IM 70.3 St. George - quick recap

The human body is an amazing machine. I love to use my body. When I can use my body to conquer a challenging race course, I feel very strong and accomplished. I love this feeling. To me, this feeling makes me love and appreciate what my body can do and thus, I find myself continually invested in the process of being the best athlete that I can be, for as long as my body will let me do what I ask it to do in training and on race day.

A challenging race course is not comfortable and it's not easy. You can't just wing it and hope for a good result. A challenging race course requires great physical and mental strength and resilience and the ability to adjust quickly to the many different scenarios that occur during the race.

On a challenging race course, you can't predict what will happen during or at the end of the race. Thus, a challenging race course brings a deeper meaning to what it means to be "an athlete."

It's easy to avoid challenging courses for fear of not being able to complete the course or because of the inability to predict (or control) the outcome of the race. Easy courses are safe but there is so much that can be learned by embracing the challenge of a difficult race course.

Challenging race courses require discipline in the preparation for the race.
Challenging race courses require commitment, from start to finish.

Challenging race courses require respect to the race course. 

Challenging race courses give you a greater meaning to life.

Challenging race courses give you a strong appreciation for your body.
Challenging race courses teach you more about yourself than you ever thought was possible by your body.

As soon as we arrived to St. George on Tues evening, I was in love with the scenery. Knowing that St. George offers a very challenging 70.3 race course, I knew this was the perfect venue for us and our athletes.

The course was everything that we wanted it to be....and more.

The weather started out warm at 66 degrees and increased to the upper 80's, with the winds picking up as the day went on.

The swim was picturesque. The water was a perfect cool 64 degrees. There was a bit of chop in the water in certain sections but otherwise it was a great swim with plenty of buoys to help us stay on course.

The bike was challenging. There was only a short segment of a flat road after the first big climb out of T1 so the theme of the day was climbing. Lots and lots of climbing. But with every climb there was a nice descend, especially the last 8 miles which descended us into town after climbing the 4ish miles in Snow Canyon. The wind was certainly a factor on race day as the winds picked up as the day went on.

The run was difficult. Very, very difficult. But we love a challenging course and this run course exceeding our expectations. The wind + long, long climbs were brutal but that is what we came for. Although there was a 3 mile descend into town, the 10 miles prior required a lot of mental and physical strength and smart execution.

The finish was fantastic! Right in the heart of downtown St. George! After 70.3 miles, the finish line was invigorating!

We could not be more proud of all the Trimarni athletes who came to St. George. Everyone started the race and everyone finished the race. Congrats for conquering this difficult race!

Trimarni trifecta relay: Tricia, Freddy, Meredith
Adam G.
Joe N.
Natalie R.
Robb F.
Angelie J. (Relay)
Jane G.
Stacey.
Peggy N. (and hubby Anthony)

Thank you St. George for the warm welcome and to the race staff, what an exceptional race that was well supported by the community. The course was very well marked, extremely safe and was filled with 3000 volunteers.

Karel Sumbal 

1.2 mile swim: 30.17

T1: 2:23

56 mile bike: 2:27.58

T2: 1:32

13.1 mile run: 1:30.13

Finish: 4:32.23

3rd AG (40-44)

58th overall male

Marni Sumbal 

1.2 mile swim: 30.32

T1: 2:19

56 mile bike: 2:40.43

T2: 1:59

13.1 mile run: 1:49.08

Finish: 5:04.41

1st Age Group (35-39)

24th overall female 

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RACE GEAR

MARNI:
Swim: 

Goggles: TYR Pink 2.0 special ops 

Wetsuit: Xterra Vengeance long sleeve
Gadget - None
Kit: Canari custom short sleeve Trimarni tri suit
Sport Bra: Oakley Women continuity bra
Pre-race fuel: 4 homemade pancakes w/ syrup, banana slices and butter. Glass of water and cup of coffee. 1 scoop Clif Cran Razz hydration in throw away plastic bottle sipping in the 45 minutes before race. 

