Challenge Williamsburg race report - 13.1 mile run + finish

     

Almost every triathlete wishes to be a faster runner off the bike. Perhaps if the swim was the last sport in a triathlon, athletes would all wish to be faster swimmers and would spend more time in the water doing speed work and long workouts.

I use to wish to be a faster runner. I would create workouts in my endurance training plan that I felt would help me be a faster runner. I would add more miles to my weekly and long runs to make myself feel more ready for race day. Sadly, I found myself either injured or never able to run what I felt was my "true potential" on race day. 

Rather than changing my goals, I changed my plan.

I learned how to train and race smarter. 

For the past few years, I have developed a great appreciation for seeing what my body is capable of achieving in training without getting too stuck on the end result. I enjoy goal setting to keep me motivated but rather than training at all costs to move closer to my goals, I really find great joy in the developmental process. 

Every season is different with new races and new goals. Every past season provides an opportunity to reflect, learn and grow. 

Challenge Williamsburg proved to be a CHALLENGE with extremely hot and humid temperatures and a run course that included an up and down, mostly shaded rocky gravel trail for a little over 1.5 miles followed by almost 1.5 miles of running under the hot sun on the sidewalk with a slight incline followed by a decline and then another incline and then flat road to start the loop again...and again....and again. Four loops of this very challenging run course. 

Without any expectations for pace (or goals) for the run, my only focus was to take care of myself. In between each aid station, I would sip my flasks from my Nathan hydration belt which each contained 80 calories and 300 mg sodium. I also had a tube of electrolyte/salts to lick as needed. I kept Clif Bar margarita blocks and a gel in my belt pouch in case of an emergency. 

When I approached the first aid station, I grabbed just water and took a lick of salt and continued to alternate calories from my flask in between aid stations and water at aid stations for the first loop. 

I can't really exactly say how I felt on the first loop because 1/2 of it was on the trail which I absolutely love (running on trails) but when I got outside of the trail, it was so extremely hot that I could feel the sun sucking my energy. 

My legs felt ok, not super fresh but also not tight and as the miles clicked away (without any focus on my pace), I started to feel a bit better with every foot strike. 

When I exited the trail, I spotted Amy who was looked to be leading the race and then Jen who appeared to be behind Amy. Both girls were running really strong and I really wasn't positive if I was 3rd overall amateur or maybe I missed someone ahead of Amy. Because of the loop course, there was only one opportunity for an out and back (on an incline/decline) on the sidewalk to see the competition. 

As I was making my way out of the trail, Amy and Jen were so far ahead of me that I didn't really focus on catching either one of them. After I made the turn around, I could see my competition behind me so that became my big focus - don't get caught!!

As I made my way back on the long hot stretch of road to start loop 2 of 4, I spotted Karel who gave me a big cheer. My mom was down the road and she gave me a big cheer too. Campy was chilling on a chair under an umbrella and my friend, Katie Thomas (who was racing pro and did amazing) had her parents on the course and her mom was babysitting Campy. 

When I started loop two, I found myself wanting to be a bit more competitive. But although my mind wanted to race, my body did not want to respond to any "hard" efforts in the heat (and I didn't blame it!). 

When I got to the first aid station to start the loop, I took a sip of coke and began to become quite diligent at grabbing ice to keep myself as cool as possible. Whereas on the first loop I took ice from the aid stations and grabbed a few pieces in my hand to hold and the rest went down my sport bra, I made sure to constantly keep myself as cool as possible so every aid station, ice was under my hat, in my sport bra and in my hands. I continued to stay well hydrated with water/salt, my nutrition in my flasks and every now and then I would take a sip of coke as needed.

As I made my way out of the gravel trail for loop two, I didn't immediately see Amy and Jen. The gap was closing and I was beginning to feel stronger with every foot strike. My pace didn't feel fast but I didn't feel as if I was fading - despite the heat sucking away all my energy with every 1.5 mile segment of this looped run course. Seriously - it was so hot I felt like my insides were shutting down.

Rather than thinking about how exhausting it felt to race on this run course, in these conditions, I approached Karel and he gave me the pick-me-up that I needed. He told me that I was gaining on the girls ahead of me and he said I was racing so strong. 

Yes - strong is the word for the race. Not fast, not speed, but strong. 

Looped courses work really well for me as I don't find myself counting miles throughout the race. With 4 loops, I strategically broke down this race and tried to build my effort so that the last loop was my "strongest". 

Despite feeling stronger, there were certainly low moments throughout the race. I choose to minimize walking in the trail at the aid stations as this was my opportunity to gain ground on my competitors. There was one aid station in the gravel trail section that I choose to walk each loop and then I walked every aid station in the sun. I didn't think twice about passing up an aid station without walking and some aid stations I took a bit longer than I would have liked but I was all about trying to keep my body in the best shape possible. 

When I got to loop three, I was on a mission.....still not sure about catching the girls ahead of me, I needed to make sure the girls behind me didn't catch me. My only goal for loop three was don't get caught. I had no choice but to try to pick up the pace in the gravel section to gain any ground that I could. 

The gravel section included several ups and downs with one steeper climb and then downhill. It was certainly a challenging run course but the heat was just so intense that it was hard to really feel "recovered" in the shade. With so many athletes walking all over the course, I often found myself thinking "oh walking...that looks like a great idea!" But I convinced myself to keep moving forward and that I could rest at the finish. 

When I got out of the trail section, I found myself passing Jen. She still looked strong and I told her that she looked good. Not sure what position I was in, I spotted Amy and I guessed that based on our 1/2 overall finish at Knoxville 4 weeks ago (with Amy beating me by several minutes) I may be second overall female amateur. 

Karel could not have been more excited when I saw him. He kept saying how great I looked and reminded me that I loved racing in the heat. I was so ready to stop racing in the heat as it was a fight with every foot strike to stay as strong as I could for 13.1 miles. Oddly, I never once counted miles and there were many times on the course when I had no idea what mile I was at and that didn't even phase me. As hard as it was to "race" in the heat, I was really loving this run course. I loved the challenge of the trail and then putting myself in "survival" mode in the hot blazzing sun. 

