Cynthia Anderson F25-29

buzzards bay, massachusetts

Occupation: Secondary Education Teacher (I teach Advanced Placement Biology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, and Biology)

Educational Background: Undergraduate: B.S. in Biological Sciences and B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Rhode Island. Graduate: Master’s degree in Secondary Science Education from the University of  Rhode Island (science focus in Physiology and Immunology)

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? I grew up the town of Miller Place located on Long Island in New York. I currently live in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. My husband is an officer in the United States Coast Guard and was stationed in Woods Hole, Cape Cod for his first assignment. 

How long have you been competing in multi-sport races? I completed my first multi-sport race last May 2007.  It was the “Coast Guard” Duathlon (2 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2 mile run) and it took place on the military base that I live on.  I was the first female finisher in the race.   Last summer I completed my first triathlon on August 3, 2007 (sprint distance) and was the first female finisher. I completed my second triathlon August 25, 2007 (Olympic distance) and was the 4^th female finisher and first in my age group (20-24).  In September 2007, I traveled out to Ohio and competed in the Powerman Ohio National Long-Course Duathlon Championships and was the 2^nd amateur female finisher and placed first in my age-group and qualified to become a member of the USA Triathlon Organization’s Team USA. I went on to compete in the World Long-Course Duathlon Championships in Richmond, Virginia that took place in October 2007.  I placed first in my age-group at the world championships and was 4^th place overall for amateur females. In hopes of completing a half-ironman in the future, I ran in my first half marathon in November and I just competed in my first Marathon this past February 2008 (the A1A Marathon, Fort Lauderdale, FL).  I ran a 1:18:32 in the half marathon and really enjoyed the distance.  I was the first female finisher in the A1A Marathon. I set a new female course record and placed 13^th overall.

What is your favorite product available at TriSports.com?  My favorite product would have to be the Cyclops 2 Fluid Trainer.  I love it!  Living in New England the winter season can be pretty rough for biking so I rely upon the trainer in the winter for my cycling workouts.

How did you get your start in Triathlons? Triathlons are still very new to me.  I have only competed in two so far but I am looking forward to competing in many more.  I ran cross country and track and field in college at the University of Rhode Island.  Due to injuries I relied heavily upon biking to build my endurance while keeping my running mileage low. During college I really began to develop my biking- at first for injury prevention and then it became a passion especially after I purchased my first road bike. Last summer, June 2007, I really wanted to learn how to swim to be able to compete in triathlons.  My husband is an excellent swimmer so he really helped work with me over the summer and in August 2007, I completed my first two triathlons.

What is your favorite workout?  My favorite workouts are tempo runs and long distance bike rides. 

“When I’m not training/racing, I enjoy…”  I keep myself very, very busy working a full time teaching job and maintaining my training and racing. I always enjoy spending time with my husband and I really enjoy cooking. I try to cook dinners for us most nights of the week and on the weekends- I love to try new things! 

If you could train for a week with one other triathlete who would it be and why? I would love to train with Mirinda Carfrae, she was named Triathlete Magazine’s 2007 Female Half-Ironman athlete of the year and she is also very young, at 26 years old.  I am looking forward to completing my first half-ironman in the future and being 24 years old myself, she is a great young athlete with tremendous talent to look up to.   

If you could have one superhero power what would it be?  If I could have one superhero power I would love to be able to fly.

Do you have a non-negotiable pre-race ritual? I non-negotiate on sleep before a race. I always make sure that I get a good night of sleep the night before a race.  

Have you ever accidentally destroyed a very expensive piece of gear? In September 2007, one week before I was heading out to Ohio to compete in the Powerman Championships I was traveling down to Long Island, NY to visit family.  I had my road bike on my bike rack on the back of my Honda Civic. While driving on Long Island about 20 minutes from my destination I was rear-ended.  It was the first car accident I had ever been in and my bike and bike rack were totaled. I had that bike for 5 years and it was the only bike that I owned, and I had the Powerman race involving a 36 mile bike portion in one week.  I ended up buying a new bike right away (before I was reimbursed by the other driver’s insurance company) and I knew that I had about 5 days to get used to it before the race.  I bought my first triathlon bike, and while it took some getting used to, it was successful in the race and now I absolutely love it.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?  When I was in high school I worked at a pharmacy.  When the store was not busy I had to “straighten” the shelf products.  To give an example, I remember spending a long time straightening the deodorant aisle and at the end I knocked down one of the rows and it was like a chain reaction, not only was it pretty loud, it ruined everything I had just done and created more work to do. 

What adjective describes you best?  Driven.

Finally, do you have any advice for athletes new to multi-sport competition? As an athlete very new to multi-sport competition myself, I am always looking for advice from athletes that are more experienced. I would have to say from my experiences thus far, that I have realized the importance of proper preparation for a race and race conditions, especially in regard to weather conditions (like the heat) and hydration. 

Race Results: United States Coast Guard MWR Duathlon (2.1 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2.1 mile run). 1st OA;  Litchfield Hills Road Race (7.2 miles) 7th OA; Firm-Racing Ashland Lions Olympic Distance Triathlon, 3rd AG, 5th OA;  Firm-Racing Old Colony YMCA Triathlon, 1st OA.