IM 70.3 Florida - Quick Recap

 

Typically when I blog about a race, I find myself comparing it to the last race, reflecting on my race specific training and putting the race in perspective with my upcoming season goals. Well, this year has been a bit different......very different. 

Karel and I are very satisfied with our recent race performances at Ironman 70.3 Florida. This was my 4th year competing in the event and we kinda lost track for Karel (sixth time maybe?). We love this race venue as it is very spectator friendly (pre-Covid), the race itself is all within one venue (swim/bike/run/transitions), there's plenty of lodging options in the surrounding neighborhoods and the community supports the race (and the volunteers are always amazing). While we still love this race venue, the emotions in route to this race were a bit different. 

Navigating the past 12+ months has been difficult for many athletes. For our team, we have encouraged them to train with the focus of maintaining a solid level of fitness, while still progressing with structured periodized training. However, to prevent burnout and to fit training into an ongoing stressful and uncertain life, there has been a lot of flexibility - depending on the athlete. For some athletes, training volume needed to be reduced. For others, there was less intensity and more "happy" workouts without structure. Whereas in the past we were always keeping our eye on the upcoming race schedule when planning workouts to ensure proper peaking, but over the past year, we've become much more creative in helping athletes prepare for uncertainty. 

I don't believe there has been a right or wrong strategy for navigating training during an extended period of no racing. While some athletes have proceeded with training as if nothing changed, we took a different approach for us and our athletes. Although this approach may have our athletes feeling a bit rusty for the first race or two of the season, we do believe that this flexibility has helped our athletes prevent burnout and thus, maintain longevity and joy for the sport. 

As an example, Karel and I rarely rode our triathlon bikes this winter. I took part in an 8-week group ride series (road bike) and Karel joined for a few rides but fell in love with gravel riding. We swam with a masters group to keep swimming fun and social and the focus with running was to stay healthy and injury free. We hardly stuck to any type of training plan. While neither of us felt the same level of race readiness in route to IM 70.3 Florida as we did in the past, this wasn't as a result of not training, being injured or being burnt out. Instead, it was the opposite - we found ways to stay super active, stay healthy and to maintain a love for swimming, biking and running during an extremely stressful and uncertain time in our life. As a result, we showed up to IM 70.3 Florida with no nerves, nothing to prove and nothing to chase. And this was after a few months of questioning if we would even still enjoy racing after having a bit of fun not training seriously for triathlon. 

But this strategy could have backfired had we not approached the race with the same mindset as we had with our training. 

The desire to be competitive never leaves the mind of an athlete. Once you are an athlete, you get a taste of competition and you always want to give your best and test yourself. Karel and I did not take it easy on race day. But knowing that we were in a different place mentally and physically compared to the past few years, we needed to race in the present - not chasing a past version of ourselves. We raced with experience but also with a beginner's mindset. 

There was doubt. There were very difficult moments. There was uncertainty. There was suffering. This is all part of racing. Racing never gets easier, you just get better at managing the uncomfortable and unplanned moments. It's like a workout that you repeat many times in your training plan. At first, you don't know what to expect because it's new and unfamiliar. It may go perfectly smooth but there's a good chance that you either go too hard and struggle or you play it safe and hold back, so that you don't fail. Then you have another go at it and another. It doesn't get any easier but you learned from the first time around. You have improved your tactics, your mind knows what to expect and you can execute it a bit better. Then comes the fourth and fifth time. Not only do you have several more weeks of consistent training in you (better fitness = better performance) but you have learned so much about yourself in the previous workout sessions. Again, it never gets easier but with experience brings familiarity and that familiarity builds confidence. 

It's been three days since the race and I can confidently say that the spark inside us was lit. The strategy worked. Training has a clear purpose again, there is excitement for our upcoming events (and travel!) and we feel that now is the time when we can be a bit more serious/specific with our triathlon training. 

Race Results

IM 70.3 Florida Race Report

Pre-race
Going into the first race of the season, I had the typical phantom niggles (that make you believe you are injured) but thankfully, I didn't feel stale. With over nine hours of scheduled training from Mon-Saturday, each workout helped me sharpen-up for race day (Sunday). We stayed one mile from the race venue at Balmoral Resort and I would absolutely stay there again for this race. The location was perfect as we could jog, bike or drive to the venue through the back gate and could quickly access Publix grocery store for food. Although we didn't use all of the amenities at the resort, the house made for a relaxing stay leading up to the race.

