(Readable Text Below)West Palm Beach’s Kristin Sanders, 36, is one of South Florida’s toughest female cyclists. A pro for three years, she’s been in the top 10 in national championships in road races and time trials and won the masters national championships in road races, time trials and criteriums.
Q:What’s your training routine?
A:I usually train on beach roads, north on A1A to Juno Beach or south, sometime to Fort Lauderdale; it takes five hours to Commercial Boulevard and back. My routine depends on the day, anywhere from two hours to six hours. We’re so lucky we can ride outdoors 12 months a
year. When I’m training I can enjoy the scenery.
Q:Have you ever been hit by a car?
A:No. I try to be proactive with cars because I know they don’t know what we’re going to do. Accidents are a little the fault of the riding community. Some are riding against traffic, some stop at traffic lights and some run them. West Palm Beach is like a big beach town, not like Fort Lauderdale. It’s slightly slower, more laid- back. Up north in Jupiter it’s like farmland.
Q:What does it mean to be a pro cyclist?
A: I race for Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings, a national women’s team based in
Atlanta. We have salaries, etc. I also have a full-time job managing advertising accounts for Cox Radio Miami but we can work from home so I have amazing flexibility.
Q: What is your race schedule?
A: Our team goes to every one of the national race calendars, the professional-level women’s races. Some of our members are suited better for some races so our director decides who races
in each. I get 60 to 80 starts per year. People have this misconception that because I’m in Florida and criteriums are in Florida, that’s what I do. But I usually do stage races (like the Tour
de France) because my skills make me competitive in time trialing and climbing.
Q: What bicycle do you ride?
A: I absolutely love my Specialized Ruby, which takes a woman’s proportion and weight into consideration. Women are different from men. And it’s super lightweight.
Q: What’s your diet?
A: You want to be as light as possible without losing strength. My diet is pristine. I eat lots of really good food but no bad food. I’ve taken everything that won’t benefit me out of my diet including ketchup and butter. I went a whole season without candy or cake. I eat tons of
vegetables, red meat, whole grains and pasta.
Q: Have you done other sports?
A:I’ve been doing sports forever. I showed horses for 10 years then had a college swimming scholarship. After that I was burned out on the structure and lifestyle of being an athlete so I was a regular person for a few years. But I’m better off being an athlete.
Q: How did you start cycling?
A: When I moved to Florida I gravitated toward a couple of girls who were run-
ners, but I was never a great runner. Then I ran the Disney Marathon and 5Ks for fun. Eventually I started triathlons, which was a no-brainer since I had the swimming background. Of the three sports, cycling turned out to be my best.
Q:How does South Florida rate for cycling?
A: We have a ton of great cyclists but the problem is getting courses for races. It’s very difficult and expensive. You need road closures, police support... There used to be a great race in West Palm Beach, but no more.
Q:What’s your training routine?
A:I usually train on beach roads, north on A1A to Juno Beach or south, sometime to Fort Lauderdale; it takes five hours to Commercial Boulevard and back. My routine depends on the day, anywhere from two hours to six hours. We’re so lucky we can ride outdoors 12 months a
year. When I’m training I can enjoy the scenery.
Q:Have you ever been hit by a car?
A:No. I try to be proactive with cars because I know they don’t know what we’re going to do. Accidents are a little the fault of the riding community. Some are riding against traffic, some stop at traffic lights and some run them. West Palm Beach is like a big beach town, not like Fort Lauderdale. It’s slightly slower, more laid- back. Up north in Jupiter it’s like farmland.
Q:What does it mean to be a pro cyclist?
A: I race for Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings, a national women’s team based in
Atlanta. We have salaries, etc. I also have a full-time job managing advertising accounts for Cox Radio Miami but we can work from home so I have amazing flexibility.
Q: What is your race schedule?
A: Our team goes to every one of the national race calendars, the professional-level women’s races. Some of our members are suited better for some races so our director decides who races
in each. I get 60 to 80 starts per year. People have this misconception that because I’m in Florida and criteriums are in Florida, that’s what I do. But I usually do stage races (like the Tour
de France) because my skills make me competitive in time trialing and climbing.
Q: What bicycle do you ride?
A: I absolutely love my Specialized Ruby, which takes a woman’s proportion and weight into consideration. Women are different from men. And it’s super lightweight.
Q: What’s your diet?
A: You want to be as light as possible without losing strength. My diet is pristine. I eat lots of really good food but no bad food. I’ve taken everything that won’t benefit me out of my diet including ketchup and butter. I went a whole season without candy or cake. I eat tons of
vegetables, red meat, whole grains and pasta.
Q: Have you done other sports?
A:I’ve been doing sports forever. I showed horses for 10 years then had a college swimming scholarship. After that I was burned out on the structure and lifestyle of being an athlete so I was a regular person for a few years. But I’m better off being an athlete.
Q: How did you start cycling?
A: When I moved to Florida I gravitated toward a couple of girls who were run-
ners, but I was never a great runner. Then I ran the Disney Marathon and 5Ks for fun. Eventually I started triathlons, which was a no-brainer since I had the swimming background. Of the three sports, cycling turned out to be my best.
Q:How does South Florida rate for cycling?
A: We have a ton of great cyclists but the problem is getting courses for races. It’s very difficult and expensive. You need road closures, police support... There used to be a great race in West Palm Beach, but no more.
1 comment:
Would it be possible for you to put me in touch with Kristin? We lost touch a few years ago...thanks! Liz
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