141 miles for my 43rd birthday

 

Over the past few years, I've celebrated my birthday with some type of cycling. Last year I was joined by Karel and my friends Garrett and Alvi for a 101 mile ride (with scenic views) and a little over 10,000 feet of elevation gain. 

A few weeks ago I started to think about where I wanted to go for my birthday ride and I wanted to do something I've never done before. I was chatting with my friend Garrett and I asked him about riding to and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Garrett is all for epic rides so he is a great person to consult when it comes to creating routes. Several of my cycling friends have ridden on the parkway but they usually start from the Flat Rock/Dupont/Brevard area. I asked Garrett if he would create a route that included the Blue Ridge Parkway from our area. 

The first route he created started from Marietta (~10 miles from where we live) and included a loop around/on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This was exactly what I was looking for. However, I didn't want to drive to Marietta to start the ride so starting from home would add an additional 20 miles, which would make for a 137 mile ride. This got me even more excited because my longest ride on the bike was 131 miles so this would also be my longest ever ride. 

However, I was told that a few miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway were closed due to Hurricane Helen (September) so we needed to revise the route. Garrett came up with the finalized route which got me super excited. Almost 140 miles and we were going to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. And based on the route, I'm turning 25 😁.

With my birthday on a Saturday (May 31st), I didn't want to do this ride alone. Knowing that my friends would also be riding on Saturday morning, I sent out a few group texts and I was so delighted to see that almost all of my riding buddies were in for my crazy birthday ride. Because not everyone was able to do the entire 137 mile ride, Garrett created a "short" route (which ended up being close to 80-90 miles because most of my friends live near downtown Greenville). 

I sent out the invites and we planned to start the route at 7:30am with the goal to finish the ride by 4:30pm. 

We planned 4 bottle refill stops:

• Mile 25.8 (Caesar's head overlook) - unfortunately the water was running there
• Mile 45 - Downtown Rosman gas station 
• Mile 88 - Country store gas station (Back)
• Mile 114 (gas station Hwy 11)

I packed my pockets with sport nutrition powder (I brought along 5 individual baggies, each with 90g carbs. Two bags of Never Second berry and 3 bags of Infinite Fructose. I also brought along a granola bar, packet of PB crackers and a Never Second gel (which I never consumed). At the gas stations I had a few sips of Coke, a few Pringles, a bag of Haribo gummies and the granola bar and PB crackers that I brought with me. I also consumed 7 bottles of sport nutrition + 1 bottle water. 

Karel and I woke up at 5:45am and left our house on our bikes at 7:15am. 

We rolled to "the rock" around 7:25 and met up with everyone. Ten people showed up! 

We started the ride around 7:40am and made our way to Caesar's Head (CH). For those of us doing the long ride (Alvi, Seth, Yannick, Carley, Karel and me) we made sure not to take any pulls but instead, let those doing the short loop do the work. One of the riders had two flat tires so he decided to turn around. 

When we got to the base of CH, everyone did their own pace. When some of the short route riders went on ahead, I was thinking to myself "We are doing an ultra, don't go out with the half marathon athletes." The weather was perfect, I started off with light arm warmers and gloves and took them off before the 6.5 mile climb up the mountain. It took me 43:39 to get to the top. Karel's back was really bothering him (he has serious disc/nerve issues which have been getting worse over the past year) so he was feeling worried for the rest of the ride. I told him he could turn around with the short route riders but he wanted to do the entire ride with me. 

We took a picture at the lookout and Carley, Alvi, Karel, Seth and I continued down the other side of CH while the rest of the group reversed the route and continued on with their ride. It was a great start to a long day ahead. 

27 miles down, 113 miles to go. 

Once we got down to Cedar Mountain Cafe, we met up with our second group of friends who were joining for the next part of the ride. Sarah, Camillo, Tim and two of their friends joined us for the next 71.6 miles. This group started in Flat Rock/Saluda so they were also collecting a lot of miles today (130+ miles). 

We started to make our way to Rosman which I was super excited for. I've always wanted to make the turn in that direction and we were finally exploring new roads. The terrain was very smooth and somewhat flat and we enjoyed a pretty fast pace (21 mph) for the next 18 miles. We made a store stop at a gas station to refill bottles and stock up on snacks. The mission for us was to fuel a lot! 