Having Campy with us also made our trip feel a bit more like home as he kept me on a routine and I always had something to look forward to throughout the day. Campy enjoyed all the new sights and smells and had plenty of butt rubs from our athletes.

We shared the house with 4 of our athletes and the rest of our athletes stayed in various houses and hotels around the area.

We had 16 athletes racing, not including me, Karel and our assistant coach Joe. It was great fun to have our standard pre-race pizza party and course chat on Friday, and to get all the Trimarnis together. Pre-riding the course on Friday and Saturday was very helpful with our race execution as the wind direction was the same as the predicted wind direction for Sunday. Unlike years past, the start of the ride was headwind and crosswind and then we finished with tailwind. The weather was predicted to be warm (upper 80's) on race day! On Saturday, we did a short bike (~50 minutes), followed by a 15 minute run and then an open water swim (~800 yards) when the lake was opened for the practice swim. In addition to eating throughout the day (emphasizing carbs with a little protein), the afternoon was really relaxing. Karel spent his time in the bedroom and I enjoyed a marathon of Impractical Jokers on TV - laughing my way through the afternoon. It was a great way to go into the race as I was excited to race and my nerves were low. We had an early dinner and a small snack before bed and then it was lights out around 8:30am.

Race Morning
I had a pretty good night of sleep and felt good waking up at 4:15am. After one cup of coffee for me (two shots of espresso for Karel), I had my standard long workout/pre-race snack of 2 waffles + PB + brown sugar + syrup + banana. With the predicted hot temps, I pre-loaded with sodium (Osmo) starting on Friday morning (1 scoop), and then continued this on Friday evening, Sat morning and Saturday evening. I also had 1 scoop on race day morning. After my meal, I put on my race day kit and took Campy for a quick jog to help move things through my digestive tract. This is a tip that I learned from Karel to do before you leave the house in the morning for the race venue. Afterward, I did some light foam rolling and band work to activate my glutes and nearing 5:35am, we jumped on our bikes (with our race gear) and rode to the race venue (about a 5 minute bike). It actually felt rather good to spin the legs before arriving to the race venue. After body marking, we racked our bikes (optional race day bike check-in), set up our transition gear and then made our way to the team tent in the TriClub village area. It has been about ten months since I've set up a transition area so I checked and re-checked my set up a few times before making my way out of the transition area.
After dropping off our stuff in the tent area, Karel and I walked over the pool at Lake Eva. This is one of the best things about this race - being able to swim in a pool before the start. I'm surprised more athletes don't take advantage of this as it's not only a great way to warm-up and test the wetsuit (or swimskin in the case this year - water temp 79 degrees) but it's also good for the body to keep moving instead of sitting/standing around when transition closes. The water felt refreshing and it felt good to loosen out in the water. I swam about a 600 (didn't count my laps or wear a watch) and mostly just swam and adjusted my Roka swimskin but through in a few fast 25's. After my swim, I did one more bathroom stop and then walked back to the beach area to get ready for my wave start at 7:26am. I found myself a bit cold before the race so note to self: Bring a towel next time to dry off after the warm-up swim. It was great to see so many of our athletes throughout the morning as this made the race vibe positive and exciting.

1.2 mile swim - 31:55, 2nd AG swim, 9th female swim overall.
Goggles - TYR special OPS 2.0 (clear lens)
SwimSkin - Roka Viper X shortsleeve swim skin
The layout of this swim is unique in that it is a M shape course. There are a lot of buoys on the course, which can make it difficult to sight when you are in the water but overall, it's a straightforward course to navigate. The sky was cloudy which was nice to not have the sun in our eyes. I was shaking a bit from being cold just standing around wet so it was nice to actually get in the water and know that I would warm up soon. We had an in-the-water start for the female 35-44 age group waves. When the gun went off, I tried to take off as hard as I could to get away from the pack. There was a group of about 4 or 5 of us, one being my athlete Stephanie (who is a great swimmer). Two of the girls got away and I was swimming with Stephanie for a buoy until she dropped me. I didn't feel like myself in the water, especially since I've been swimming some of my best workouts ever over the past month. I tried to not let it get to me and instead, just focused on making good strokes and staying on course. While I am not one for excuses, I think my Roka swimskin (with sleeves) is too big for me as it felt like I was pulling a towel as I was swimming. I've only wore it once (in the Kona practice swim in October) so I really didn't have much to go by. I was extremely happy for Stephanie for having such a solid swim so I used that as my motivation to keep swimming as strong as I could. While it was a slow swim for me, the swim times appeared much slower than normal so I took it as a slow swim for everyone. I swam all the way to the water edge before getting out of the water and on to the sand. I made my way to the transition area and gave Stephanie a cheer as I passed her for having such a great swim.

