Alisha has joined forces with coach Sonni Dyer, founder and head coach at Studio 7 Multi Sport, to pave the way for her 2007 Triathlon season debut.

Sonni has watched Alisha develop into the cyclist she is today from her first year riding a bike in 2002. Alisha raced in the Lake Hickory Triathlon (her first ever) and placed 2nd, while Sonni won the men’s event. Ever since, Sonni has followed Alisha’s career, and said with a casual presence, “when you’re ready to focus on Triathlon and really go big time… you just give me a call.”

After 3 sucessful years as a professional cyclist (last year she finished 6th in the NRC rankings, despite racing only half of the calendar due to a separated shoulder), Alisha decided it was time to give Sonni a call after racing her first Half Ironman, the Duke Half, this fall (which she completed in a 4:42).

“Sonni was a natural choice for me when deciding on who to go with for the optimal multisport coach,” Lion says. “He’s seen me from my first days on the bike and he knows my background as a runner in college. The fact that he lives in Valdese where I grew up near Morganton just seals the deal.”

Dyer is a certified Level 1 USA Triathlon, USA Swimming, and USA Cycling Coach. He is a 6-time USAT All-American and a 2-time national champion in the sprint distance and iron distance triathlons. Dyer is looking forward to working with Alisha and thinks she has “unlimited potential. She’s as hard a worker as there comes and has an aerobic engine to match it.”

When asked about her upcoming season, Lion just smiles… “I have the best coaching and I live in a Triathlon Mecca. There’s miles of trails at Umstead Forest for running, open water swimming at Lake Jordan, great facilities for strength training at Impact Athletics, and there are miles of rolling, open roads that makes time on the bike fly by. Not to mention all the athletes in the area to train with. I’ve got everything a triathlete could dream of right in my backyard… what more could I ask for?”

Cheerwine announced their roster for the upcoming season. Alisha joins the team for part time racing next year. The stacked squad will look for much sucess in 2007!

From Cycling News:

Van Gilder to Cheerwine

Laura Van Gilder, one of the top sprinters in the United States, will lead the 2007 Cheerwine women’s team, along with the current New Zealand national road champion Catherine Cheatley (nee Sell). Van Gilder, a former member of the US worlds team, who has more than 300 career wins, will bring much-needed power to the team. Director Thad Fischer said, “This team is so competitive, and so capable and the riders are truly professionals with the chemistry between them just right. The 2007 overall NRC team win will be wide open for 2007, with all the major teams going for it. The riders are very evenly distributed throughout the teams this year. It is going to be exciting until the very end and Cheerwine’s goal is to come out on top.”

Other new signings include former US national champion Sarah Uhl, national team members Chrissy Ruiter and Brooke Ourada, Canadian national team members Leigh Hobson and Betina Hold, Australian Rachel O’Connell and Alisha Lion. Returning to Cheerwine is sprinter Kelly Benjamin, a member of the US national track team, Sarah Bamberger, Clara Beard and cyclo-cross racer Elizabeth Frye.

Orbea bicycles have signed on as the team’s bicycle sponsor for two years. The team will start racing in late February, and have squads in place for both the Geelong World Cup event, the New Zealand Tour, and the first US national calendar races in California.

Alisha is profiled in her hometown paper…. both of them!

Her real hometown, Morganton, NC, where she grewup:

Morganton News Herald - online article
Herald PDF - Morganton Herald Article

And her new hometown, Holly Springs, NC:

Holly Springs PDF - Holly Springs Sun

Alisha finished a strong 2nd last weekend at the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon, completing the hilly 13.1 mile course in 1:24:15. She only came in behind Raleigh runner Tara Wojciechowski out of the 230 woman field. It was a tough race, especially being so close to the finish of Alisha’s Half Ironman just six days prior. Showing her strength and stamina to gut a race out, Alisha finished a solid and challenging run.

• Asheville Citizen-Times Race Recap
• Full Results (PDF)

Running for the glory

Elite runners prepare for half-marathon

by By Lindsay Nash, LNASH@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

published September 12, 2006 12:15 am

ASHEVILLE Professional cyclist Alisha Lion is quickly proving she is just as fast on her feet as she is on her bike.

The 25-year-old Holly Springs cyclist has exploded into Asheville’s running scene out of the blue, winning the rainy Bele Chere 5K women’s race in July and last month’s grueling Springmaid Splash 10K, stunning competitors as she beat former race champ and ultrarunner Anne Lundblad.

And now, she has her sights set on Saturday’s Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon.

Read More…

>> LINK TO FULL ARTICLE < <

In her first triathlon in over 3 years, and the first Half Ironman of her career, Alisha showed she’s a triple threat, finishing the Duke Liver Center Half Ironman in an impressive 4:42:30, good enough for second place, just 1:26 behind Kristin Price. The race was a grueling event, starting with a 1.2 mile swim through Lake Jordan, a few miles southwest of Raleigh, followed by a windy 56 mile bike ride, and finishing with a punishing 13.1 mile run through the New Hope Overlook Park.