The scenery was very beautiful and once we got onto 215, we started our climb. For the next 26 miles, we went up and up and up. Over 2 hours of climbing and we accumulated over 4400 feet (with only 665 feet of descending). The first 11 or so miles were gradual and it was my favorite type of grade - I could keep a nice rhythm and there were a few quick downhills to enjoy. Then the grade picked up and it was a little more of a grind. We made a turn on to the Blue Ridge Parkway and I was so excited to be in a new area. I've ridden on the parkway twice in the past but this was an entirely new experience for me and I was really happy to be with my friends. 

The views were stunning. It was very windy (not Lanzarote windy ;) and getting colder. We reached ~5000 feet and we still had 1000 feet to go (and over 3 miles). We thought about turning around but we all decided we would go to the highest point and stick to the plan. There's great power in being with a group and with it being my birthday, I think everyone was up for the adventure. 

Ten of us (Seth wasn't in the picture) reached 6053 feet which is the highest elevation on the Blue Ridge Parkway Motor Road.  Mission accomplished! 

We bundled up and started our descend. The 8 miles on 215 hwy was incredible. It was the most enjoyable descent with sweeping turns that required no or little breaking. I averaged 31 mph on the 8 mile descend. 

We stopped at the Balsam Grove General Store around 90 miles, which was a true delight. We were all in need of refueling our bottles and getting some food but the owners of the store were so nice. I highly recommend stopping at this store if you are cycling around the Balsam Grove area of NC (outside of Rosman). 

Throughout the ride, I wasn't focused on the mileage of how far we had ridden or how far we had left. I kept my computer screen on the navigation so I only focused on the segment I was in. I completely lost track of time and by the time we stopped at the country store, I realized it was getting close to 2pm. 

We had such a great group. No one ever complained and everyone was in good spirits. There was no weak link and everyone supported one another. 

Eight miles later, we said good bye to our second group of friends and it was down to five of us for the rest of the ride. Karel started to feel better so he and Yannick did some of the pulling. 

It was nice to make our way towards Rocky Bottom as we were back to familiar roads. We descended on one of my favorite descends and made our way to our last store stop at the Holly Springs gas station. 

I was also feeling very strong so I pulled for some of the long stretch on Pumpkintown. My good friend Carley was riding really strong and she ended up with over 150 miles on the day! 

For 73 miles and 5:03 of riding, we averaged 14.4 mph and accumulated almost 8000 feet elevation gain. Thankfully, the major climbs were done so we were able to get our average speed up for the rest of the ride. We ended up averaging 16.8 mph for the entire road but for the last 68 miles (3:20) we averaged 20.4 mph. Because our stops were a little longer than planned, we ended up modifying the final route and made a direct route home on Pumpkintown and then from Marietta straight to Travelers Rest and then on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. 

The final crew (And Yannick ran off the bike) 

We made it home shortly after 5pm which made for a long time on the bike. But I've never been happier. I'm so grateful for amazing friends who showed up to make this birthday extra special. 

And a big thank you to Garrett for creating my "25th Birthday Route."

As for the evening, we had pizza from my favorite place: D'Als. 

Enjoy delicious homemade Carrot Cake (thank you George for making it for me!) 

And celebrated my first birthday in 16 years without Campy but my first birthday with Sunny. 

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IM 70.3 Virginia Blue Ridge Webinar

 

When I first heard about the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Blue Ridge in 2020, I was intrigued by the possibility that this race would feature a challenging bike course. When the bike course details described an "epic five-mile climb on Route 43 to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance" and that "Athletes will experience breathtaking views of the valley, as they ride and descend 21-miles of completely closed roads" I couldn't stop thinking about the race. I love challenging race courses as the accomplishment is in the adventure to get to the finish line. My most memorable long distance races have all been on really hard courses. I've raced in St. George many times, I love IM Lake Placid, IM Austria and IM Wisconsin and I have also completed IM 70.3 St. Croix and IM 70.3 Branson (two very tough bike courses - both events are now retired from the IM 70.3 race circuit). 