T1 - 3:14
I made my way to the first bike rack to remove my swimskin, cap and goggles and then put on my CEP compression socks (calf height - easier to put on than full socks), cycling shoes and helmet. I kept the shield up on my helmet as it's easier to put on this way. I turned on my computer and then rolled out my bike to the mount line. I made my way a bit past the mount line, near the barricades, before mounting my bike and off I went.

56 mile bike - 2:32.16. 2nd fastest AG bike, 2nd fastest female bike.
Nutrition: 2 bottles with INFINIT (hydration system Grape and bottle with Watermelon, each bottle ~250 calories)). 1 bottle with CarboRocket 333 black cherry (~220 calories for the last 30ish minutes)
Gear: Ventum one bike, Alto cc56 front wheel (tubeless) and lightweight autobahn tubeless disc. Bontrager Velocis Women road shoes. Giro Air attack helmet. 
Immediately on the bike my legs felt good. I used the first few miles to settle in a good rhythm and spent little time in my aerobars in the first mile. After a few turns through a neighborhood, I started to ease into my effort for the first part of the course. Knowing there would be headwind/crosswind for the first part of the bike, I stayed aero and just focused on making smooth pedal strokes. I didn't have any metrics to chase but I do have my normalized and 3 sec power, current cadence, current speed and lap time on my Garmin to check-in on as I ride. I wore my HR monitor (which is something I usually don't do when I race) but little did I know, it never picked up. My legs were working hard during this first portion of the race and I felt it mostly in my quads, right above my knees. I couldn't help but think of Karel saying "you don't need to "save" your legs for the run. Have you ever seen a fast marathon runner with big quads?" I couldn't help but laugh and build confidence from hearing his voice in my head. I broke the race down into segments and lapped my computer at each segment. This helped me manage my effort and only focus on one segment at a time. I made sure to stay up on my nutrition - sipping my drink every ~10 minutes (4-5 chugs). I also grabbed water at the second aid station to use for cooling my body as it was getting warm. I found myself passing a lot of athletes while on the course, which was very motivating for me to always have someone to "chase" ahead of me. I saw a few familiar faces out on the course (hi Caitlin and Sam!) which was fun and I also passed several of my athletes - and gave each one a big cheer. Nearing the tailwind section, my legs were still feeling good so I stayed strong on the pedals but used this time to sit up and get out of the saddle here or there on the climbs to open my hips. I felt really good on my Ventum and loved riding the disc wheel for the first time. I felt very confident in the wind - which is why I love my Ventum. I never had a low moment during the bike and really enjoyed all 56 miles. Karel passed me around 45 miles on the bike and told me I was riding really strong. He quickly rode away but it was nice to see him and give him a cheer. After the bumpy section of the course, I started to switch my brain to thinking of the run. I made sure not to jump ahead in thoughts as I was riding for if I did, I may have backed down my effort on the bike. I just focused on stayed present and keeping up with my nutrition. With the finish of the bike right in front of me, I slipped out of my shoes and did my first ever flying dismount (that I learned how to do on Saturday before the race). There's no better time than the present to try something that scares you! I didn't look at my total time until the end of the bike and when I saw just over 2:30, I felt like I put together a strong bike on a very tough day. I wasn't sure where I was in my age group (or overall) so I was anxious to get some reports from the spectators on the run.

T2 - 2:33
I tried to make my transition as quick as possible. I walked a few steps to get my breathing under control before jogging the rest of the way to the official start of the run course. There weren't a lot of bikes in the transition area but I still wasn't sure where I was in the overall standings.

Run - 1:41.10, 3rd fastest AG run, 6th fastest female run, 50th overall fastest run
Nutrition: Naked Hydration Band with 2 x 10 ounce flasks. One flask with NBS (3 scoops Hawaii flavor, ~90 calories)) and one flask with Carborocket hydration (raspeberry lemonade, ~105 calories)
Gear: Roka custom sunglasses (SL-1 series). Nike 4% running shoes. Garmin 235 watch.