Alisha paced herself well in order to ensure a strong finishing run, the leg of the race that can make or break an athlete. Having concentrated her training on the bike and run, Alisha came out of the water over 5 minutes behind the top Elite Women. She gave a strong and steady effort on the bike, reeling in all but three of the women, and started the half marathon 3 minutes behind the leading group. Her steady bike pacing paid off, as Alisha easily made up the 3 minute deficit within the first few miles of the race, and by the halfway mark of the run Alisha was the race leader.

Former NCAA 10k National Champion and multiple NC State XC and Track All-American Kristin Price was hot on Alisha’s heels, however, and overtook her by in the run by mile 9. The two ran together and pushed eachother to the finish. Alisha finished just under 1.5 minutes behind Kristin, but almost 7.5 minutes ahead of 3rd place finisher, Stacey Richardson.

Alisha was pleased with her overall effort and has learned a lot from her first endurance triathlon as she prepares for bigger and harder races next season. She will waste no time getting back to competition, however, with both the Asheville Half Marathon and the Bridge To Bridge Century bike ride coming up next weekend. Alisha will also compete in the Big Lick Triathlon in Roanoke, VA and the Wilmington YMCA Triathlon by the end of September.

• Full Race Results

• 1.2mi Swim - 35:29 (15th)
• 56mi Bike - 2:34:40 (3rd)
• 13.1mi Run - 1:30:15 (3rd)
• Overall - 4:42:30 (2nd)

One day after tearing up the course at the 10k Springmaid Splash Trail Run, Alisha was back in the saddle riding through the mountains in the Hilly Hellacious Hundred, out of Fletcher, NC. The Hilly is a challenging century through the Appalachain Mountains in Western North Carolina. Alisha was the lone woman riding in the front of the group all day with the top men. She completed the tough ride in 4:45, easily the first woman finisher and just minutes behind elite male rider Justin England. Alisha was using this weekend’s run and ride as preparation for her next big challenge, the Duke Half-Ironman triathlon.

Alisha showed that Lions aren’t afriad of water in the Springmaid Splash 10k trail run in Spruce Pine, North Carolina.

500+ runners showed up for the gruelling event. With 4 river crossings, very technical trails, lots of leg-burning climbs and steep descents all participants were in for a true test of guts.

Alisha broke the course record of 52:43 previously held by well-known trail runner Anne Lundblad with a ’splashing’ 44:32.

“I just tried not to drown in the water! I was so scared of falling… the first water crossing was the scariest because all of the guys were just plowing through with no fear. I couldn’t see the bottom but I just did the best I could to stay with the front guys,” Alisha said after crossing the finish line.

Event organizers provided music and food for all racers to enjoy after the event. There was also a walk and 5k run option for those who didn’t want to endure the 10k. The Springmaid Splash offered a great challenging race for all who entered!

September 10 Update:

• Results
• Asheville Citizen-Times race coverage
• Photo Gallery

Alisha participated in the 2006 edition of the Blue Ridge Brutal Century Challenge in Ashe County this past weekend. With a promise of 12,000ft+ of climbing, over 500 riders woke up early to face the pain and torment of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The large peleton rolled along together on the Parkway, until a small group broke off the front on one of the long climbs. Alisha followed persuit in a group of 5 riders.

The action kicked up a knotch at the infamous “Buffalo Hump”- the steepest climb of the day- around mile 65. Andy from Boone Bike and Alisha rode off after the Buffalo ascent and suffered through the next 30 miles, which contained the biggest climbs of the day.

In the closing miles a group caught Alisha and Andy. This was a welcome surprise according to Alisha, ”I was so happy to see a group of about 10 or more guys catch up to me and Andy. We had been cruising along over Three Top and 194, but two little climbers don’t zoom along so well on those rollers. It was a nice break to have some real motor power drag us along that last stretch to the finish.”  

Alisha stopped the clock just over 4 hours, 50 minutes… she was the first female of the day to complete the ride.

Ashe Civic Center welcomed tired riders with food and live music after the long ride. As for Alisha, she went on a training run before she could do any relaxing as she is getting ready for the Duke Half Ironman on September 10th.

Alisha was back in action this weekend for the first time since her injury in Philly, although in a different type of road race than usual - her feet were pounding the concrete instead of the pedals. She competed in, and convincingly won, the Bele Chere 5k road race in Asheville, NC on Saturday morning. Overnight rain and drizzly race conditions kept some runners at home, but almost 1000 runners showed up, including over 430 women. Having not done any road racing in several years and no speed or turnover work, Alisha was still able to finish the hilly 5km course in 18:00, 19 seconds ahead of the 2nd place female and in front of all but 15 of the men. The Bele Chere race also doubled as the official North Carolina 5k road race championships. In addition to Alisha’s NC Championship in the cycling criterium in 2005, she is now the NC 5km Road Race Champion.

Alisha jumps back into action in August and September with several triathlons on her schedule, including the Duke ½ Ironman Tri. She will be back on the bike with Webcor-Platinum in September in Bermuda to close out the 2006 cycling season.

• Asheville’s Citizen-Times race report
• Alisha’s thought’s on her blog
• Full Results via the Asheville Track Club