On the road with Lisa Norden
The 2007 U23 World Champion Lisa Norden has matured quite a bit and sits in second place in the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series. She is currently in Yokohama, Japan and had a few words with slowtwitch before the big race.
Slowtwitch: Big race in Yokohama coming up this weekend. How do you feel?
Lisa: I’m actually really good at the moment. Had one of those nice lazy days with not much to do. Banned myself from TV and internet for a good couple of hours, was really bored and now can’t wait to race! Had enough time to get the travel out of my legs and also adjusted to the time zone without any major drama.
ST: Who do you see as your biggest competitors there?
Lisa: Wow, there are so many fast girls out there now. So many races have been decided through a sprint as we all pretty much can run the same pace. Even though the field is quite small there are some high class athletes, Spirig, Hewitt, May, Sweetland, Haskins and my training partner Daniela to name a few.
ST: It was very close in London. Were you surprised about Nicola Spirig’s sprint?
Lisa: Nah, I know she is a very strong girl. The week before she just outsprinted Daniela (Ryf) in a double mini sprint race, so I knew she had some good speed in her legs.
ST: I believe that was your 3rd second place this season. Although clearly there are tons of athletes who would love to be in your shoes, is it a bit frustrating to miss out on the top spot?
Lisa: Haha, well yes I guess to some extend. I was stoked in Madrid and very happy with the Hamburg result. Then I really would have liked to get the win in London. But to be honest; I almost wrote the season off early this year. I struggled with a knee injury for three months and didn’t start running again until April. Never thought I was going to get fast enough for a podium at all.
ST: Has your knee injury completely healed?
Lisa: Once we got down to the issue and changed around a couple of things it only took a week or so until the pain went away. I had a month of running scared, just waiting for the pain to come back and once again being forced to walk back [from runs]. It took a while for me mentally to heal and trust my body again. But now I'm all good and luckily – with my late start my [running] form is still improving!
ST: You are in second place in the World Championship Series standing. What would it take to move up?
Lisa: Oh, I would need to race out of my skin at the Final!
ST: Are you going straight to Australia from Japan to get ready for the final?
Lisa: Yes, the Gold Coast is almost like a 2nd home for me after having spent my winters down there the past years. My coach and training group will all be based just south of the race venue where we have a good swimming squad and general set up.
ST: What is next for you after Gold Coast?
Lisa: I’ll be coming over to the states and the last two Lifetime races. Stevens have promised me the new TT bike for this year (Volt), which I’m over the moon for. I’ll spend some weeks in Australia putting in good bike k’s before flying over to LA to have a go at the non drafting format. Which I love by the way…
ST: What races will you do on that Volt?
Lisa: The main once is the Lifetime fitness in L.A. followed by Dallas. I raced Dallas last year and had a blast! That was my first times in the States, I got put up in a home stay and ended up staying 3 weeks instead of the planned weekend. I only raced on my normal bike in Dallas but still managed to pull away from the girls on the bike. I think the competition will be quite strong this year and looking forward to benefit from a real TT bike. Maybe I also will try to convince Darren to do a 70.3 in my base training later this year. I was thinking of doing Austin after Dallas, but he warned me that I might end up in hospital afterward if I did (and I think he meant more of a mental one…).
ST: In 2007 you won the U-23 World Championships. Would you consider your biggest success to date?
Lisa: It was a big turning point for me. After having been someone who filled up the start lists I was suddenly someone who had done something. Although I think my biggest achievement so far was making my first World Cup podium in Mooloolaba early 2008. That was a race where I really lifted to the occasion and surprised myself.
ST: Talk about your athletic background and who or what inspired you to race triathlons.
Lisa: I always had an active life and a family that prioritized a healthy lifestyle. I used to be an equestrian and always spent my days outside doing stuff. I also rode my bike to school (7k’s) and then again to the stable (again 6k’s the other direction). In 2000 my mum made me cycle with her to Italy. On her 40th birthday we had crossed Europe and celebrated with putting our feet in the Mediterranean. It took us 19 days and I guess that’s what started my triathlon career. When I came back I entered my first triathlon to make something with my newly won bike fitness. I won my age group after having breast stroked the (whole..) 400 meters…
ST: What does your training look like?