My legs felt relatively good after the tough bike. By now, I had forgotten completely about my lack-luster swim time. I was filled with energy as I ran past the crowds of people but I made sure not to run too hard to start as it was getting really warm and the sun was blazing. With the first two miles being the hilliest of the course (3 loop course), I focused on not being too aggressive up hill (to try to manage body heat) but I attacked the downhills. I kept looking ahead for females that may be ahead of me but I didn't see anyone. I used the first loop to settle into a good rhythm and didn't worry too much about my pace - knowing that my pace would likely be faster on the first loop relative to loop 2 and 3. From my experience racing in hot conditions, I know that paces/times are not all that important as it's all about managing the conditions to prevent a heat illness, dehydration and glycogen depletion. The first loop was rough - I felt depleted. The sun was stealing all of my energy. I took two quick reset breaks in the neighborhood section at the top of the loop to catch my breath and to stretch out my back. They were quick breaks and well needed. I kept up on my fuel/hydration throughout the race - being strategic with where I drank (I tried to do it on downhill or easier sections of the course). I grabbed water from every aid station to cool my head, face and body and tried to steer clear of hoses as I didn't want to run with soaking shoes. When I started the second loop, I finally got word that I was 3rd. However I didn't know if that was 3rd AG or overall. I was racing for a place in the overall so I anxiously awaited more information. The course was getting more congested, which was actually nice to see more people on the course. However, this also made for more crowded aid stations. I finally got my hands on some ice which was fantastic - I held on to the ice for as long as I could and also sucked on the ice cubes whenever I had extra to spare. Cloud cover helped on loop 2 and I finally started to feel less depleted and more normal. I felt like I had good rhythm and form and never felt like I didn't want to be running/racing. I kept pushing the effort to see if I could catch any females ahead of me but I never caught anyone. I wasn't passed by any females after the swim so that was encouraging for me. However, with the wave start, I wasn't sure of what was going on behind me so I had to keep fighting to the finish line. On the third loop, I finally heard that I was 3rd overall female so that was my mission - to stay in that pace. I started to see more of my athletes on the course which was extremely motivating for me. My pace was getting a bit slower but I still felt in control of my effort and form. Considering I haven't done any speed work or long runs (only one 1:20 run), I felt really strong and resilient and surprisingly, didn't melt in the heat despite not being acclimated. I had one sip of coke around mile 11 because it sounded refreshing but other than that, I felt like I did a great job with my fueling, hydration and cooling - which was key for this race. Nearing the last mile, I tried to give it everything I could. Knowing that the finish line was within my sights, I did whatever I could to feel like I was sprinting. I saw Karel at our team tent, just before the finish, giving me a big cheer. Hands up, big smile - finished!!

I quickly cooled myself off with water and took a deep exhale when I heard I was officially the 3rd overall female. After my finish, I went back to our tent to see Karel, hear about his race and to cheer on the rest of our athletes. Eventually we biked by to our house for a quick shower and to grab Campy and to finish cheering for every Trimarni until they all crossed the finish line. Then it was time for the awards. This was a great start to the season ahead and although it wasn't a super "fast" race, we are both extremely happy with how strong we felt and how we managed the tough conditions.

And the best part of the entire race....the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition TriClub placed 2nd overall in the TriClub competition! Way to go team!

Thank you to our supporters and affiliates! 

Official Results

Marni Sumbal

Swim - 31:55

T1 - 3:14

Bike - 2:32.16

T2 - 2:33

Run - 1:41.10

Finishing time - 4:15.05

2nd age group (35-39), 3rd overall female (out of 346).

Karel Sumbal

Swim - 32:16

T1 - 2:37

Bike - 2:22.23

T2 - 2:29

Run - 1:27.50 (2nd overall fastest run)

Finishing time - 4:27.33

4th age group (40-44), 8th overall (out of 1330)

IM 70.3 FL - quick recap

The nerves were low for this race. I was bottled up with excitement to kick off the 2019 triathlon racing season. I remember my very first half Ironman (in Disney) back in 2006 and I was filled with thoughts of the unknown. But this beginner's mindset opened my mind to possibilities instead of being paralyzed by results. Over the past decade-plus of endurance triathlon racing, it's easy to compare race to race, often wanting to validate improvements by times and paces. However, I've wanted to do things differently this year - starting with my mindset. Instead of seeing improvements as pass or fail based on paces and times, I want to do things well when I race. Karel always has this mindset when he races whereas I often put a lot of pressure on myself to be better, faster or stronger. While this has worked for me at times, it also creates a lot of mental stress that can easily take away the fun of racing.