As I made my way into the trail for my final loop, I just told myself to go as hard as I could until I exited the gravel. With a few strong girls behind me chasing me down, I didn't focus on Amy but instead, just stayed determined to not get caught. I really pushed as hard as I could on the gravel as I knew there would be little left in my tank for any type of hard effort for the last 1.5 miles. 

As I was nearing the one aid station in the trail section, I spotted Amy. She was in my eye sight and I wasn't sure when I should make my move. Managing my effort was my only goal for the run but somehow I found myself being the one who was slowing down the least on this extremely hot day on this hard run course. I decided to make one quick stop at the aid station as I told myself that would be my last walk before the finish. I stayed behind Amy for the rest of the gravel trail and made my move when we were climbing the incline before the turn around. 

(oh - I saw a turtle on the trail and said hi to him - I forgot to mention that in loop three). 

As I was running by Amy, she told me great job and I told her she was running so strong. I asked her what place we were in and she wasn't sure if we were 1/2 or 2/3. Either way, we were both supporting each other. There's just something so special about racing which brings out the best in all of us - without a push, we never discover our true potential. 

After the turnaround, with less than 1.5 miles to go, I found myself in the lead. I no longer thought about  my sub 5-hour time goal but instead, GO FOR IT!!

I was on a mission to not slow down but with a real-feel of 124 degrees and between 85-100% humidity, I made sure to not take too many risks as I was entering a very dangerous zone with my body to "race" in this heat. I grabbed ice/water and a sip of coke at the last aid station with less than a mile to go and had one last lick of salt and finished off my flask to make sure I was well fueled/hydrated for the last mile. Yes, even with 1 mile less, I did not assume an easy finish and I still made sure to keep up with my fuel/hydration and electrolytes. 

As I made my way to the finishing chute, I gave Karel and my mom a tall hand raise as they didn't see me coming. They both were smiling super big and so was I....

I couldn't believe it....sub 5-hours for the first time and overall female amateur.....by 37 seconds. 

It only took me 68.8 miles, but I achieved something that I never thought was possible by my body at this race, on this day. 

Once again, I proved to myself that racing is not always about who is the fastest. When it comes to training and racing, it's all about who slows down the least.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses as athletes. Never let a weakness stop you from using your strengths wisely in training and racing. 

My love for hills, loops, trails and the heat paid off on this run course and even though I didn't have the fastest run, I ran strong enough after 1.2 miles of swimming and 56 miles of biking and that's all that matters when it comes to racing. 

After the race, Karel, my mom, Campy and I went back to our hotel to shower and relax before awards. It was so fun to have all of the Trimarni athletes at the awards ceremony - and congrats to Elizabeth, JoAnn, Rob, Danielle and Karel for great races!

Great job Amy and Jesse - two amazingly strong athletes who really pushed me to my limits at Challenge Williamsburg!

Congrats to Karel for 2nd male aquabike. 

MARNI RACE RESULTS:
1.2 mile swim: 31:56
T1: 3:07
56 mile bike: 2:33.02 (22.02mph)
T2: 1:12
13.1 mile run: 1:45:24 (8:03min/mile)
TOTAL: 4:54:42

1st overall female amateur
6th overall female (out of 103)
21st overall (out of 304)

Peace out Williamsburg! 

I'm so incredibly grateful to my body for what it allowed me to do.

I don't chase a body image, I chase best performances.

Thank you body for being incredible at Challenge Williamsburg and for not failing on me.

I chase my competition which brings out the best in me. If it wasn't for faster athletes, I would never discover my true potential.  

Don't forget to train and race smart. You don't have to be fast to be great. Be the smartest athlete at your next race and you will quickly discover you are so much stronger than you think. 

Thank you Trimarni sponsors for your great support, gear and products!!

Clif Bar

Oakley Women

First Bourn

Run In 

Salem Anesthesia

Veronica's Health Crunch

Challenge Series

Hawk Racing

Retul

Tri Bike Transport

Solestar

Training Peaks

Xterra Wetsuits

Challenge Williamsburg Race Report - 56 mile bike

I had only one goal for this race on the bike and that was to break 2:40. In 10 half ironman races, I can't recall myself ever riding faster than 2:42 in a half ironman and based on how strong I felt at Challenge Knoxville, I went into this race with confidence that I could achieve a PR bike. All I wanted to see was a 3 behind 2 hours and I would be happy. 

Aside from my first three half ironman races (at Disney), the majority of my races have been very low-key events. Rather than racing with 2000+ athletes, the typical athlete count is around 500 or less. 

Because of the low number of athletes on the course, this always provides a very fair race yet also an very individually paced race (with minimal drafting). 

With most of my rides averaging around 16.5-17 mph in Greenville, I went into this race with excitement to see what my body could do on flatter terrain. Karel has worked really hard to help me learn how to "chase" athletes but still stay within my own abilities. After feeling like I was able to "stay" with others on the bike (yet still drafting legally) at Knoxville 4 weeks ago, I really wanted to settle into a rhythm but still feel like I was racing and taking smart risks at Williamsburg. 

The entire bike course was beautiful. Tall green trees and miles of green grass surrounding us whereas we turned. The course was not entirely flat  but instead, there were several false flats, just a  few gentle rollers and punchy climbs and then one long-ish climb (well more like punchy if you had good speed on the previous downhill) within the last 5 miles. 

All in all, it was not a "hilly" course by no means but it was not pancake flat.

I really enjoy this course - in addition to the well-paved roads (well, most of them), there were minimal cars on the road and the volunteers at the aid stations were outstanding (throughout the entire race). I don't know if it is just me but I find the athletes at Challenge races extremely nice. Maybe it's because athletes are not chasing "slots" but I have felt such a great vibe at the last two Challenge races. 

For my endurance triathlon races, my strategy when I get on the bike is to wait 15 minutes until I drink from my first of three bottles (each containing ~300 calories) and to allow around 10 minutes for my legs to wake-up before settling into a rhythm. 

Within 10 minutes of the bike, my legs felt heavy. I wasn't anticipating super fresh legs but my legs were not feeling good on the bike when I started my ride. I felt like my RPE was higher than what I wanted. Looking back, I ended up riding my highest power and speed in the first 20 minutes of the bike (177 NP watts/22.5mph) but in the big picture I do not feel it compromised my race as I was trying whatever I could to wake up my legs. 