Where I live, the terrain is extremely technical. There's a lot of climbing, descending, twists and turns. Being able to train on conditions similar to the races that I compete on builds confidence, strength and familiarity. Athough I love challenging bike courses, I recognize that they may come across as scary, unsafe or out of your current capabilities. While I always encourage our athletes to stretch their comfort zone and to try new things, with that comes the responsibility to practice skills and terrain management to ensure safety and confidence on race day. 

If you are registered (or considering registering) for IM 70.3 Virginia Blue Ridge or you'd like to learn a bit more about tackling a challenging bike course, come join me and three other coaches for the "Conquer the Course" webinar hosted by Ironman. 

Conquer the course webinar November 29th at 6:30pm EST.
Register HERE.

If you are interested in learning more about the Ironman 70.3 Virginia Blue Ridge event (and course), you can check out my race recaps from the past two years. 
2021 IM 70.3 Blue Ridge
2022 IM 70.3 Blue Ridge

I hope to see you in Roanoke in June 2023! 

IM 70.3 Blue Ridge - Race Recap

 

After two races in 3 weeks (Ironman St. George and IM 70.3 Chattanooga), it felt like we were pros at packing. To be honest, we didn’t really unpack much from racing in Chattanooga 1.5 weeks ago.

We left Greenville around 8am and it was a really smooth and beautiful drive to Roanoke. It took us around 5 hours with stops and the scenery was incredible. Instead of heading straight to our Airbnb, we made our way to the town of Buchannan for Karel to do a shake-out ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway (miles 23-48 on the race course). Karel already had his bottles prepared (and in the cooler) so after a quick change at the gas station, he started his ride. He was joined at the start with our athlete Claire who was also shaking out her legs from the travel on the course.

It wasn’t the best feeling ride to start after sitting for 5 hours and then climbing for 30+ minutes but Karel took it pretty easy and it was nice for him to be on the course (last year I pre-rode the course and Karel drove). I drove in front of Karel, stopped for a few pics and then carried on. Even though Karel rode for almost 26 miles (1:33), it went by fast for me as I was stopping at the scenic points and taking pictures. It was nice for me to also see the course again from the car. Although it was our original plan for Karel to pre-ride the course and for me to drive, I got my period on Thurs morning so I was feeling tired and crappy so I was happy to do nothing that day. I had hoped to get on my bike after we unloaded at our Airbnb but I was exhausted from the day so I just enjoyed Chiptole with Karel (after a Kroger grocery shop) and focused on getting a good night's sleep.

On Friday morning we drove ~45 minutes to our athletes lake house for an open water swim. We had a handful of our athletes meet us there for a warm, ~35 minute wet-suit swim. After the swim we drove back to the Airbnb (we booked the same place as last year in the downtown area) and after we ate, we took a nap. We were both exhausted.

Because of the logistics of this event, you need to check in your bike when you check in for the race. Because we were not checking in until Saturday, there wasn’t much for us to do on Friday. We were both struggling this week with being really tired and running low on motivation so we mustered some energy to get on our bikes in the afternoon and pre-ride the run course for an hour. It was nice to see the run course as it was different than last year. I prefer looped courses so it was good to mentally see each part of the course to help me break it down into segments for the race.

Around 6pm, we picked up pizza from Grace’s Place Pizzeria and enjoyed a team dinner (and pre-race chat) with our 20+ athletes (and supporters) that were racing.

On Saturday morning, we rode on the run course and then backtracked the last few miles of the bike course (which was also new this year) as part of our pre-race warm-up. We dropped our run stuff off at our athletes house which was on the run course so that we could do a quick brick run from her house. After riding for around 50 minutes, Karel went for a 22 minute, 3.4 mile brick run and I went for a 12 minute, 1.6 mile run. We both ran until we felt good and surprisingly, we both felt really good running. This came as a huge relief (and a bit of a surprise) as we were really tired going into this race.

After our warm-up  we biked back to our place, enjoyed some homemade French toast and then ate pretty much the same things that we have been eating before the last two races. I enjoy Amy’s no chicken chicken noodle soup, bagel w/ peanut butter, jam and banana, yogurt w/ berries and banana and veggie burger w/ a slice of cheese and corn chips (not necessarily in that order). I also always have 2 waffles w/ peanut butter and syrup before I do my pre-race workouts.