This season is the first time ever that I've had a coach - someone other than Karel to report to and hold me accountable to my training. I'm grateful that Cait Snow (and Julie Dibens) took us on as athletes this season for the training has been incredibly challenging but also fun - because it's new. With this, I am entering this season with new possibilities, new periodization, new guidance and new excitement for training and racing.

Approaching this first race of the season, I tried a lot of new things. Although we often say not to try new things on race day, this isn't always true. Sometimes the race environment is the best place to try something new for it brings much more stress, fear and fatigue than in an at-home training environment. Rather than getting caught up in results, my mission was to try new things - like a disc wheel, a flying dismount, filling up my Ventum hydration system while riding, wearing calf-height compression socks instead of the full sock, wearing a HR monitor when I raced, wearing the Naked Running Belt, wearing a sleeved swimskin, wearing clear (not tinted) goggles and doing a bit more training volume/intensity on race week. Above all, I loved every minute of racing. It was not easy and it was filled with highs and lows but I was reminded why I train for this sport - because race day is my favorite day to celebrate all the hard work that was done alone.

Although the race was not easy and the competition was stiff, I am very pleased with my performance. Karel also felt like he couldn't have done anything better - the results were an honest assessment of managing the conditions and racing the competition. We both went into this race feeling incredibly fit and strong and it always takes a race (or two) to feel the "hurt" that comes with racing. We are both grateful that we are healthy - not sick or injured - and that we can do this sport, that we love so much, and share it with our athletes and so many other like-minded individuals.

Full race recap to come.

Official Results
Marni Sumbal
Swim - 31:55
T1 - 3:14
Bike - 2:32.16
T2 - 2:33
Run - 1:41.10
Finishing time - 4:15.05
2nd age group (35-39), 3rd overall female (out of 346).

Karel Sumbal
Swim - 32:16
T1 - 2:37
Bike - 2:22.23

T2 - 2:29
Run - 1:27.50
Finishing time - 4:27.33
4th age group (40-44), 8th overall (out of 1330)

Hello from Haines City, FL!

How in the heck is it already April!?!?! I can't believe we are just a few sleeps away from our first triathlon race of 2019.

When planning our 2019 race schedule back in October/November, we knew we wanted to go back to Haines City for the half Ironman. It's a great early season race to dust off the rust and welcome the hurt that comes with racing. We love the race venue as the town welcomes the race, the race vibe is always welcoming and exciting and the course is spectator friendly (swim and run). The course is not an easy one, and that also appeals to us. This year will be even more challenging as the race day temperature is suppose to reach 90 degrees! 😱 But, we are super excited to share the course with 15 of our amazing athletes.

We broke up the drive into two days, leaving on Wednesday late morning. We made the 5.5 hour drive to Jacksonville, FL where we stayed overnight with our friends/athletes Joe and Erica. After our morning workout, we hit the road to Haines City which took about 3 hours.

Our workouts this week have been refreshingly good to help get us race ready. Monday morning was a long 5600 swim workout but it provided a nice variety of strokes, toys and efforts that the yards went by rather quickly. On Tuesday I had a 1:40 hr bike to test out my race set up, followed by a 30 min brick run (including a few one minute efforts). It's always nice to ride the bike on race week when it's all tuned up, race wheels are on and the legs are itching to push a bit harder. On Wednesday morning I did a 40 min strength session at home before our travel. Thursday was a 90 min ride with a few short hard efforts, followed by half IM efforts. After the ride was a 20-minute brick run. The weather has gone from spring-like weather in Greenville to hot and toasty in Haines City.

Upon arriving to our rental home on Thursday afternoon, I went to the grocery store to stock the house with plenty of food for us (and our other housemates).

I'm so happy that Campy is with us as he helps me de-stress and keeps me on my normal routine. Tomorrow we will do an easy spin on the course and after checking in, we will do a swim workout. All these training sessions are to keep the body from getting stale so that we can arrive sharp and ready for race day (Sunday).

With a long season ahead of us, finishing at the 2019 Ironman World Championship in October, we are excited to finally get this season started!