I ended up using the first 20 minutes to do a few fast and heavy gear intervals. There was no specific time for each interval but just to help wake up my legs on flat terrain, I would electronically shift into a heavy gear and that would slow down my cadence to around 80 for maybe 30-90 seconds and then I would switch into a lighter gear (all still in the big chain ring) for 30-90 seconds at around 95+ rpm. I was not focusing on my Garmin, just listening to my body. After around 20 minutes, my legs finally began to wake up. 

Somewhere in the first 20 minutes of the bike, Karel passed me. It was great to see him but he was too fast for any type of conversation. Because he was doing the aquabike, he could take as many risks as he wanted but seeing that Karel was never a good time-trialing cyclist when he raced Cat 1, he didn't find himself crushing the bike like he wanted. 

Around 10 miles into the bike, a guy passed me and then I found myself right behind him - staying 3 bike lengths behind him, I told myself to just try to "stay" with him as long as possible. It felt like we were a good  match and sometimes I would pass him on a climb/hill but it always seemed like he would end up ahead of me and I was just unable to pass him and ride away. 

Three times I noticed a race official passing us while riding along the course and never getting a look as if we were doing something wrong. This guy and I really rode well together - still always staying draft legal between one another. Whereas in a bigger race, there may have been 10-20 people around us, it wasn't until around 25-30 miles that another guy passed us and it was great motivation to know that I was able to stay with 2 guys on the course. 

Most of the time, we were riding alone. I can't recall more than 5 guys passing me on the bike course. 

Although drafting legally did not provide me with an "easy" ride, it did push me to not let up when I found my mind questioning if I was riding too hard. This is exactly what Karel has been trying to help me with and finally I felt as if I was taking smart risks and really racing. 

I have four cages on my bike and in a half, 3 cages are for bottles (one cage is for my spare tubular tire in a cut water bottle). I consumed 1 bottle sport drink each hour and grabbed two bottles water on the course (at aid station 2 and 3) for sipping and cooling. Although some sections of the course were shaded, the majority was not but instead, in open fields or roads and it was starting to get very hot. 

I wore COOLA suncare spray (SPF 30) and it always seems to protect me in the heat for long races and I never feel sticky with it on. 

When I got to the out and back section of the course, around mile 42, this was the first time that I was able to see athletes ahead of me. I first spotted Karel and gave him a big thumbs up - he later told me after the race that he couldn't believe that I was so close to him. Over the past two years, we have seen some huge improvements in my cycling. Training in Greenville has contributed to most of those improvements as well as strength training and continuing to get dialed in with my bike fit from Karel (with his RETUL fit system). Karel last fit me in late April and since then, I have been riding much more efficient and stronger. 

I spotted Amy and another girl (Jen) who were leading the women's amateur race and all of a sudden, my goals shifted. I didn't want to lose sight of my two time goals of breaking 2:40 on the bike and finishing sub 5 hours for the first time but I questioned if maybe, just maybe I could squeeze in top 5 amateur female. I didn't push my luck thinking I could be top 3 as I wasn't sure what would happen on the run and with the heat, this would not be the race to "race" the run - it would be all about survival and managing efforts. 

For the next few miles, I found myself with a lot of mind games, wondering what kind of run times would be needed for a top finish by the athletes, also not knowing the run course, how much of the course would be shaded and how technical would the gravel section actually be? Gloria always tells me not to jump ahead with my thoughts so I made sure not to convince myself that I would fall apart on the run just because I was pushing the bike. All my thoughts were bottled into one big thought to help me race smarter. 

Miles 50-53 were welcomed with a nice downhill and then long-ish uphill before heading back out on a main road for the last two miles of the 56 mile bike. 

Within 56 miles, I easily finished all three of my bottles (600 calories) plus a small bite of my wafer (100 calories) and consumed about 1/2 bottle of water (between the two aid stations where I grabbed water and sipped and cooled myself). I hit lap on my Garmin every 20 min and never looked at my total time....until the last 2 miles. After turning on my Garmin 910 to get ready for the run, I switched my Garmin 510 over to the main screen (instead of my interval screen) and I couldn't believe what I was seeing for my total time. 

As I rolled into the Sports Complex, I eased up just a bit and then unclipped my shoes, stopped my Garmin and got off my bike at the dismount line. 

I rolled my bike to my rack and there was Karel at the fence talking to me.
It felt like I was taking the longest time in transition but for some reason, I was in no rush to start running. I really wanted to compose myself before running 13.1 miles in the hottest temps I have ever experienced (including Kona - somehow it felt hotter than Kona). 

Karel told me that Amy was a few minutes ahead of me so I counted her out as a good target. Karel said that he thought there was 2-3 girls ahead of me which was exciting knowing that maybe I could place top three amateur. I told Karel that I biked 2:32 and he said "That's great - you were so strong I couldn't believe how fast you were riding."
As I put on my dad's hat and running shoes, I put on my race belt and then grabbed my Nathan hydration belt and started to make my way from the first race for bike-in all the way to run out on the other side of the transition area. Again, I took my time and was just not ready to run yet. 

Karel reminded me that I do well in the heat and this course was perfect for me but I wasn't quite ready to believe him just yet. My legs were not too excited to run but once I crossed that line for run out, I started running (with my hydration belt on) and I grabbed water at the first aid station around 10-20 yards or so from the run out to cool myself on my head.
I also grabbed ice and dumped it in my sport bra and took a few pieces in my hands to hold to try to keep myself cool. 

As soon as I hit the gravel and felt the shade, I was instantly relieved to feel some shade. Although it was still hot and the gravel terrain was far from being flat, it only took a few minutes before I felt myself excited to see what I could do to see if I could come close to achieving my sub-5 hour goal. 

It would be a few miles before I would see any of my competition so I shut out the thought of placing on the overall amateur female podium and decided to just run happy for the next few miles of our 4-loop run course. 

Marni stats - 56 mile bike2:33:02 (21.95mph)

Karel stats - 56 mile bike

2:20 (23.78 mph)

Stay tuned for my 13.1 mile race recap......surviving the heat, staying fueled/hydrated and running my way to overall female amateur winner!

