2002 Andrea Fisher Interview

SBRStL - Andrea, first let me thank you for taking the time to talk with us.  I’m sure your schedule must be maddening.  So, how will you approach the winter training months?

Andrea - "I took about 5 weeks completely off.  Enjoyed myself and spent time with my husband.  After that it’s back to work with lots of base training.  Long rides and runs with no intensity.  I typically don’t start back into swimming right away as that is my strength, so I can afford to take more time away from it.  I’ve been riding a bit with Chann McRae (pro cyclist) and my husband Jamie, so they are really getting my cycling back into shape."

SBRStL - For those who may not know a lot about you, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you and triathlon found each other?

Andrea - "I was athletic all my life, doing about every sport you can imagine.  I started swimming when I was 4 and it was the sport that really stuck with me throughout high school and college.  I came to Texas on a scholarship at the University of Texas and swam on the NCAA Div I national champion Longhorn team.  I also made the USA National team with swimming as well.  I did my first triathlon at Mrs.T’s in Chicago after I graduated college.  I had gone to work for Speedo and was attending the race as the company rep.  I didn’t know what the heck I was doing but had an absolute ball during the race.  After that it was just a matter of time before I started to take my training seriously again and I consider the first race I actually trained for was the 1997 Gulf Coast Half Ironman."

SBRStL - Speaking of finding each other, it appears you’ve found someone with whom to share your life and passion for sport.  Triathlon and its time demands can play havoc with relationships.  You must feel blessed.

Andrea -  "I’ve got the best husband in the world (but doesn’t every woman say or think that???)  Jamie (Jamie Cleveland) is just awesome and has been such an inspiration to me.  He also is my coach which can be hard to separate from the personal relationship.  We seem to manage well and I can’t tell you how lucky I am!  I get to do a sport I love for a living and my husband gets to enjoy it with me as well.  How many adults can say that about their career and personal life?"

SBRStL - We have a fair number of new triathletes reading this.  Without going into a triathlon 101 discourse, what basic ideas should a beginner keep in mind when entering this sport?

Andrea - "You really have to make baby steps and not over do it when you come into the sport.  It’s so easy to get caught up in reading these insane training logs from the pros that the tri magazines print.  People think that they need to go out and replicate a professional’s 30+ hour training week in order to finish a race.  It’s just not true.  I don’t feel that I train any more hours as a full-time professional then I did when I was working full time.  I just get more recovery and I can do more intensity now.  I also think it’s really important to work with a coach or mentor that is knowledgeable with the sport.  That way you have guidance and support as you learn about the sport and yourself as an athlete.  It really makes all the difference and streamlines the efficiency of your training."

SBRStL - One phenomenon I’ve observed in the sport of triathlon is the connection between the elite athletes and the age groupers.  I don’t know of another sport that has fostered that kind of relationship.  Can you give us your thoughts?

Andrea - "All elite athletes started off as age-group athletes and that’s where the connection starts.  We all had to pay our dues and learn about the sport the same way.  There isn’t much difference when you are out there as a professional triathlete or an age-grouper when it comes to finishing a race.  Just think about Ironman racing.  The number one goal of every single athlete is to finish, no matter what status you are.  And everyone cheers everyone on!  That’s the beauty of it and something you don’t find in many other sports."

SBRStL - You have a wonderful website.  How did that come about?

Andrea - "My early webmaster was Chris Brewer, a cyclist and cancer survivor.  I met Chris through our work at the Lance Armstrong Foundation and we became good friends.  He lives in Florida and also does other athlete’s sites including Lance, the big guy himself.  Chris built my site and supported it by volunteering his work time.  Talk about a very giving human being!  Recently my site has moved over to xtri.com, where Rob Docherty now runs it.  That decision was based on the amount of exposure the site would receive in the new location and it also allowed Chris more time to spend with his other sites and his personal life (something he really deserved!).  Rob now runs and maintains the site through xtri.com and he has been wonderful to me.  He is based out of New Zealand, so I get to see him this year when I head down under for Ironman New Zealand, 2003."

SBRStL - I followed your globe-trotting schedule in what I know was at times was an emotional, year.  Can you assess your 2002 season and share some of your goals for 2003?