For tracking:
Ironman Tracker App
Marni Sumbal - Bib 40 (start time 7:28, wave 9)
Karel Sumbal - Bib 51 (start time 7:46, wave 14)

IMFL - One more sleep.

Hello from Haines City, FL! Here we go again. It feels like it was just a few weeks ago when we were one sleep away from an Ironman!

During our travels back home from Kona, Hawaii on October 16th, we received an email from Ironman that Ironman Florida was cancelled due to extensive devastation from Hurricane Michael. In the beginning of the year, Karel wanted to do something that he has never done before - race two Ironmans within a month. While an experimentation to see how his body would handle two endurance triathlon events in such a short time period, Karel also wanted to see if he would be able to re-qualify for 2019 Kona. Seeing that Karel did not have the race that he wanted in Kona, he was really looking forward to another opportunity to race. Even though there's the uncertainty of what his body will be able to do in the later miles of the marathon due to the unknowns of what's still lingering in his heart, tissues and muscles, Karel was really looking forward to another Ironman.

Karel selected IMFL as his post-Kona Ironman because logistically, it was easy for us to get to. But IMFL holds a very special place in our heart for it was the first Ironman that Karel watched me race (it was so cold that morning, Karel had to borrow my jacket) back in 2007. We were dating at the time but I knew he was a keeper. Funny thing was after the race, he couldn't understand why anyone would want to do this sport. Why run off the bike when you can just ride your bike? Little did he know that 11 years later he would be about to race his 12th Ironman (13th start) and if all goes well, punch his 5th Kona ticket (4th time racing).

Ironman did something that we have never seen before from a race company. They moved the race to a new location on the exact same weekend! Alongside setting up a foundation for money to go to PCB to help with the Hurricane, Ironman has gone out of their way to move an event to a new city and essentially put together an Ironman in 3 weeks! Ironman offered options for athletes to defer their entry to 2019 Ironman Texas but most athletes decided to put all that hard work to good use in Haines City. While the course will be a bit more challenging than in PCB due to the hills on the run (rollers on the bike), the town of Haines City has welcomed us graciously and it will be a special day for everyone.

We have four athletes racing, including our coach Joe and Karel. We are staying with two of Karel's Czech friends which has been a lot of fun for him to speak Czech again after his mom left us a few weeks ago.

Campy is loving his time in Florida and taking full advantage of his warm vacation. We are staying just 2 miles away (Southern Dunes property) and if Campy isn't inside the house, you can find him outside by the pool - working on his suntan.

The energy at the race has been very positive. I rode one loop of the course this morning (plus a few extra miles for a total of 62 miles) and I didn't have any negative encounters with cars, no honks or unfriendly people. The city has also opened the community pool for athletes from 9am-1pm (Wed-Sat) for athletes to swim before the race (no swimming in the lake before race day). I have been enjoying my time in the outdoor pool with the other registered IMFL athletes.

Although I'm a little nervous for Karel to see what his body will do tomorrow, I always love the energy of being at an Ironman and I'm super excited to cheer for the athletes from early morning until late in the evening.

Best of luck to all those who are racing! Be thankful and grateful to your body for what it allows you to do. No matter how your day goes, the goal is to get yourself to the finish line and to enjoy your 140.6 mile accomplishment.  Stay positive, don't dwell on the what if's and don't forget to thank the volunteers.

Happy 20th anniversary Ironman Florida!

IM 70.3 FL - Race Recap

On the night before the race, I found myself thinking of a popular quote "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." As I enter my 12th consecutive year of endurance triathlon racing, I found myself referring back to my training over the past few months as my main confidence builder going into the race. Although I have past race performances to make me feel prepared for the distance, I couldn't help but think about all the workouts that were accomplished in the months leading up to the race to help me feel physical and mentally prepared. Putting my trust in my training helped me ease the nerves that I was ready to perform.

I consider myself a great sleeper but I guess the pre-race excitement got the best of me as I didn't sleep too well on Saturday night. Karel was in bed around 7:30, listening to music with his headphones and visualizing his race and I went to bed shortly after. Although I eventually fell asleep around 9pm, I slept really light and felt myself tossing and turning throughout the night. When my alarm finally went off at 4am, I was relieved to finally get the morning started....our first triathlon of 2018!!