Challenge Williamsburg Race Report - Pre-race + 1.2 mile swim

My alarm went off at 4:05am which gave me 10 minutes to make some coffee with the help of our home electric kettle that we brought + instant coffee (Nescafe Classico), take Campy outside and then fill my Nathan hydration belt flasks (2 of them) with cold water.
I sipped on aminos + electrolytes in a small bottle of water and a mug of coffee w/ milk and grabbed my T2 gear (in a drawstring bag that I brought) which included: running shoes, my dad's Corvette hat, race belt,  number (safety pinned), Nathan hydration belt + flasks (with extra nutrition in my belt pocket: margarita Clif blocks, salt tube  and Clif Bar Gel)  and a small towel and headed 10 minutes down the road to T2. I parked and made the 10-15 minute walk to transition.

I decided the night before the race that I would go to T2 first thing in the morning (it opened at 4:30am) to drop off my run gear by myself. Since my mom was driving us to the beach (T1/race start) we did not need to board the bus shuttles. Our athletes ended up on the shuttle buses and they all said it was very easy and not waiting involved. 

I dropped off my run gear in my designated rack and kept my run shoes in my drawstring bag just in case it rained (lesson learned from Knoxville - although not sure it mattered as cold/wet feet may have been nice in the heat - minus the potential blisters). 

I double checked my gear at least four times - it is so different to just lay out run gear and then know that it will be hours until you see it again and then headed back to the car around 4:40am to make it back to the hotel by 4:55am. 

I took a banana with me for the car ride home so I started my pre-race fueling around 4:55am (2 hours before race start).

When I got back to the hotel room, my mom and Karel (and Campy) were up and I ate my typical pre-race meal of banana (consumed in car) a rice cake dressed up with lots of maple syrup, raisins, cinnamon and peanut butter. I brought everything with me from home and laid it all out the night before so it was easy to make and consume. 

I continued to sip on my pre-race bottle throughout the morning so in all I consumed around 28-32 ounce fluid in the 2.5 hours before the race start and around 400 calories and around 1200 mg sodium. 

Karel drove us to T2 and we parked in the spectator parking lot (cars had to be out by 9:30, athletes who drove could park in a different lot but no shuttles back to T1 after the race) across from the transition area. 

My mom and Campy stayed in the car for 15 minutes or so while Karel and I went to the transition area to pump up our tires with our pump. We had our race numbers on us already (race number temporary tats) so it was a very smooth entry in and out of setting up our gear.

I laid out my helmet, shoes, Oakley Women RPM shades and compression socks. Since calf sleeves were not allowed in the water with it being non-wet suit legal, I decided to wear my CEP socks instead of putting on socks and calf sleeves. I also had a towel to wipe off my feet and my T1 bag which I was to put all my swim gear in after the swim to be transported to T2 by the volunteers.
We were given a dry clothes bag but we put our clothing, transition bag and pump in our car.


Campy came to greet me after we left transition area and it was very nice to have his great energy around us. He makes every situation less stressful. 

Thanks for the pic Elizabeth!

We all (Trimarni athletes) gathered for a picture after transitioned closed for half athletes at 6:20 (and after a bathroom stop) and off we went on the grassy field toward the swim start. 

I had my pre race drink in a plastic bottle so I tossed it in a garbage can as we were walking to the swim start. 

Thanks Elizabeth for the great pictures! 

I warmed up for about 10-15 minutes in the water with a few strokes to get comfortable, then I would just hang out since the water was extremely shallow. When the pro males were making their way back to the beach, you could see many dolphin dives as the water was not deep at all.

I chatted with Amy before the start and we talked about the best strategy with the shallow water and we both decided that swimming or dolphin diving would move us more than walking (and I don't think either of us considered walking in the swim portion).

At 6:50am we all corralled behind the timing line on the beach and then made our way into the water. It was an in the water start although we could all touch the bottom. The water was extremely warm and the sun was rising as we were waiting for our 6:55am start.

Thanks Elizabeth for the great pictures! 

Our wave included all women, relays and the aquabike so Karel was in my wave (he later mentioned how awesome it is to swim with the ladies and not the guys - he said there is no pushing or swimming over each other. He loved the calmness of swimming with the ladies :) )

At 6:55am we were off. I tried really hard to stay with Amy who is a former D1 swimmer and extremely fast but despite swimming as fast/hard as I could, I just couldn't hang. I was a bit frustrated that I missed her pack of a few pink caps but oh well, time to just focus on myself.

I had heard from previous years about the current in the water and I can say that I never felt as if we had it easy as if the current was in our favor. I felt like the entire 1.2 miles, I was fighting hard to not swim off course because the current was constantly changing. 

My main focus was to feel myself catching the water and moving through the water but never losing sight of the buoys. I spotted a lot, probably every 4-6 strokes. 

When I made my way around the 2 buoy, I noticed that despite trying to swim a bit harder than I did at Knoxville, I wasn't as tired. I felt strong in the water but for some reason, it just didn't feel fast. As I start swimming toward the shore before one last right hand turn around a buoy to head toward the finish (there was one more turn buoy to go around near the finish), I felt as if my sub 5 hour time goal was not in reach for I feared a very slow swim just because of the difficulty I was experiencing trying to stay on course. As I was swimming to the last buoy by the finish, I noticed that several athletes were walking. I could not feel the bottom with my hands (maybe because I am only 5 feet "tall") but I never considered walking as I was swimming.  We kept the buoys on our right the entire swim (except the last buoy to swim around toward the finish) and the buoys were very well marked so you could see which was a turn buoy (candy corn colors) and the red buoys were for spotting. Challenge did a great job marking the swim course.

Nearing the shore, I saw many athletes walking. I stood up but I was not walking very fast. I dolphined dived back into the water and swam some more. I kept doing this until I could stand and run out of the water. 

When I exited the water, I made the long run on the grass (so much better than concrete!) and entered transition. I first put my swim gear in my Swim to Bike bag and that stayed near my rack. My mom was there with Campy and I couldn't help but smile that Campy had crawled under the railing around transition and was laying down watching me. It took a lot for me to not go over and kiss him (Karel would not be happy that I spent time in transition to kiss Campy - he would say - Marni that's free speed!). I removed my chip to put on my socks (I have to say in my head "chip, chip, chip" over and over so I don't forget to put it on), helmet, Oakley RPM sunglasses and shoes, powered on my Garmin 500 on my bike as I was running out of transition and I asked my mom what place and she said she thought 4th or 5th female. 

