many brilliant and talented athletes that I would have otherwise never met. Camp is the only time we all get together without the pressure of racing. The last night of camp we usually go out in Manhattan for a night on the town. This year proved to be no exception; we took full advantage of our night out and had a blast together.
ST: So what bike model will you be riding?
Christine: Quintana Roo CDO1, in fact I received it this week. It’s a sharp bike, I look forward to getting it fit and out on the road.
ST: Anything else we should know?
Christine: I grew up watching my dad do triathlons in the Chicago land area. My brother, Gavin, and I swam competitively our whole lives. Running has always come easily to me so it was only a matter of time before I learned to bike and tried my hand in triathlon. Gavin made his professional debut last year. We travel to most races together; I look forward to joining him in the pro field this year.
In addition to triathlons I love skiing. Living close to the mountains and ski resorts was another huge attraction to Colorado. This winter I’ve hit the slopes with my boyfriend, Owen, most weekends. As spring approaches I’ve had to choose my bike over skis but I hope to make it up a few more days this month.
ST: After that foot injury, hasn’t your doctor told you to stay away from skiing?
Christine: Actually alpine ski boots are so supportive and rigid I have no restrictions on skiing. I even got out a handful of times last March. The difficult part was forcing my swollen foot into the boot. I tried daily for weeks last year, knowing once I got the boot on I was good to go. On icy days my foot still aches after a full day of skiing, although it has no problems skiing first to last chair on powder days.