Lisa: I’ve been training with the Australian coach Darren Smith since July 2007. He has got a smallish, high quality group consisting of mainly girls. We spend the European winters at the Gold Coast and the summer at a high altitude training camp somewhere in Europe. It’s a very detailed program where Darren spends a lot of time actually training with us. I think we train quite hard, and a lot… but we are always very well prepared once we line up in a race. As the bike is my natural strength, I don’t have to spend too much work maintaining that but can focus somewhat more on the swim and run.
ST: How are things going for you in terms of sponsorship?
Lisa: Well I’ve always thought good things will come when you work hard dedicate yourself to something. I’ve chosen to focus on training thinking that when the results come in sponsors will do too. So I’ve done the training…I’m ranked #2 in the world…but sponsors are still gone missing… ☺ On the equipment side of things I’m really well looked after and will never have to worry about loosing seconds to my opponents. But it’s still hard to pay rent with sunnies and bikes… The hard bit for me is that I’m coming from a country where triathlon (still) haven’t taken off. I have to keep reminding people of which three sports we do and in what order.
ST: Would you have to focus on winter sports to be more appreciated at home and by sponsors?
Lisa: If I would have been a cross country skier, soccer player or a track and field athlete at the same level, yes. But I'm slowly making my way in the national media, and who said life should be easy! I guess I'll just have to work for it!
From this season I'll have some professional help with my marketing from a company called Sprocket Promotions. It's got a nice Swedish connection as Magnus Bäckstedt (tour rider) is one of the owners.
ST: How do you typically spend the off-season?
Lisa: I would head back home to my family in Sweden. I don’t get to spend much time in with them, and even though November isn’t the best time of the year in Sweden it’s still great.
ST: Do you follow any other sports?
Lisa: I love to watch the cycling and athletics. The tour is the highlight of the summer, we can lounge in the sofa all day watching boys in lycra!!!
ST: Can you share with us some of your food likes and dislikes?
Lisa: I love Thai food, specially after a long hard swim session when you’re absolutely starving!! I would have bread and cereal any time of the day and just never get sick of it. But I can’t really think of anything I don’t like… Maybe it would be vegiemite… looks so good but tastes awful.
ST: How do you deal with food in more exotic locations?
Lisa: Before races I keep it simple, pasta or rice is available almost everywhere in the world. But I do like to try the local cuisine and try to get at least a few of those experiences out on races. In some places where hygiene is essential I’ll have no tap water and only cooked foods…
ST: What music do you like?
Lisa: Very mixed but like things with a good tune that make you run quicker
ST: What was the last book you read?
Lisa: Sunflower and the secret fan by Lisa See
ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Lisa: On my TT bike doing big brick session preparing for Hawaii ☺
ST: So you have Ironman on your mind?
Lisa: Haha, I don't think I can call myself a triathlete without having had a go at the IM distance. I actually won the Canberra Half Ironman back in 2004 when I still was a poor swimmer and more dominant biker. Even though I'm a more balanced athlete today I still moved forward on the bike and I can crank out some decent wattage. I'm more of an endurance athlete than a sprinter and maybe after the London Olympics I would need a change in my training and focus. But still, it's a long way up the road. Darren once said I had to wait until I'm old and slow….
ST: I guess we'll have to wait a long time then. On a final note, is there anything else we should know about you?
Lisa: I’m really passionate about racing and love the life I’m living. I’m a person who finds it quite easy to focus 100% on one thing (well I guess three in our case…) and that is probably the biggest factor to why I’m where I am today. I was never I big talent in the sport and was in fact told to give it a rest when I was a junior. Some of the coaches just couldn’t see how I –coming from a non swimming background would make it on the ITU circuit. I think I proved them wrong.