Karel leaving T1...just a few minutes after me!

My competitive spirit was there and I was excited to see what my body could do on this "fast flat"  course. 

I mounted my bike, hit start on my Garmin bike computer, clipped in and pedaled my way on a bumpy side road until I reached the main road. I made a left hand turn, got aero and off I went for 56 miles of chasing the girls ahead of me. 

RACE RESULTS:

MARNI
1.2 mile swim: 31:56
T1: 3:07

KAREL
1.2 mile swim: 33:40
T1: 2:16 

Stay tuned for my 56 mile bike recap. 

If you have any questions that you'd like me to cover in my race recap, just send me an email. 

Challenge Williamsburg Race Recap - Pre-race

After a 1200 yard swim at Furman University around 8am and a delicious drink of Clif chocolate protein recovery mixed with 1% Organic cow's milk, we packed up my car, loaded the bikes, ate some breakfast (for me - waffle sandwich with syrup, raisins, cinnamon, peanut butter and banana and handful of blueberries) and hit the road.

Campy was excited for his first trip to Virginia and since it was our first trip to Williamsburg, we were excited to make lots of memories together as a family.

We picked up my mom (who is a great spect-athlete and a wonderful Campy sitter/aka "grandma to Campy") and we started our 7-hour trip to Williamsburg.

Our in-car entertainment was several podcasts of The Real Starky (which we love to listen to when we travel). We all took turns driving which was good to not be stuck behind the wheel for too many hours at once. 

We had plenty of snacks for the trip, including PB, bread, saltines, baked potato chips, hummus, carrots, yogurt, milk, berries, fruit (oranges, bananas, peaches, apples), rice cakes, pretzels, bars, raisins, granola and my favorite trail mix, Veronica's Health Crunch.

The trip was rather smooth and uneventful and we arrive to our hotel, Holiday Inn Patriot around 6pm. And it was warm out!

We unloaded the car and oddly enough, as we were unpacking, we saw our athletes/friends Rob and JoAnn from Jacksonville who were racing and they were in the room across the hall from us! 

So first things first upon arrival....find local pizza!! 

It's no surprise to those who know me that I always have pizza two nights before an endurance event.

I found Anna's Brick Oven from our hotel eating guide in our room (which included a $3 off coupon) and after reviewing the menu, we called in our order and 20 minutes later and 2 miles down the road, I picked up our  dinner.

I ordered the veggie pizza on thin crust and Karel and my mom each ordered a pasta dish (Karel got meatballs and my mom got chicken). Rob and JoAnn ate with us in our room and it was fun to relax and veg-out before the anticipation of the race grew the next day.

By 10pm, it was time for lights out.

For some reason, Campy was not his normal self and he was up all night just sitting up in our bed, very alert. The hallway was a bit noisy at times and every now and then the smoke detector would beep. Needless to say, if Campy doesn't sleep well, we don't sleep well (since Campy always sleeps under the covers in our bed) so I was up all night with my little furry friend and even let him outside for a potty walk around 3am.

I didn't let it get to me as I know I would have (hopefully) a better night of sleep on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, Karel and I headed out for a spin around 7:30am and we rode a few miles down the road to the race venue and then rode on the race course - the last 5 miles or so of the course. Since Karel was doing the aquabike half, he decided to ride a bit more so he went a bit further than I did -which was around 60 minutes of total riding time for me.  I turned around and finished my warm-up with a few pickups to wake up my heavy legs on the last few miles (miles 50-56) of the course. The course was not all flat and it was nice to know that there would be a few opportunities to get out of the saddle or to change my position from just being aero.

After the ride, Campy joined me for a quick 10 min run around the parking lot and into an apartment complex. 

I spotted Amy, who won Challenge Knoxville as overall amateur female (and beat me by several minutes - she had such an amazing race) and we chatted a bit outside the parking lot of the hotel.
I then cleaned up and had enough time to enjoy a few eats from the hotel breakfast (which was free for Challenge Williamsburg athletes).

I enjoyed some scrambled eggs and pancakes with syrup and peaches.

After my breakfast, Karel came back and ate (eggs, pancakes, biscuit, oatmeal).  About an hour later, I relaxed a little bit while Karel and my mom went to Jamestown Beach (swim start) for Karel to test the water. Since I didn't sleep too well, I wanted to just relax in the room with Campy. I'm not a napper so I just stayed in bed on the computer doing Trimarni work-stuff.

When Karel and my mom got back around noon, we had a small snack and then got ready for the athlete meeting at the expo (T2/finish) at 1:30pm. 

With Williamsburg being a two transition race (T1 is in a different location than T2/finish) there were a few logistics to consider to avoid spending all day out and about). 

It was a very hot day and Sunday was anticipated to be a hot day as well but we also had a chance of rain showers on Sat around 5pm, whereas Sunday was expected to be hot and sunny all morning.

After the athlete meeting at 1:30pm, we went to the Fresh Market and picked up a few things for lunch/dinner. I got cottage cheese (Daisy Brand 2%) and a few items from the salad bar (very simple/low fiber options) as well as more milk since we were running low, a croissant for Karel in the morning and some mineral water.

While I was shopping at Fresh Market, Karel went to Moe's (with my mom staying in the car with Campy) for his lunch.

By 3pm, we were back in the room, eating lunch which worked out well since we had a late breakfast after our morning workout. Since we snacked between noon and 3pm, we weren't starving by the time we ate our lunch.

 I never force myself to eat on a schedule when it comes to races (or long workouts) but instead, make sure that adequate fluids and calories are consumed in frequent intervals throughout the day and all foods are familiar and well tested. As for meals, I feel like I do more eating of mini meals throughout the day during the day before the race and typically, dinner the night before an endurance event is quite small whereas breakfast (post workout) is my biggest meal of the day.

I added a electrolytes to my water all day so that I was not overdrinking on just water as I knew my body needed the electrolytes. I had a sport drink with my morning workout and a recovery drink w/ branch chain aminos post workout.