Bike: 

Bike: Trek Speed Concept 7 series custom (pink rocket) w/ Shimano ultegra Di2 shifting.
Tires/tubes: Specialized S-works turbo tires and vittoria latex tubes
Gearing: Front: 39/54. Rear sprocket: 11/28, 11sp

Wheels: Alto cycling. Front: cc56. Rear: cc86
Chain: KMC X11SL Pink
Saddle: ISM PN 1.0
Bottle cages: Xlab turbo wing with 2 Gorilla cages (rear), Aerobars - Bontrager pink cage

Helmet: Lazer Wasp Air with shield

Fuel: 3 bottles each with Infinit Trimarni base blend (230 calories per bottle, grape) + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan). A few swigs of Enervitene cheerpack (no caffeine). 

Socks: Swiftwick 

Shoes: Bontager RXL hilo
Power meter: Garmin Vector 2 pedals
Bike computer: Garmin Edge 810

Run: 

Shoes: New Balance Zante (Pre-race warm-up shoes: Hoka Clifton 3)

Hat: Trimarni Boco gear performance trucker
Sunglasses: Oakley women radar lock with vents

Hydration belt: Nathan mercury 2 (2 x 10 ounce flasks)

Fuel: water and 1 scoop EFS grape per flask
Gadget: None

KAREL
Swim: 

Goggles: Michael Phelps (MP) XCEED

Wetsuit: Xterra Vengeance long sleeve
Gadget - Garmin 735XT
Kit: Canari custom short sleeve Trimarni tri suit
Pre-race fuel: 2 Espresso. Croissant with jam and a few sips chocolate protein Bolthouse drink ~2 hours prior, sipping 1 scoop LEVELEN in water bottle. 1 Hot Shot pre race. 

Bike: 

Bike: Trek Speed Concept 8 series custom w/ Durace Di2 shifting 

Wheels: Alto cycling. Front: ct86. Rear: Disc CT311. With CeramicSpeed bearings.
Tires: Tubular S-Works turbo
Gearing: Front: 55/42. Rear: 11/25, 11sp
Chain: Ultra Optimized Chain
Saddle: Pro Aerofuel Carbon
Bottle cages: Rear: Profile mount with Gorilla cages. Front: Bontrager 

Helmet: Giro aerohead 

Fuel: 3 bottles (2 with 1.5 scoops Levelen Strawberry. 1 with 1 scoop Levelen Strawberry). Hot Shot. Enervitene cheerpack. 

Shoes: Bontager RXL hilo
Power meter: Garmin Vector 2 pedals
Bike computer: Garmin Edge 810

Run: 

Shoes: New Balance Zante breathe (Pre-race warm-up shoes: NB vongo)

Hat: Trimarni Boco gear performance trucker
Sunglasses: Oakley radar lock
Socks: Swiftwick 

Hydration belt: Fuel belt helium (3 flasks )
Fuel: 1 Hot Shot in T2. Red Bull, coke and water at aid stations Flasks: 2 with EFS pro, 1 with Precision hydration 500. 

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A BIG thank you to our 

2017 Trimarni sponsors and affiliates:

-Run In - for helping us with all of our running needs
-New Wave Swim Buoy - for keeping us safe and seen in the open water
-Mg12 - for helping our muscles stay relaxed
-Clif Bar - for quality ingredients in quality sport nutrition
-Cheribundi - for providing a safe, natural and delicious way to reduce inflammation
-Veronica's Health Crunch - for the most delicious hand made crunch - ever!
-Infinit - for customizable sport nutrition
-Levelen - for helping us optimize our hydration needs through sweat testing
-Hot Shot - for keeping Karel cramp-free!
-Solestar - for maximum stability, better power transmission
-Boco Gear - for helping us race in style
-Canari - for the most comfortable, functional and stylish gear

-Xterra - for the fastest wetsuit ever (so fast, Karel is now beating me in the swim!)
-Alto cycling - for enginnering the fastest race wheels
-Swamp Rabbit Inn and Lodge - for keeping our campers happy with perfect lodging options
-Salem Anesthesia - for your Trimarni support