We got our run gear together and double checked our bikes (charged the night prior) and drove 2 miles to the race venue at River’s Edge Sports Complex around 11am. After dropping off our bikes in a supervised area, we picked up our race packet, got our swim shuttle time cards and our parking passes and then went back to our bikes to put on the race numbers. We then dropped off our bikes so that they could be shuttled to the cove (no cars/biking allowed at the reservoir prior to race day). We then put our bib numbers on our belts and double checked our run bags and hung those on the run racks in T2.

As for the rest of the day, besides eating, Karel watched Unbound Gravel and I watched a few episodes of We Crashed on Apple TV. We prepared our sport nutrition bottles for race day and went to bed pretty early – around 7pm – as we were both really tired.

RACE DAY
I slept horribly on Saturday night. I pretty much saw every hour on the clock from 8 until 2am. I have no idea why I slept so bad since I slept so well the two nights prior. I eventually moved to the couch to see if changing positions would help and sure enough, I was able to fall asleep around 2pm, only to wake up to my alarm at 3:15am. I relied on past experiences and trusted myself that even though I was extremely tired, I knew I would still be able to perform.

We had our pre-race meals (oatmeal concoction for Karel and a bagel w/ nut butter, jam and banana and yogurt for me) and then each went for a short jog outside (kinda sketchy in the downtown area so we stayed close to our building) to help get the system going. We left our place at 4:00am, parked in the parking garage across from the venue and then walked to the bus to board around 4:30am. The shuttle took around 30 minutes to get to the venue (plus the additional time waiting in a church parking lot due to tight roads around the lake, only letting a few buses in at a time).

When we arrived, we walked to the packed transition area and Karel pumped up our tires with his cordless inflater (he removed pressure from our tires overnight since it was a warm 80-degree day and our bikes were out all day). We filled up our hydration system and placed the front bottle on our aerobar cage and then we were set to go to the bathroom and warmup. There wasn’t much room to warm-up in the transition area so a handful of Trimarnis gathered together and we did some mobility in one spot before putting on our wetsuits. It was great to have so many familiar faces around to keep the energy positive.

Around 6:15am, we made our way to the swim start area to line up with our respective swim times. Karel and I lined up around the 27-30 min swim wave, along with a few other of our athletes. Although it was a cool morning (in the upper 50’s), the water was warm (75 degrees) so I was anticipating being a bit uncomfortable for the swim. I poured some cold water down my wetsuit to get myself ready for the swim. I also sipped on a plastic bottle of Skratch and threw it away right before the swim start. It took a few minutes for us to get to the end of the dock and shortly after 6:30am, we jumped into the water for 70.3 Blue Ridge.

1.2 mile Swim
Marni – 29:15
Karel – 29:18
I remembered this swim to be a fast swim as it was easy to navigate on the course. There was a bit of sun in our eyes after the 2^nd turn buoy (going into the 3^rd and last turn buoy) so I trusted those in front of me to lead the way until I was able to sight the turn buoy. Although Karel and I didn’t start right next to each other, I was able to see Karel for most of the swim (I recognized his orange ROKA goggle strap). Although we weren’t right next to each other, we somehow stayed together for most of the swim but I made an extra effort to pick up the pace at the end to make sure I could beat Karel out of the water. I tried to push the swim but I felt like I only had one speed. When I exited the water, Karel was right there next to me and we both ran to our bikes at the same time.

T1
Marni – 3:10
Karel – 2:45
We didn’t say much to each other in the transition but as we were getting our bikes off the rack, I told Karel to get in front of me as I knew he would be able to run much faster with his bike than me. It was a very long run (almost 0.2 mile) to the mount line and Karel was moving so much faster than me. This was the last time that I saw Karel until the run.