We just love the atmosphere at Challenge races. Everyone is so nice and the expo is never crowded with long lines. I spotted my athlete and volunteer coordinator Tracy and it was great to see her. Soon after, we bumped into Trimarni athletes Danielle and Elizabeth.

After all was done at the expo for registration, we relaxed in our rooms for an hour and waited for the rain showers to pass, we put our bike stickers on our bikes and headed out to the beach to rack our bikes in T1. I love the transitions in Challenge races because we don't have to worry about space on the hanging racks because we all have our own individual places for our bikes, on the ground.

We walked to the swim start which was a bit of a walk from T1 but it was nice knowing that our run from the swim to T1 was on the grass and not pavement.

(thanks Elizabeth for the pic!)

Since I planned to go to T2 on race day morning to drop off my run gear, all of my pre-race to-dos were done for the day so we headed back to the hotel around 6pm and the rest of the night was left to snacking, reviewing the race courses, double checking my transition bag, filling my bike bottles and run flasks with powder and getting everything ready for a very early morning. 

As we relaxed in the evening, we enjoyed watching the Critérium du Dauphiné with our new wireless speaker that was in our Challenge swag bag - what great sound! 

(thanks Elizabeth for capturing Campy in butt-rub heaven!)

Karel and I chatted with our athletes in the hotel later that evening about pre-race strategies and Campy enjoyed several butt rubs and by 9:30pm, it was time for our last sleep before Challenge Williamsburg Half Ironman.

Stay tuned for my pre-race + 1.2 mile swim race recap coming soon!

Challenge Williamsburg Half Ironman - quick recap

Obstacles are put into your way to see if what you want is really worth fighting for. 

As athletes, we are going to peak only a few times in any given race season. Within every season, we will race on a variety of courses, in a variety of different conditions. Never will two races ever be the same. We will experience highs and lows within every race and between every race, there will be obstacles to overcome to get to the starting line. 

As athletes, sometimes we feel so prepared and we fail with our physical attempt on race day. But with every bad race, we learn how to move on. We continue to fight until we conquer our own personal demons, weaknesses and past setbacks.

Sometimes on race day, it all seems to come together.

Far too often, it's when we feel least prepared, not ready or feel scared to set goals that are within our reach that we do the impossible with our body on race day.

Regardless if we have a great race but it comes with a fight and a struggle, we have a good race and it feels effortless or we feel the race just didn't go as planned, we must never give up on race day.

Within every race season, it is important to set meaningful, challenging and realistic goals that will motivate and excite your spirit to work hard for what was once not possible when you started your training journey. Keeping in mind that race day will not be easy, it's important to never let one race define you or cause you to give up. 

We must  never give up on our goals, especially if that means making mistakes and learning lessons along the way. There is always something to learn on race day and we can always make improvements in our ability to manage efforts, nutrition, pacing and the elements on race day. We must never let what we fear get in the way from what we are capable of achieving.

We all have our own personal battles, weaknesses, setbacks and obstacles to overcome before and on race day. 

But remember that you don't have to stand on the podium, set a PR or qualify for a national or world event to have a great race and to do something incredible with your body. 

Never set a limit as to what you think you are capable of achieving on race day.  Get excited for the possibility to do something that you never thought was possible.

Throw out the excuses, believe in yourself and race smart.

Continue to fight on until it all comes together on race day and you have that race that you have always wanted......but perhaps never once knew it was within you to have. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I raced Challenge Williamsburg half ironman this past weekend. This was my 11th half ironman distance triathlon. 

Nine years of endurance racing behind me and plenty of lessons to learn along the way.

Eleven 70.3 mile races to discover strengths and weaknesses and to challenge my mind and body. 

Four weeks ago at Challenge Knoxville, I had a season goal of placing top three amateur female. Knoxville was my A-race for placing whereas Williamsburg was a key race but more so just a time-goal race. In Knoxville, I finished 2nd overall amateur female after racing on a hilly bike course (in the rain) and a very hilly run and conquered my goal.
In Knoxville I raced on a course that suited my strengths of hills and rather than having a time goal, I chased my nearest competition. 

But in Williamsburg, I went into this race with only two time goals as I wasn't sure if this course would suit my personal strengths which would then allow me to place on the podium as a top-three overall amateur female. 

I love racing my competition but I never want to finish a race feeling like I didn't accomplish something. I strive off personal battles so if my nearest competition is too strong for me on race day, then I race chasing a time goal (sometimes the time goal is one that I set before a race or one that I create while I am racing). 

At Williamsburg, I wanted to break 5 hours for the first time and go sub 2:40 on the bike for the first time.

Even after 10 half ironman distance races and 9 ironman distance races, I still find myself setting new goals, learning new things and discovering continuous improvement. 

Through many years of racing, I have discovered a few things that suit me well on race day. 

-non-wetsuit legal lake swims

-hilly bike course

-looped run course

-trail run

-heat

Although these things may suit me, they certainly do not necessarily bring "fast" race times.
They require skills, focus, exceptional pacing, mental toughness and good nutrition and the ability to race smart knowing that the one who slows down the least will have the "fastest" time.

When it comes to racing and the desire to be the best athlete you can be on race day, you can chase the competition or you can chase times. 

Often on race day, you can only achieve one but with the fight to win, you may be able to accomplish both. 

After what felt like a very slow swim (I didn't have my Garmin on so I never knew my swim time), my legs felt heavy when I started the bike. But somehow, I woke them up and I had my fastest bike split that I have ever rode in any race. 

When I started the run, I made my way to the gravel trail which was 1.5 miles of rolling terrain. When I exited the trail, I had 1.5 miles of blazing heat on my body, sucking the energy away from my running legs.

With my mom and Karel cheering me on on the sidelines, I found myself not fading on the 4-loop run. I felt stronger and stronger and then the unplanned became a mission after 68.5 miles of racing.  

It was a matter of learning from past races, trusting myself, taking risks and staying on top of my nutrition that I did what I thought was never once possible at this race.  

With less than 1.5 miles to go on the run, I took the lead and finished first place overall amateur female.

Thanks to all the incredible ladies out there who pushed me to new limits at Challenge Williamsburg!

Race report coming soon.........

