View From The Top: Lesley Paterson

 

While Julie Dibens’ win in Maui was not a surprise to most, few would have picked Lesley Paterson for 2nd. The 28 year-old from Stirling, Scotland, now living in San Diego, has been a consistent top 5 finisher on the US Tour for the last couple of years, but with more of a part-time race program. Not that she wouldn’t like to race more often, but she has a ‘real’ life as a producer, writer, and actress in Hollywood. (Check her film bio here) The 5’3″ powerhouse had a massive improvement on the bike and was the only woman to go sub-50 minutes on the run to move her onto the second step of the podium in Maui. She took some time to talk about her background, her race in Maui, and her 2010 plans.

XS: You seem to live a very busy life with your career in the movie industry and racing as a professional triathlete. How do you balance everything?

LP: Man, is it tough to balance?! Sometimes it gets very overwhelming but I do find that one helps the other. The creativity and artistic side of the film business keeps me mentally occupied, while doing all the training and discipline it takes to do all that training provides some good skills for the film business…

However, last winter in particular was super ridiculous as I was working full-time in a bike shop to earn my keep, while putting in a ton of training, coaching ten athletes, and trying to keep my film stuff afloat. I would get up at 4:30am, train in the dark with my lights on, get to work at 10am and stand up on my feet all day. During my breaks, I would take conference calls for my films (take them in the bathroom if I was still on shift!), then finish at 6pm in the shop, do another training session, coach for an hour and arrive back at home around 8:30pm. I’d have dinner, write some coaching programs and fall into bed at 10pm. 7 days a week! Now, it’s a little less manic without working at the bike shop but I’m still managing to fill the hours up!

XS: Maui is a tough course, but seems to suit your strengths (solid swim and bike and strong run). Did this year’s race plan out as you expected?

LP: Yes, it did. I knew it was all going to be about the bike for me, so if I had a strong one, I could be in contention. I got a new coach last year (Vince Fichera) who has really worked on my biking I took 15mins off my time from last year, so that’s what made the difference. The race in general went well for me and I felt strong throughout!

XS: What are your key workouts in the lead up to your big races?

LP: Group road rides with Cat 1 and pro men – there’s plenty of them in San Diego and I suffer like nobody’s business when trying to hold one of their wheels, as they get totally bummed when they can’t drop the wee Scottish lassie!! Also doing long dirt climbs up in the mountains of San Diego – Palomar, etc.

XS: Some of the longtime Xterra pros were saying the bike course was more tame this year, helping the bikers with less technical skills. With that said, is Dibens beatable in Maui?

LP: Yeah, it wasn’t too technical a course but I was prepared for anything that came my way…it suits my style of riding, no doubt! I think it will take a lot to beat Dibens, as she is total class! However, for me, it’s all lost on the bike. I knocked 15mins off my bike time this year compared to last year, so if I can get another 5-6mins over the winter then I could be close ; )

XS: Can you talk a little bit about your bike set-up for Maui? And if you have a picture of it, I’d like to add that to the article.

LP: I was sponsored this year by Ellsworth Bikes and they were very helpful getting me set up for the race. It’s a dual suspension bike that I rode pretty firm. The new thing for me is figuring out tires and tire pressure. I ran tubeless with a psi of 21 on the front and 24 on the back. Pretty soft but it gave me good traction on the rocky/sandy terrain.

XS: What are your plans for 2010? Will you race a full Xterra schedule? Will we see you on the roads (70.3s)?

LP: Yeah, I wanna try and hit up more of the US Tour this year, as well as maybe going for the European Champs. I am definitely going to do more 70.3s because it is good exposure and they’re super fun. I’m hoping to get a sponsored TT bike this year, which will be cool. All my other road triathlons have been done on my seven year old aluminum Specialized road bike with clip-ons!

 Favorite color? Orange

Favorite food? Chocolate- is there anything else?

Favorite drink? Cuppa tea with chocolate to dip in it!

Favorite movie? Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart (of course)

Favorite book? All Quiet on The Western Front (we own the rights and have adapted it into a screenplay)

Favorite race? The ‘Crags Race’ in Scotland – it’s a hill race on New Year’s Day and you get a 6-pack of beer if you win! You have to talk all the way up the hill even if you’re maxed out!

Favorite sport other than triathlon? Rugby – I played it for 4 years as a youngster with all the boys. Guess I like to get dirty!

Favorite place to holiday? Scotland – ‘cos I don’t live there anymore!

Website: www.braveheartfitnesscoaching.com

Sponsors: Skinfit, Compex, Drymax Socks, Ellsworth Bicycles

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