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Athlete of the Month: Sandra Lopez
02/19/11
Athlete of the Month: Sandra Lopez
Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?
I grew up playing soccer and from 6th-9th grade played year round on a travel team. In HS, I joined the swim team and was surprisingly good. I also played water polo in HS, at both the HS and club level. In college, I played water polo my first two years and swam all four years. After college, I took a break from everything, until 2007 when I started swimming again, trying to get my Olympic Trial cut. Missed my OT cut and officially "retired" from swimming in 2008. In early 2010, I decided I wanted to run a marathon, so in October I did.

What is your current job and what do you do?
I am the National Events Coordinator at USA Swimming. I help put on all the elite level swim meet in the US, including Nationals, Jr Nationals and Olympic Trials.
Where do you currently live and how is the training in the area?
Castle Rock, CO
For the most part, I train on my own.
What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?
While training for my marathon, I entered a triathlon on a whim. I figured the run would be easy since I had been training for the last few months, the swim was only 500yds and I could do that in my sleep and I could just "wing it" for the bike. After I was done, I was hooked!
Who is your coach? How long?
Mark Dillard since October 2010. He's been GREAT!
What is your best triathlon moment?
Being in the stand to watch the finish of the 2010 IMAZ from 11:30pm -11:59pm. People were dancing and cheering and even Chrissie Wellington was there at the finish line handing out medals. It was amazing and gives me chills just thinking about it.
What’s in your race future?
2011 "A" races are 70.3 Texas in April and IMAZ in November. I'm also contemplating doing the USMS 10K Nat'l Champs in June, since I'll be there for work anyway.
What is your favorite of the three sports?
You would think with my swimming background, it would be the swim, but I really enjoy running the most.
What are your long term goals in triathlon?
Once I get a few seasons under my belt and get a better grasp on training and racing, I would like to see how competitive I can be in my age division (sticking to the Sprint and Oly distances).
If you could spend a day training with anyone, who would it be?
I'm not sure. Since I'm still new to the sport, I'd be happy to train with anyone with experience and could give me pointers on how to be more efficient on the bike and run. Since I work down at the Olympic Training Center, I've already worked out next to some of the bigger names in triathlon (little did they know that I was watching them closely while trying to stay somewhat focused on my training).
What’s your favorite workout?
For running, it would be the Sunday LSD runs. For swimming, I love 200's LCM.
What your least favorite workout?
The only time I dread workouts are when they are the recovery, ez swims. I'm not a fan of the garbage yardage, but I know they're important.
How do you reward yourself after a hard day of training?
On the couch, watching a movie and falling asleep early.
Tell us something interesting about you.
-I'm a 3x NCAA Div.II Swimming National Champion and former NCAA record holder.
-At IMAZ last November, I volunteered with doping control and was the USADA chaperon for Chrissie Wellington after she won.
Articles by Category
Miscellaneous
- Getting through a Plateau in Triathlon Training
- Triathlon Success: Three Ingredients Needed to Start a Fire: Oxygen, Heat and Fuel
- Re-Aligning: Body, Mind & Soul
- Triathlon and Golf: How Much They Have in Common
- The Benefits of Hiring a Triathlon Coach
- Triathlon Training: When Rest becomes Detraining
- Maximizing Triathlon Training Part I
- Maximizing your Triathlon Training - Part 2
- Keeping Triathlon Training Simple
- Do Great Athletes Make Great Coaches?
- The Triathlon Spouse Perspective
- Drafting and Cheating; Just Race Fair!
- New Hope for Athletes with Allergies
- Gretchen's Journey with Triathlon and an Eating Disorder
- Everything I Know about Triathlon, I learned in Kindergarten
- 3rd Annual D3 Multisport Conference big success
- Proper pacing for training and racing
- Triathlon is not just about Racing
- Recovery
- Challenges and Choices
- D3 Coaches Get Results!
- The Art of Winter Training - Coach A.J.
- Fort Morgan Half Marathon 2002
- Anemia and the distance athlete.