Marni - Half Ironman

1.2 mile Swim: 31:56
T1: 3:07
56 mile Bike: 2:33:02 (21.95 mph average)
T2: 1:12
13.1 mile Run: 1:45.24 (8:03 min/mile) 

Total: 4:54:42.30
1st overall amateur female


Karel (half aquabike)
1.2 mile swim: 33:40
T1: 2:16
56 mile bike: 2:20 (23.78 mph)
Total: 2:55.59
2nd overall male aquabike half

Challenge Knoxville Half - 1.2 mile swim

As we were walking toward the transition area around 5:50am, I felt sprinkles of rain falling from the sky. From what I heard from other athletes, there was a chance of rain that morning. 

The atmosphere at the Challenge Family Knoxville event was all positive - you could just feel the energy. The transition area was not massive and there were plenty of potties for athletes to use without long lines. I really enjoy the lower-key events and seeing all the athletes that come from all different backgrounds and fitness levels. 

When we entered the transition area, I helped Karel pump up his disc wheel (it's a two person job for one person - me- to hold the extender valve inside the disc wheel opening and the other person-Karel-pumps) and then I headed toward my bike in the far end (bike out) of the transition area. 

I laid out my gear on my pink Oakley towel. 

I placed my Brooks Pure Flow 4 shoes on the right of my towel with my dad's Corvette hat behind the shoes. With this being my first triathlon in a long time racing with a hydration belt, I wasn't quite sure how to lay out my race belt and hydration belt but figured that I could grab my race belt (with bib number) and run with it out of T2 so I placed my race belt on the towel and then placed my hydration belt on top. I had 2 x 10 ounce flasks filled with sport nutrition (which I sat up so they wouldn't leak) and then in the pocket, a gel and sleeve of Clif blocks (cut in half for easy access) just in case I needed/wanted it on the run.
To the left of my run shoes, I had my cycling shoes and socks and Oakley RPM sunglasses and a wafer (180 calories) for the ride. I wore my compression sleeves under my wetsuit. 

Prior to laying out my transition area, I put my three bottles (each with 300 calories) in my bike cages (two on the frame and the other in the right rear cage). I had my spare tubular, CO2 and bike levers in a cut-in-half water bottle in the left rear cage. My primary bottle to grab is in my down tube of my frame but I am also very comfortable grabbing my right rear bottle when I am aero (although I typically drink sitting up). 

I put my Garmin 500 on my bike (reset and charged) and put on my Garmin 910 on my wrist. 

Since my goal was to race the competition for an overall placing, I made the decision before the race that I was not going to let numbers or my gadgets control my race. I was going to feel my way through the race and chase my nearest competition. With years of experience training with gadgets, I know what I want an effort to feel like in a 70.3 mile event and what is most realistic for a strong overall performance. Being honest with myself when I race (and not letting my ego take over) is a helpful strategy so that I do not find myself racing another athlete's race plan.

I decided to not turn on my Garmin 910 for the swim so I put the sleeve of m wetsuit over my watch on my wrist and didn't turn it on until the run (it was set to run mode for when I turned it on in the last mile of the bike).

After Karel set-up his transition area, he came over to pump up my tubular tires with just enough pressure for the wet roads. We each made a stop at the potty once more and then with my old run shoes on, I did a few pick-ups outside the transition area. We then put on our wetsuits (and sunscreen and body glide) and put our morning clothes in our transition bags and headed to the swim start (about a 5-10 minute walk). 

As the light rain was falling, I told Karel that I should have put my run shoes in a large zip-lock bag. I was really upset at myself for not doing this (as I tell my athletes to do this for IM races in their transition bags if there is a chance for rain) and it was all that I thought about while walking to the swim start. I had plenty of time to go back but for some reason I didn't. I tried to come up with reasons why I didn't need to go back, like my socks would be wet so it wouldn't matter or my feet are small so my shoes wouldn't be that wet (I know, so silly) but next time, I am going to put my shoes in a zip lock baggy just to be safe. I didn't worry about my bike since it didn't get wet over night (otherwise it would need some extra lube on the chain). 

As we were waiting for our swim waves after the pros started, we spotted my mom and Campy. Campy was not happy about the rain but he was a great trooper as a spectator. My mom took some great pics (below) and managed to take care of Campy.... she deserves a medal for being out there all day in the rain!
I love my Xterra wetsuit - so comfortable! Karel is still getting use to the wetsuit "feeling". 

Karel's wave started at 7:03 with an in-the-water start. 

Karel had an amazing swim time but he did experience a bit of anxiety in his wetsuit as soon as he got into the water. It's kinda hit or miss with Karel when he feels really uncomfortable in his wetsuit as a non-swimmer (just learned to swim 3 years ago). He said that for the first 10 minutes or so, he vowed to never do another triathlon ever again and he was really struggling to breath in his wetsuit. However, he managed to settle into a rhythm and he even said he broke away from a pack that he was swimming with so all things considered, Karel managed to have a great swim despite a major obstacle to overcome when he started his race. Even though Karel is crazy fast, he still deals with issues that many other athletes experience. The same is true for me....just because you are experienced, it doesn't mean that you don't learn new things or make mistakes on race day. 

My wave started at 7:15am and I positioned myself behind Amy K who was a D1 swimmer and fellow First Bourn ambassador (She also won the amateur female race so I guess you could say she was my greatest competition looking back). I wanted to see if I could hang with her as I knew she was a fierce competition and super strong athlete (and super nice girl). 

It was really nice to be in the water (in a wetsuit) as the water was very comfortable (around 73 degrees). I was able to do some warm-up strokes to adjust my wetsuit and to loosen up. 

When the gun went off, Amy shot out of her cannon (or it looked like it!) because she was long gone and there was no way I could hang. I managed to stay with a small pack of female (pink cap) athletes until the first turn buoy and continued to settle into a nice rhythm with my stroke. With so much ankle strap/band work, I really felt good in the open water - really feeling every catch and pull-through. 

However, after looking at my time of 30:30 and Karel's time of 32:28, I either took it too easy on the swim or I really need to step-up my swim game. Karel's goal is to someday beat me in the swim (even if it's just once) and my goal is for Karel to never beat me in the swim.
We have a very loving relationship but there has to be a little competition to spice things up in our marriage. :)
I'm thinking that it's all going to go down in Kona in October after Karel gets a few more months of swim training to see if he can beat me for 2.4 miles. 