56 mile Bike
Marni – 2:47.19
Karel – 2:39.35
The first few miles of the bike are fun – twisty turny tight country roads (similar to some of our terrain). I passed a few girls in those early miles. Around 5.5 miles in, I was passed by a girl who was riding extremely strong. She later went on to win the overall female title in a crazy fast time on this course. I tried to stay with her and I was somewhat successful. She was very strong on the flat sections so that was where I really had to work hard. It was a bit chilly out (in the low 60’s) but I found myself warming up nearing the end of the first part of the course. Although it was net downhill to Buchannan, there were enough rollers to get the legs working. Plus, we had a bit of headwind as well.
The first hour went by fast before we made the turn to start the ~5 mile climb to the blue ridge parkway. I was able to stay with her on the climb but near the top, I got dropped. It wasn’t that my legs were done but she was so much stronger than me and I couldn’t hang. I wanted to ride the climb hard as I knew I would be able to recover in the last 10 miles of the course. I wasn’t doing a great job with my nutrition as I was finding it hard to keep a good schedule with drinking as I was working really hard on the climb (it took me 31 minutes to climb 4.7 miles – the “claw”). This part of the course was marked with turn signs letting us know how many more turns we had until the top (8 in total – although there were a few that were not accounted for 😊).  By this point, there weren’t a lot of other riders on the course around me which was good and bad. I found the middle section to be much easier than the last time I did the course, even though there was a bit of wind. I think knowing the course better than last year helped me break it down mentally. The next ten miles were rolling – the climbs were long and steady and the downhills were fast enough to shake out the legs. Finally, once we got to the start of the long “downhill” I was really excited to use my improved bike handling skills from winter group riding and mountain biking. The next 8.6 miles were super fun and fast – I average almost 27 mph. I was passed by another girl (the one who beat me by 2 seconds last year) before the descend and at this point, the two girls ahead of me were out of sight – and I tried to get them out of mind.
I enjoyed being on my bike but I was also ready for the bike to be overwith. I started to feel a small battle with my thoughts after the descend but with 10 miles left to go, I tried to push the negativity to the side. I saw a girl ahead of me on a road bike and she was riding the climbs really strong but not as fast on the downhills so I used her as motivation to keep myself pushing.
Karel had a great bike with no back pain. He was really happy with how he rode the course and riding the course on Thursday helped as he could break it down into segments.

For nutrition, I used Skratch Super Fuel for all my bottles (~600 calories in the hydration frame and 400 calories in the front bottle). Karel used C90 in the hydration frame (740 calories) and 2 servings C30 in the front bottle (240 calories).

The last few miles were a bit more technical through neighborhood streets and it was much more hilly than the last few miles of the 2021 course. This new course was also about 1 mile longer than last year. When I got close to T2, I was relieved to be done with the bike and I was actually looking forward to the run.

I dismounted my bike and ran my bike on to the grass field to my rack.

T2
Marni – 2:07
Karel – 2:09
I quickly put on my running shoes (Nike Zoom) and Naked Running band and as I was running out of transition, I put on my visor and sunglasses. I had two 10-ounce flasks (each with 1 scoop C30) and when I got to the fluid station at the end of the transition area, I asked a volunteer to fill up one of my flasks while I filled up the other one. This was the same approach that I took for St. George (to fill up bottles right before I ran) instead of leaving my bottles w/ sport nutrition and water in it during the day before in the transition area. Karel did the same with his 12-ounce flask – he started with C30 and then refilled it with a packet of Green Tea Matcha Skratch as he was running. He also had one Maurten gel on the course. Karel had a few sips of coke, I didn’t use any coke on this course.

13.1 mile run
Marni – 1:44.37
Karel – 1:23.07
Once I started running, I felt ok – not great but not bad. The first mile was nice as there was a bit of undulation with the terrain to help change up my run rhythm. As I was nearing the first mile, I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom (#2). I normally don’t have to go to the bathroom in a half IM but I think the combo of my period starting on Thursday and being a bit off with my sport nutrition intake on the bike and probably not emptying myself completely on race day morning contributed to needing to go again. I stopped at the first port-o-potty as I didn’t want to take any risks waiting for the next one. It was a quick stop to go to the bathroom but because it was getting warmer out (low 70’s) my tri kit was a bit sticky so it took me a bit to get it back on. Plus subconsciously, I think I was enjoying not running and was delaying my time to go back out and start racing again. The stop took around 1:45.

