Amber Monforte (my girlfriend) won Ultraman Canada this past weekend: Day 1: 10km swim 90mi bike . Day 2: 180mi bike, Day 3: 55mi run.

After taking off work and racing pro XTERRA last year, Amber went back to work and decided to try something new. Ultraman

She didnt train like crazy, but did a few 8 hr rides, a 180 mi road race in the Sierras with 20 000ft of climbing, and the Death ride (130mi). Oh yes, and a couple of 4hr trail runs. And two 2h30 swims in Lake Tahoe. And some stuff in between...

Anyway, to make a long story short, she absolutely killed it. Amber broke the swim record, (but 2 girls in front of her did too) she broke the Day 1 bike record, the Day 2 bike record, and the run record by about 45min. In total, she lopped 3h55 off the old record, which includes Worlds in Kona.

About 3 weeks before Ultraman she got a brand new Specialized Ruby Pro and Women's Specialized BG Pro shoes. She loved it, as the old Giant TCR didnt cut it anymore. Ultraman had tons of climbing and some serious headwinds- 65km at a stretch. So it was a real test for the bike. (and rider!) She especially likes the compact cranks for the big climbs, the shock absorbing Zerts and the comfey fit. As you can see in the photo, she gets really low and aero and can comfortably stay there for 8 hrs. (!?!)

Read more about Amber's Ultraman on her blog: http://ambermonforte.blogspot.com/2009/08/ultraman-canada-day-1.html

Graham and I were the support crew. Quite a process supporting someone for 3 days. (We could run with her on Day 3) Had lots of fun, and leanrt some serious respect, these athletes are amazing.