Neither Karel or I felt a current in the water but it was a smooth swim with several red buoys to help with sighting. I wish there would have been one more sighting buoy toward the swim exit as we had to swim at an angle and with the falling rain and dark skies it was hard to see the swim exit. 

After getting out of the water (by pushing up on a ledge - no stairs) we ran up a ramp and through a boathouse and then dodging puddles, across the street into the transition area. 

I smiled at my mom (and Campy) when I spotted them as I was running toward my bike. I was beginning to come up with a few reasons as to "why" I was racing and the first thing I thought of was how special it was that my mom and other spectators and volunteers were out there supporting all of us athletes. Although we as athletes never say it, the day is really all about us and what we are doing on the race course.....but we (athletes) all know that we couldn't do what we do, without the help of our friends/family and volunteers who are out there cheering us on. My second "why" was the amazing Challenge Family team who put on this event for us to do something amazing with our trained bodies. So much goes into planning and putting on a race and it reminded me that I choose to be an athlete...not an exerciser. Swimming, biking and running makes me feel great but what feels even better is putting all that hard work in training to good use on race day. 

When I got to my bike, I put on wet cycling shoes and my wet Giro Attack helmet and decided to put my Oakley shades in my tri suit rear pocket until the rain stopped (if I had clear shades, I would have worn them as I was fearful of debris getting into my eyes - my dad would not be happy that I rode without sunglasses for half the bike). I grabbed my wafer (which was a bit soggy as I had opened it up ahead of time for easy chomping) and put it in my other tri suit rear pocket. I was not aware of my swim time and it really didn't matter to me because my only goal for the race was to chase my nearest competition.
I started my Garmin 500 bike computer as I was rolling my bike out of transition and then mounted at the mount line and off I went for 56 very wet and rainy miles. 

Stay tuned for my 56 mile bike race recap.

Marni:
Swim time: 30:30, 6th fastest female amateur swim, 2nd AG swim

Karel:
Swim time: 32:28, 42th fastest amateur swim, 8th AG swim

Are you ready for the Triathlon Challenge?

When Karel and I were putting together our 2015 race schedule, we had a variety of races to choose from. Since sharing our race schedule in October, there have already been a few changes.
 There are races all over the world on almost every weekend of the year so that makes it very interesting and fun when planning a racing season. 

In the initial stages of our season planning, we wanted to make sure that every race that we registered for had a purpose. We are not known to race just to race. Although we do not expect to be at top fitness for every race, we take every race seriously and do our best to arrive to every race healthy and injury free. The most important goal of a triathlete who is planning his/her season is to remember that every race is simply a step closer to the big season goal where you hope to race in peak fitness.
You can have good performances at all or most of your races but when it comes to maximizing your fitness and being in the best shape all season, you want to limit that to once or twice in a season.
And above all, be ok with your building fitness and body composition throughout the season. If you are accepting that you don't need to be in peak fitness all year long, you certainly do not need to be at race weight all year long. 

 When planning our season, we wanted to make sure that our races helped to build confidence for the 2015 Ironman World Championship (our big season race) but that our races were placed appropriately so that we could periodize our training for proper peaking for Kona. The biggest mistake I find is that athletes register or plan to race a variety of races throughout the year but because of when they occur in the season (too early, too late or too many close together), there is not ample time to get through various phases of training. And unlike a cyclists racing and training schedule, triathletes do need different phases so they can not race a lot (specific to endurance triathletes).
And lastly, we wanted to make sure that our race schedule was practical in terms of logistics, race fees and course designs to match our strengths. We look for safe and challenging courses, a great vibe at the race, a beautiful location to race in and affordable race fees + travel. 

We are so excited to be supporting the Challenge Family race series in 2015!!!!

Not only will Karel and I be racing at Challenge Knoxville and Challenge Williamsburg but many of the Trimarni athletes will be racing a Challenge race in 2015. 

For a list of all the North America races:
RACE SCHEDULE

Also, in case you missed it:

Challenge Family regional championships and prize money confirmed in the Americas
Posted on: Friday 14th November 2014

The Americas region has a new championship series with today’s announcement of the Challenge Americas Championships, to be held at Challenge Knoxville, Tennessee in May 2016.

Encompassing all 13 half and full distance Challenge Family races in North, South and Central America, qualifying for the Championships will start at Challenge Knoxville on 17 May 2015.

To celebrate the launch of the first qualifying race of the Championships, Challenge Knoxville 2015 will offer all athletes who register for the race 50% off a second entry for a friend. This special offer is available until 30 November and equates to two half distance entries for just $382.50.

Throughout the year, professional and age group athletes will have the opportunity to qualify at Challenge Knoxville, Challenge Quassy, Challenge Williamsburg, Challenge Atlantic City, Challenge New Albany, Challenge Pocono Mountains, Challenge Maine, Challenge Rancho Cordova and Challenge Florida in the USA. Canadian qualifiers are Challenge Penticton and Challenge St Andrews while Challenge Ixtapa in Mexico will be the Central America qualifier and Challenge Florianopolis the South American qualifier.

The regional championships announcement was accompanied by confirmation that all Challenge Family races in the Americas will feature consistent prize money across all races.

Challenge Family CEO, Zibi Szlufcik said the Challenge Americas Championships was an exciting development for athletes in the region.

“With 13 races throughout the Americas and an outstanding championship venue in Knoxville, athletes will enjoy a quality race series, culminating in a grand finale and the prestige of calling themselves regional champion. Challenge Knoxville 2015 will be a test event for the 2016 Championships and all athletes are invited to test this beautiful course.

“We’re also delighted to be able to confirm a pro field with prize money at every race. We’ve had many requests for this and are extremely happy to be able to offer our valued athletes with a strong series of races paying 10 deep throughout the Americas region.”

Challenge Americas board member, Charlie Patten said, “”We are excited for the 2015 Challenge Americas Age Group series and Championship race! The hard work of amateur athletes often goes un-noticed and this is our chance to celebrate ALL athletes.  From the working mothers to the retired grandparents and everyone in between, now we get to celebrate your amazing accomplishments!”