I was looking forward to seeing Karel as well as seeing how many girls were ahead of me. The first 3.5 miles to the turn around felt long but I just focused on one mile at a time, looking forward to each aid station. The course was mostly flat but there were enough inclines on the running path to help change up my gait. I got a pick me up when I saw Karel as he was making his way back from the first turn around and he told me I was in 4^th place. Once I saw the top 3 girls pass by me, they all looked really young so I assumed I was winning my age group. Part of me wanted to push it to see if I could catch the 3^rd place girl but part of me was just happy to find a good rhythm and not suffer too much. I think my mind was protecting my body and not letting me push it like I did in Chattanooga 70.3 two weeks ago. My mind knew I was carrying around a lot of fatigue and it was trying to keep me safe. I had a lot of mental demons on the run and I was so close to quitting around mile 4-5. I hit a really deep low spot and the rest of the run just felt impossible. I took a quick walk break at the aid station and just told myself to get back to mile 6-7 (the split in the course) and then I could walk or quit. Thankfully, I changed my mind and I started to find my energy pick up again. I was keeping up with my nutrition and using water for cooling. I was having trouble finding ice at all the aid stations so it was nice when I had it to hold in my hands. I started to get more of a pick me up when I saw more of our athletes out on the course. Even though I was running pretty well pace wise, my mind was still trying to get me to quit. Each aid station was a great pick me up and I was really looking forward to the last half of the course – which had much more to it with more inclines/declines in the road, bridges and more turns. I really like dynamic run courses. I saw Karel on his way back with only a few miles left and he was really pushing it. He had moved up several spots and I was inspired by his effort.

The last two miles were rough and the last mile seemed to take forever but I was so happy to finally make the turn on to the bridge and make my way to the finish line.

I met up with Karel and we were both relieved and happy to have completed this race and to have successfully raced 3 long distance triathlons in 29 days. Karel won his age group by almost 8 minutes and I won my age group by 18 minutes. It was strange that both me and Karel struggled a bit mentally in this race but that we both were able to deliver a strong performance. Karel had an incredible run (faster than what he did in Chattanooga 70.3).
Marni – 5:06.52, 4^th overall amateur female, 1^st AG (40-44)
Karel – 4:37.00, 5^th overall, 1^st AG (45-49)

After our race, we hung around the finish line and waited for all of our athletes to finish. It was so awesome to see their faces of relief, happiness and exhaustion as they crossed the finish line. It was fun to exchange race stories with one another at the awards ceremony and see several of our athletes get top 5 podium awards as well as World 70.3 slots. Karel and I turned down our slots for 70.3 Worlds in St. George in October as we have two international trips planned for August and late September but we plan to be in St. George to spectate our athletes who will be racing. And a big congrats to our team for placing 1st overall Tri Club at IM 70.3 Blue Ridge!! 

I still can’t believe what we were able to do with our bodies and minds within 4 weeks. Neither one of us went into our races with expectations, a race plan or any pressure to meet a specific outcome. We felt free in the mind to do what we love to do which is swim, bike, run in a race day setting.

And no race is complete without doggy cuddles. This little girl was extra cute! 

Hello from Roanoke!

 

The past two weeks have been a bit hectic. Although I recovered really quickly from IM 70.3 Chattanooga, Karel's broken wrist has been giving him a lot of pain. The broken radius is healing nicely but he is still experiencing a tremendous amount of pain from his ulnar nerve. He doesn't sleep well at night as the pain gets worse. I feel so bad for him. He had a follow-up with his surgeon on Tues (and got his stitches out from the three incisions) and if the pain doesn't get better in the next two weeks, Karel will see a neurologist to figure out what's going on. His PT is going well and he is making some progress with using his fingers (he still doesn't have much strength). We have a good friend/triathlete that is a hand surgeon so he has been incredibly helpful as he has been speaking with Karel almost daily on his progress and figuring out a good routine for his medications to help with the swelling and pain. 

So with so much of my emotional energy going to Karel, I haven't really thought much about the race this weekend. Again, it was another week of just going through the motions. We left for Roanoke on Wednesday late morning and after a beautiful 5-hour drive (stops included), we arrived to our first Airbnb. (I reserved two different ones in downtown as the lodging situation was a bit sparse for pet-friendly and a flexible cancellation policy). With Campy being just a few months away from 14 years old, we are always trying to collect more memories with him. 