Andrea - "2002 was the most emotional year I have ever experienced.  I got married at the beginning of the year and was able to share that wonderful time with my family.  That is a rare opportunity because my family is so spread out, and Jamie’s family lives in Canada.  A week after that my father went into exploratory surgery for stomach symptoms he had been having.  He hadn’t told anyone in the family about what was going on until after his diagnosis.  He called me on my cell phone about mid-January and told me he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.  Dad had already survived colon cancer about 15 years earlier, so I had faith in his survival this time.  Unfortunately his doctor had misdiagnosed his symptoms for over half a year and the cancer had now spread to his spleen and lymphatic system.  My dad was literally past the point of return with his condition, but he was determined to continue onward. 

I pushed through my training early in the year, and talked to my dad about 3-4 times per week on the phone.  Unfortunately I didn’t get to see him during these first few months because of where we lived and the logistics of that travel.  Plus I was recovering from a herniated disc in my back which kept me here in Austin for rehab.

I headed down under for Ironman Australia in late March, with plans to visit my father upon my return back to the states. My mother called me the day before my Ironman race to tell me that the doctors had given my father anywhere from 2-4 weeks to live.  I was devastated and I have no idea how I even finished that race the next day.  All I could do was think about the pain he must be in.  When I got back to the states Jamie and I flew up right away to see my parents.  My father didn’t look anything like the man I saw only a few months before at our wedding.  We spent 4 days with him, helping him and just spending time.  I remember saying good night to him the night before we were leaving to head back to Austin.  I told him we would see him again in a few weeks and that I loved him.  He hugged me and said good night.  Jamie and I flew out the next morning, and my father passed away that night.  I can’t help but believe that someone was looking out for us to say good bye to him one last time so I am very grateful for that chance.  But the whole situation took a lot out of me.

I never took the time to properly grieve my father’s death and that definitely affected my training and racing the rest of the year.  I was never the athlete that I really could be all year long.  I would head out to ride for 3 hours and end up balling my eyes out on the side of the road about 1 hour into the ride.  I never was able to perform at my peak level again, and I was never truly honest with myself.  I definitely learned a lesson from the whole experience and I know that 2003 is going to be a different story.  I’m healthy, happy and strong and I’ve finally put closure on everything that happened.  It’s going to be a great season for me and I can’t wait to race at my optimal level again!"

SBRStL - Andrea, you are one of the best swimmers in the sport….period.  Making the transition from swimming to triathlon can be difficult for first timers.  Any pearls of wisdom?

Andrea - "Be patient and don’t rush things.  Swimmers can get injured so quickly making the transition to an impact sport like running.  Plus you need to allow time for your body to adjust.  It needs to reshape itself and become stronger as the mileage increases. It took me about 2 years before I felt like I could run half descent.  Plus my body had to reshape itself from a “swimmer’s body” to a “triathlete’s body”.  It just takes time."

SBRStL - I know you and Jamie reside in the Austin area, but just out of curiosity have you two ever hooked up on the bike with Lance?

Andrea - "I have a few times in the past when Lance was making his comeback.  I was also active in the Lance Armstrong Foundation as well, but we don’t ride with him now. I’ll see him every once in awhile on the road when he’s in town but that’s about it.  We’ve been doing a lot of riding with Chann McRae, a former postal rider, who lives here in town.  He’s signed with a new cycling team which allows him to pursue his triathlon career now.  He just did Hawaii last year and is looking to race more triathlons this year, including a couple Ironman races and Buffalo Springs Half-Ironman.  He’s a great guy and it’s been a great learning experience.  We get to teach him all the tri-geek tips (in the water and on the run) and he gets to spank our butts on the bike.  I love it!"

SBRStL - I think most of us on the outside view the life of a professional triathlete with some degree of envy, but I’m certain we don’t have clue-one about how difficult it can be.  Travel, training, sponsor pressure, drug testing, and racing can take their toll.  How do you stay focused and on track?

Andrea - "I spent part of 2001 living out of a suitcase and traveling way too much.  I absolutely hated it and realized that I perform better as an athlete when I’m grounded and have my “other life”.  If I’m too into triathlon like that I don’t have an escape at all.  Now that Jamie and I have a home in Austin, and run a coaching business as well, we enjoy life and find things flow much better.  I have my true friends around me and I have a “life” outside of swimming, cycling and running.  It’s much easier to stay focused that way and just enjoy the lifestyle that triathlon provides me!"

SBRStL - Fish, we want to thank you once again and wish you the best for 2003.