Xena downunder for Xmas

Team TBB's Caroline 'Xena' Steffen has had an amazing year, with four 70.3 titles, the ITU Long Distance World Champion title, and runner up at IM Kona. She didn't feature on many previews of the big contenders for the IM World Champion title, but we think that might change in 2011.

Xena will be escaping the winter to do some hard training in Australia, but for now, all she wants for Christmas is a new P4 and some swiss chocolate... Wouldn't we all!

Are you Santa or the Grinch? Love Xmas or hate it?

Definitely Santa, love Christmas since I live in AUS and can spend the x-mas days on the beach.

Where are you spending Xmas this year?

In AUS together with my partner Dave and his family. But I also spend some days before Christmas in the snowy Swiss mountains.

Who will you spend it with?

Dave

How do you spend the day? Travelling around or bunkered down at home?

A bit of both.

What’s on your Gift Wish list this year?

A new P4 and some Swiss chocolate

Best present you ever got? (Aside from your blueseventy wetsuit of course)

My little iPod - never leave the house without it

Worst present you have ever got? It’s socks isn’t it….

Vouchers

Got any traditions you’ll be upholding? Carolling? Snow Angels? Bit of backyard cricket?

Glühwein and x-mas Guetzli in Switzerland - big barbie in AUS

What’s your training schedule like around Christmas?

The usual - just planed around the x-mas parties

Do you train on Christmas day, and if so, what do you do?

Last year I had 25th off and a 6h ride at the 26th.

Favourite tipple at Christmas? Do you allow a bit of eggnog?

Glühwein

We do nothing but eat from dawn to dusk at our place – what do you do? What’s on the menu for your feast?

Fresh food like prawns and fish

Do you prefer Xmas in the Snow or the Sand?

Sunnycoast

We’ve got Dean Martin crooning Xmas songs in the office – who will you be singing along to this Christmas?

I am a very bad singer...

Got any tips for getting rid of any excess, er, “Christmas weight”?

Not really, is also a problem for me!

Will you be heading off on holiday anywhere?

I'm just on the way back to Australia

What have you got planned for New Years?

Pleasant evening with friends and Fireworks in Mooloolaba.

And lastly, what’s this year’s New Years resolution?

Remain as I am

Xena pips Dumbo at 70.3 Asia Pacific Champs.

teamTBB’s Caroline ‘Xena’ Steffen held off hot local favourite 'Dumbo' to cap off what can only be described as a dream season with a win at the 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships in Phuket, Thailand. However Dumbo was later disqualified on a technicality yet to be released to media. Well that's how we tell the story - here's what apparently really happened...

Xena crossed the finish line with said elephant (apparently maintaining tradition from it's previous name of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon - we like our version better) to win in a total of 4:20:13.

Xena was second out of the swim heading into T1 15sec down on Anna Cleaver, with Belinda Granger coming out in 3rd just over a minute later. Granger kept in touch on the early stages of the bike but Xena soon built a lead, showing her strength with a ride (2.23.02 for the 90km ride) that would have kept her in the mens chase pack, and clocked the fastest female split by 4mins. Obviously no issues with the stray local dogs and chickens for Xena!

She had little to do on the run but still made a respectable run time of 1:27:17 in the high humidity, finishing her 2010 season with an unblemished record in 70.3, bringing her total to an impressive 4 wins for 4. Adding those to her three 2nd place finishes in Ironman this year, most notably at the Ironman World Championships, she will rank No.1 on the leader board for the Kona Pro Ranking.

Results:
Women
1. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 4:20:13
2. Melissa Rollison (AUS) 4:24:53
3. Belinda Granger (AUS) 4:30:49
4. Michelle Wu (AUS) 4:32:13
Dumbo - DQ.

Xena takes win at Noosa

Team TBB's Caroline Steffan (aka Xena) takes yet another win on her path to complete global domination.

In a bit of a change from her normal long distance racing, Xena raced in the standard course, draft legal Noose Triathlon, which attracts huge entries including the sports top ITU racers.

Caroline biked her way to the front of the field and held on to take the win over young Aussie Ashleigh Gentle and fellow blueseventy athlete Nicky Samuels (who led out of the swim), and only 3 weeks after her 2nd place finish at IM Hawaii.

We suspect that her nickname of Xena depicts a warrior-like plan of complete global domination. So far in 2010 she has clocked wins in IM 70.3's Geelong, Singapore and Switzerland, won the ITU World Long Distance Championships in Germany, and placed 2nd at IM Hawaii, IM South Africa, IM Frankfurt and the Noumea Triathlon. Man her airmiles points must be getting her some sweet upgrades!

Xena conquers China

Team TBB's Caroline Steffen (aka Zena) has been doing a bit of globe trotting on her lead up to Kona with a trip to China for the ITU Long Distance race in Weihai. Judging by her blogg it's been a fantastic trip... although we're glad she didn't need to use the 'support vehicle' - I'd take my chances walking back. (Click here to see her blogg and great travel pics)

Xena dominated the majority of the race consisting of a 3k swim, 80k bike and 20k run.

Coming out of the swim a little over a minute down on the leader in a swim time of 40:09 once Steffen boarded her bike she was soon out in front and untouchable. Posting a sizzling bike split of 2:01:04 over the 80k course, when Steffen rolled into T2 she had carved out a 13minute lead which would only grow.

Out on the run and the current World Long Course Champion increased her lead with a handy 1:21:24 run split, the quickest of the day. Crossing the line on a total time of 4:03:40 second place was sixteen minutes back.

We're looking forward to seeing Caroline in action in Kona in just a little under two weeks from now. She'll be lining up in the Pro Womens field with fellow Team TBB mates Rebekah Keat, Amy Marsh, Donna Phelan, and Tereza Marcel, as well as Stephen Bayliss and Hiro Nishiuchi in the Pro Men.