Linsey Corbin

Going Big with Linsey Corbin

Linsey Corbin is known around the triathlon world as the fast chica with the cowboy hat and the smoking bike split. But she fired a shot off at Ironman Arizona that will certainly have other pros taking notice as she nearly ran down Sam McGlone with a blistering 3 hour and 4 minute marathon, missing the win by a smidge. She also is a girl after my own heart as she is an awesome baker and threatens to single handedly put Aunt Jemimah and Betty Crocker out of business. Anyway... let’s get cooking.

JP: So Linsey, skipping over all this triathlon nonsense, let’s get to the good stuff… talk to us about your baking. How did you start?

LC: Ha- I love to bake and spend time in the kitchen. I grew up in a family of excellent cooks. Growing up my mom was a no-nonsense, simplistic, healthy cook. Around high school my dad discovered a passion for gourmet Italian food and took over the kitchen. My sister is an excellent wine sommelier and my husband works at a micro-brewery as well. I have combined them all with my love for carbohydrates to enjoy baking in my spare time. Sometimes it is healthy, sometimes it is not. :).

JP: What is your favorite food?

LC: I like all sorts of things in no particular order: sushi, pretzels, peanut butter, dark chocolate, espresso, spinach, cheese, and fruit.

JP: Where’d you learn to bake?

LC: Home economics class at Cascade Junior High. We made scones. In all seriousness, just from experimenting around. My favorite thing is to decide what I want to bake or cook and then read a few recipes and come up with my own invention. Usually it works out well.

JP: Any healthy recipes you’d care to share?

LC: Sure, I am going to post a tasty one for apple bread in the next day or so on my webpage: http://linseycorbin.com/

JP: Synapse jump but baking made me think of the Energy Lab at Kona. Your Ironman Hawaii didn’t go exactly as planned, can you walk through exactly what happened?

LC: Well, this is very true. I went to Hawaii early this year – 6 weeks before the race. In 2008 this worked out great for me and I was 5^th place. In 2009, this plan back-fired on me. I went into the race overdone and paid for it on race day. I swam slower than I expected. I got a penalty early on in the bike from some age group men, I scrambled to catch up on the bike and by the time the energy lab came around, I was cooked. I struggled through my toughest marathon to date and came 11^th, but had expectations of another top-5 performance. So, it was tough, but I learned a lot and came out of the race as a stronger athlete.

JP: You were looking for redemption at IM Arizona and I would say you got it. How did it feel to be that strong at the end of the day?

LC: Arizona ended up playing out how I wanted Hawaii to play out, so I was really happy. It is always nice to end the season on a positive note with a little bit of fire in the belly for 2010.

JP: Your running really has come on strong, what have you been doing differently than in years past?

LC: Thank you. I have actually always considered myself a natural runner. I grew up running competitively and only started biking and swimming in the last 5 years. I have had a lot of road-blocks with my running as I have had several injuries since 2006 – stress fracture, hip bursitis, hamstring tendonitis. Ugh. I am changing the way I train for 2010 to keep me injury free and hoping my running will shine through once again.

JP: As usual you finished the race with your trademark cowboy hat… where does the hat come from?

LC: Well, as you know, I live in Montana and love it here. It is tradition to finish a race with a cowboy hat on for our local triathlon club, Team Stampede. I started racing with the team in 2004 and have kept the tradition alive in all my races. To me, the cowboy hat symbolizes something fun – which at the end of the day is why I race. Regardless of if I win, am 5^th or 23^rd place, I do this for fun and the cowboy hat is a good reminder for that.

JP: You seem to be a proud Montana gal… Here’s your chance to plug your state. Let the people know what exactly is the big deal about Montana other than the sky?

LC: Well, you can leave my house, ride for 6 hours and only hit one stop-light and three stop signs. The riding and running trails are remarkable, the people are great, and the state is beautiful.

JP: What are you planning to do in your offseason and your upcoming year?

LC: Well, I will do some baking and cooking. Have fun with my husband, Chris and our dog, Madison. I will do some reading. Visit my family. Work on my swim and strength on the bike. I will also go to some of the rural high schools in Montana and share my passion for Sport.

JP: Boring Vanilla Q… what does your basic training week look like?

LC: Swim. Bike. Run. Strength. Eat, Sleep. :)

JP: Any tips for the age groupers out there?

LC:

1. In an Ironman, never give up. It is such a long journey to get to the start line and you will go through so much in your year long preparation. On race day, so much can happen, you have to believe in yourself and your training and enjoy each moment.

2. I think strength and core work in the off-season are key for injury prevention.

3. Have fun. It’s not the end of the world if you miss a workout or some training to spend time with you family or friends. Don’t be afraid to drink a beer, eat some chocolate and stay up late every once in a while.

JP: Thanks so much for your time… anything else we should know about the legend that is Linsey Corbin?

LC: My favorite training and racing slogan is “Go big or go home.” Thanks for the interview!