- Winning Parents – Who is - Who isn’t - and Why
- Everything I Know about Triathlon, I learned in Kindergarten
Heart Rate Training
- The Ideal Heart Rate for Ironman Triathlon Racing
- The Trouble with Relying on Heart Rate Monitors
- 220-Age Misconceptions and Determining your Lactate Threshold
- After Base Training in Triathlon, What Do I Do?
- Racing During Triathlon Base Training
- The Myth of LSD
- Bike and Run Pacing for Triathletes
- The Heart of the Matter, Part II
- Being in the Zone
- How Important is Base Training in Triathlon?
- "SIMPLY" Training Zones for the Beginner Triathlete
- Heart Rate Formulas for Triathletes
- What Does Periodization Mean and How Does It Work in Triathlon Training?
- Defining Triathlon Training Zones and Paces
- Calculating Heart Rate Zones - Excel tool
- Close Encounters – My Experience with Supraventricular AV re-entry Tachycardia
- Zone 1 and Zone 2 Training, Explained
Season Planning
- Turning Triathlon Off Season into Triathlon On Season
- D3 Pro Tips: Five Tips for Getting the Most out of your Triahlon Training Time
- The Value of a Triathlon Coach
- 5 Tips for Resuming Triathlon Training after the Holidays
- Creating Baseline Tests for the Triathlon Season
- Triathlon Interview with Scott Molina: Being 'Process' Focused vs. 'Results' Focused?
- Planning a Week of Triathlon Training
- Sport Rotation in Triathlon - Getting through a plateau
- Triathlon Training Sport Rotation - Breaking the 10% Rule
- Triathlon Training in the Off-Season
- Training Plan Details and Plan Descriptions
- More Than Numbers
- Using The Off-Season To Improve
- Triathlon Training to get Faster in the Off-Season
- Season Goal's: Why?
- The Seven Steps to Getting Faster!
- Winterize your training
- Alternate Workouts for Winter
- Alternate Workouts for Winter
- Get Back on Track By Coach Mark Sunderland
- Perfect Practice: Train to Race
- Taking a break
- Off Season Training
- Creating Baseline Tests for the Triathlon Season
- Training for Endurance Events as a Seasoned Athlete
- Setting Goals for Next Season
Race Day
- Tapering for Triathlon
- Racing a Triathlon in the Heat
- Triathlon Transitions 101
- How to Change a Tire
- Triathlon Race Day Preparation Warm Up
- Ironman Triathlon Nutrition Tips
- Triathlon Race Week Tips
- Perfect Practice: Train to Race!
- The Many Moods of IM
- What is a “GOOD” Transition??
- Learning from the pros
- Managing Limiters – Preparing to race in the Kona heat
- BEING RACE READY
- Boulder Sprint Triathlon - How to Race it 101
Short-Course Racing
Nutrition
- Optimal Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes
- Meal Timing, Composition, and Amount
- High Octane Pancakes
- The MAYO Diet
- The Glycemic Index in Sport
- What About Food?
- My Nutritional Journey - Part II
- My Nutritional Journey - Part I
- Changing your Food Choices
- Sweat loss rate test
- A Recipe for the World's Most Complicated Oatmeal
- Gluten-Free for The Rest of Us
- D3 partners with former Gatorade Sports Science Associate Scientist Nick Suffredin
- My nutritional journey
- Dangers of taking too much protein and how much is appropriate?
- Supplements and Endurance Sports – Part I
- Protein and the Endurance Athlete
Race Course Descriptions
Weight Training and Core Strength
- Save your Knees!
- Will weak feet cause your defeat?
- D3 Multisport: Core Strength Program, Part I
- D3 Multisport: Core Strength Program, Part II
- D3 Multisport: Core Strength Program, Part III
- D3 Multisport: Core Strength Program, Part IV
- D3 Multisport: Core Strength Program, Part V
- D3 Multisport: Core Strength Program, Part VI
- D3 Multisport: Plyometrics Program
- The Small Things Make a Difference in your Training
- The Winter Program - Beginner
- Weight Training Adaptation Phase
- OVERCOMING INJURY. The Greatest Issue Endurance Athletes Can Face.