I did all of the driving to Roanoke and after we arrived, we unloaded the car and caught up on a bit of work before I went to the grocery store (Kroger). After a good night of sleep (Karel and I are sleeping in different beds right now because he has to get up multiple times during the night because of pain in his wrist) I woke up on Thursday morning feeling calm and relaxed that Karel (and Campy) are here with me. 

Karel went for a morning run (exercise is manageable as it somewhat helps take his mind off the pain) on some of the run course and when he got back, we packed up the car for my ride. We drove near the swim start at Carvins Cove Reservoir and then drove the bike course until a few miles before the turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped around mile 20 on the side of the road and I took my bike off our bike rack and it was time for me to ride. 

Karel drove ahead and stopped on various parts of the Blue Ridge while I rode for the next 28-miles of the bike course. I was in awe of the beauty of the course and how quiet it was on the road (hardly any cars!). It was a steady climb and we stopped for a few pics at the top. Campy enjoyed his adventure which included micro naps between stops. Karel even took him for a few short walks on the trails (so technically Campy hiked (on) the Appalachian Trail :) 

After I made my descend back down the Blue Ridge, Karel met me at the turn and I put my bike back on the car rack before we drove the rest of the bike course. We went back to our Airbnb and after helping Karel set up his trainer for an afternoon spin, I went out for a short ~2 mile run near the run course and to check out the transition area (T2/Finish). Karel was in a lot of pain yesterday so it was a rough day for him. Having Campy here is nice as he is a wonderful form of therapy for me and for Karel. 

After Karel did a short bike workout on the trainer (while watching the Criterium du Dauphine) we picked up our online order at Chipotle and then made a quick stop at Kroger for a few more items that we needed.

On Friday morning, I spent a good 20-minutes on mobility/foam rolling while Karel was on the trainer (watching Cycling).  I then went for an easy 20-minute jog checking out the transition area (T2) and run out/finish line and bumped into two of our athletes - Fiona and Will - who were riding. After my run it was time to pack up our Airbnb (moving to another Airbnb later today). 

We then drove to Smith Mountain Lake State Park (~31 miles/~50 minutes away) for an open water swim. We met a few of our athletes there and Karel and Campy walked around as I did a 20 minute open water swim workout with our athletes. Although my run felt a bit blah, I felt great swimming. And the drive to the lake was just beautiful - which seems to be the theme for nature around here! 

Once we arrived to our 2nd Airbnb, we unloaded the car and rested for a bit before our traditional pre-race team pizza party. 

We are all so excited for the inaugural IM 70.3 Blue Ridge - we have 18 Trimarni team members racing! As always, I'll be racing with a present moment mindset and thanking my body for allowing me to race on this beautiful course. If I had to design the perfect course for my strengths, this would be it. So I'll be sure to have some fun on Sunday! 

You can track the race HERE. And follow along HERE.

Love on two wheels in Asheville, NC

Yesterday was our very first trip to Asheville, NC. A 85 minute drive from our home in Greenville, SC and it was one beautiful drive!!
The fall colors were amazing and the mountains kept growing as we neared Asheville. We are absolutely in-love with Greenville and feel it is the perfect place for us to live and train but Asheville was a super nice treat.

We were invited to join a group ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Karel and I were joined by Maggie Rusch, Kelly and Megan Fillnow and a few others. It was lovely to be around such positive energy. 

I love nature, riding with fun people, being with Karel on two wheels, climbing mountains, descending and enjoying Mother Earth's beautiful gifts. It was a fantastic 2 hour ride as we also climbed/descended Mt Mitchell. 4100 feet of climbing and lots to love on two wheels. 

Here are a few pics for you to enjoy. I wish we could have taken more (Karel was taking lots of pics) but it was a little chilly and super windy and I was totally soaking in the view!

6 years ago I married someone who reminded me of my dad. Smart, funny, passionate, hard working, caring, great with electronics, athletic and loves cars. I'm so lucky to be able to spend the rest of my life with someone who loves me and wants the best for me, just like my dad.

Happy anniversary Karel! I'm looking forward to many more years of love, traveling, laughing, communicating, working together, training/racing together and living life together.