Swimming
Cycling
- Common Wrist and Hand Pathologies in Cycling
- D3 Pro Tips: Avoiding Long Rides on the Trainer
- Bike Workouts to help you Transition from the Base to Build Period
- Winterizing your Bike
- Pedaling Efficiency: Vectors and Motion
- Women's Riding 101
- Skills for Efficient Cycling Performance
- Training Your Bike Cadence in the Off-Season
- Speak the Language of Bike Mechanics
- USAT Rules Summary
- Cycling Pace Chart
- Buying a New Mountain Bike?
- Train for half Ironman on Tri or Road Bike?
- Cycling... It Doesn't Have To Be a Pain In The Neck (and Shoulders and Arms) - Ron Fritzek, D.C.
- Mountain bike buying tips
- Five tips to improve your bike time.
- Key Workouts for Excelling on the Bike at Xterra
- The Bicycle Transmission and the Compact Crankset
- Time for your Spring Bike Tune-Up! But What does your Bike really need?
- Using Indoor Cycling Workouts to Improve Outdoor Performance!
Running
- Get Rolling with the Run
- Boosting Fitness for that late Season Running Race
- Speedwork in Disquise
- The Marathon Alternative
- Improving Run Cadence - Strides and Plyometrics
- Aqua Jogging for Triathletes
- Improving Run Cadence for Triathletes
- Seven Steps to a Successful Marathon
- KB Goes for Big Air at Pikes Peak
- Iron Chef on Track
- Running Fast: A Case Study
- Run Pace Chart
- You cannot fake a Marathon
- Predicting your marathon time
- Is Running in the Cold Bad for Your Lungs?
- Running Through an Injury
Mental Training
- Sugar and Spice, Can They Race Nice?
- Post Ironman Blues: Fact or Fiction?
- Competing with Heart , Racing with Gratitude
- Going Mental
- Run Ahead
- Mental Toughness Skills in Triathlon: How to get them and when to use them
- Triathlon Roles, Goals, and Plans
- Takers, Givers, and Inner Peace
- Something to think about...
- A Real One
- Supercharge Your Goals
Born to Suffer
Power Training
- Case Study: Using a Power Meter in Ironman Racing and Training
- Power 101: Key Workouts: Using a Power Meter in your training
- Power Training Basics and Terminology
- Racing Ironman with a Power Meter
- Calculated Performance: Using Quantitative Models to Optimize Your Training
- Supplementary information to: Calculated Performance: Using Quantitative Models to Optimize Your Training
D3 in the Press
Focus on Women
Race Reports
- Kona 2008 - Lentine Z.
- Ironman Arizona 2008 - Mike R.
- Lentine Z. Kona 2008
- 2005 Ironman Hawaii race report- AJ Johnson
- 2006 Ironman Arizona race report- AJ Johnson
- Kansas 70.3 Race Report 2009
- High Cliff Half Ironman 2009 - Larry Shultz
- Boulder Peak Triathlon Race Report 2009
- Ironman Lake Placid Race Report 2009 Kevin Long
- Ironman Louisvile Race Report 2009 - Sarah Petre-Mears
- Great Floridian 2009; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Bud LaCombe IMFL Race Report
- Ironman Cozumel 2009, Jay Lochhead
- Boulder Peak Triathlon Race Report 1999
- Ironman Florida 1999
- Last Train to Boston Marathon 2001
- Ironman Cozumel 2009, Sally Dyer
- Why not a 5k?
- D3 Weekend Results 11/13/10
- Racing Ironman St. George
- Boulder Sunrise Triathlon June 2011
- Loveland Lake 2 Lake Race Report 2011
Coach Mike
- Ironman California 2001
- Moab Half Marathon 2002
- The 106th Boston Marathon 2002
- Half Ironman CA 2002
- Ironman Canada 2002
- San Diego Half Marathon 2002
- Lincoln Marathon 2003: Tumbleweeds, Thunderstorms, and Tornadoes
- USAT Nationals 2003
- 2004 CATS Half Ironman
- Great Floridian Half Iron Triathlon 2004
- Ironman New Zealand 2005
- Ironman Lake Placid 2005; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Buffalo Spring Half Ironman 2006; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Soma Half Ironman 2006; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Ironman Arizona 2008; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Ironman Arizona 2007; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- 5430 Long Course Triathlon 2007; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Great Floridian 2000; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- Xterra Keystone 2000; Mike Ricci's Race Report
- The Training Matrix
Injury
Testimonials
- Ironman Wisconsin 2008, Larry Schultz' Story
- Simply Stu & Ironman Wisconsin
- D3 Testionials: Brett Blanker & Tracy Korn
- D3 Testimonials: Barry Siff & Martina Young
- D3 Testionials: Chris Sweet & Michelle Brost
- Ironman Canada Testimonial for D3 Custom Training Plans
- Testimonial for Curt Chesney
- Testimonial for Amy Kuitse
- Testimonial for Mike Ricci - Sally Dyer
- D3 Multisport Training Plan Testimonial
- Testimonial for Mike Ricci - Jay Lochhead
Triathlon Training
AthleteTools & Charts
- Athlete of the Month - Rudy Kashar
- A different way to prepare for intensity in racing...
- Tips for Using your 110% Play Harder Gear!
- =mx + b: Prepare Now for Open Water Success
- Integrating Bike-Run Bricks When Moving up in Distance
- Use it or Lose it!
- IMWI Race Report 2011: Joe Vrablik
- D3 Multisport Launches New Remote Coaching Option!
- Becoming a Runner!
- D3 Athlete of the Month November 2011
- Winter Trainer Workouts
- The Art of Winter Training
- D3 Athlete of the Month Jan. 2012 - Richard Peck
- February 2012 Athlete of the Month - Tea Chand
- 3 Great Drills to Improve Your Mountain Biking
- Open Water (Group) Swim Training in a Pool
D3 Athlete Interviews
- D3 Athlete of the month: Donna Hickey, February 2009
- Meet Jon Haukaas, D3 Athlete of the Month for July 2009
- D3 Athlete of the Month Matt Given qualifies for IM Kona; July 2008.
- D3's Athletes of the Month for September 2008 , Pat and Monica O'Connor
- Meet the D3 Athlete of the Month for August 2008, Julia Purrington
- D3 October 2008 Athlete of the Month Bob Seemuth
- D3 November 2008 Athlete of the Month Joe Vrablik
- D3 Athlete of the Month Beth Noble, April 2009
- D3 June 2009 Athlete of the Month, Sasha Underwood
- D3 August 2009 Athlete of the Month Beth McGrory
- D3 September 2009 Athlete of the Month Kirk MacDonald
- D3 Athlete of the Month Steve Bratton, September 2009
- D3 November 2009 Athlete of the Month Sarah Petre-Mears
- D3 Athlete of the Month Jay Lochhead, December 2009
- D3 Athlete of the Month, Ketill Helgason
- February 2010 Athlete of the Month Tracy Macintire
- D3 Athlete of the Month, Yaicha Schuneman
- C.U. Tri Team Member Adam Coy
- D3 Athlete of the Month, Steve Bouey
- D3 Athlete of the Month Todd Hothman
- D3 Athlete of the Month, Liz Larson
- D3 Athlete of the Month: John Eliot
- D3 Athlete of the Month: Curt Chesney
- D3 Athlete of the Month: Kristen Klein
- Athlete of the Month: Sandra Lopez
- Athlete of the Month: Debbie Ragals
- Athlete of the Month: Debbie Ragals
- Athlete of the Month - Dan Bradfield
- Athlete of the Month - Maureen Kennedy
- Athlete of the Month - Marc Arseneau
Events and Announcements
Mike's Blog
Race Results
- D3 Weekend Results 8/8/10
- D3 Weekend Results 8/1/10
- Weekend Results 7/24/2010
- Weekend Results 7/17/2010
- D3 Weekend Results 8/21/10
- D3 Weekend Results 8/28/10
- D3 Weekend Results 8/15/10
- D3 Weekend Results 9/26/10
- D3 Weekend Results 9/12/10
- D3 Weekend Results 9/19/10
- D3 Results 10/3/10 and an announcement
- D3 Results 10/10/10
- D3 Results 10/17/10
- D3 Results 10/23/10
- D3 Results 10/30/10
- D3 Results 11/6/10