We shared a house with our athletes/friends Erica and Joe (Erica was racing her first half) and their almost 2-year old Weston. Also staying with us was Karel's friend Roman from Prague, Czech Republic who flew in to race. Just down the road from us were most of our athletes (I rented two houses for them in the same neighborhood) so it was fun for us all to be so close together. It was a very quiet morning in the house with everyone who was racing (me, Karel, Erica and Roman) doing their own thing. 

As Karel made his espresso, while waiting for his french press coffee, I boiled water for my instant European Nescafe Gold coffee (I am a one cup a day of coffee type of athlete unlike my European hubby). I could feel the nerves as I tried to eat my pre-race meal of waffles with peanut butter and syrup and yogurt on the side but I tried to keep everything in perspective that this was the first race of the season, I was fit and healthy and I had nothing to prove at this race but to go out and dust off the rust. Karel was not nerves and stayed really calm and chillax all morning. 

It was exciting to put on my new Canari Trimarni one-piece suit on race day morning - there's something about putting on the race day outfit, knowing that the day is here to put the training to the test in a competitive setting. After pouring water into my powdered-filled bottles and flasks (which I filled with powder the day prior), I got all my stuff ready and around 4:50am, I headed outside after Karel for a quick jog around the block. This is a pre-race ritual that I picked up from Karel that really gets the blood and digestive system moving before heading to the race venue. One more trip to the bathroom and off we went to the race venue at 5:15am.

Having the option to not check in our bikes on Saturday was nice, especially since two storms came through in the late afternoon/evening. After we parked, we rolled our bikes a few blocks to the race venue, got body marked and entered the transition area. Karel and I are use to having our racks near the front as AWA athletes but this race was an exception as we chose to have our racks with our team/athletes as part of the Tri Club Regional Championship. It was so cool to have so many of us Trimarnis on the same two racks! And even better, my bike was right next to Karel's! I don't think we have ever been on the same rack, let alone right next to each other, in an Ironman branded event.

After setting up my transition area, I walked down to the Tri Club tent area to meet up with our athletes under our team tent (we don't have a Trimarni branded tent so we were lucky enough to get one from a fellow Trimarni fellow Brian - which then turned into a tent from Leo at Outspokin since Brian's tent broke in the storm :( Ironman did a great job with the Tri Club area and overall, this was a great venue for the Tri Club Regional Championship.

Nearing 6am, I went for a quick jog around the race venue to start warming up my body. I saw Karel running in the other direction as we both have a pretty similar pre-race routine. After jogging, stopping, stretching and jogging some more, I grabbed my wetsuit, cap and goggles and walked to the pool. Unlike most races, this venue has a pool open in the morning of the race for athletes to warm-up in. Not too many athletes take advantage of this but we feel its a must for athletes to warm-up before a long distance race, especially in the wetsuit to avoid the suction feeling on the chest (you need to put water inside the wetsuit to prevent the chest of the wetsuit making you feel as if you can't breath. It also helps with adjusting the wetsuit for the right fit). Karel was already swimming when I got there at 6:30am and seeing that the race started at 6:50am, I gave myself only a few minutes to jump in, swim a few laps, adjust my cap, goggles and wetsuit, get out and walk back to the swim start. Although it was a short time in the pool, it was worth it. I sipped on my throw-away bottle of sport drink to keep my energy levels up while also helping me to top-off on hydration before the race.

The weather was perfect - not cold and not hot. Compared to the previous days, it was going to be slightly "cooler" with the highs in the 70's. I didn't see Karel before the start but luckily we wished each other good luck before we started our pre-race warm-ups. 

Picture by Ryan Rager

I've mentioned this before but one of the reasons why I still love to race is to be in the race environment with other athletes. I love the spirit, the energy and the excitement of surrounding myself with like-minded athletes. You can't replicate this in training. Even more so, being with my athletes/teammates is so much fun and having over 30 Trimarnis on the course was an incredible feeling. I never felt overwhelmed with so many of our athletes at the same race and if anything, it gave me a lot of positive energy.

After wishing good luck to my athletes, I headed down to the swim start. I wasn't sure where to line-up as I tend to swim right around 30-minutes. Since I am always frustrated that I can't seem to get under 30 minutes in open water in a half, I decided to line up in the back of the 27-30 minute group. Karel, on the other hand, lined up near the front just to test his swimming skills and to limit any swimming over slower swimmers. We both love the rolling swim start as we have swum our fastest times in open water in a rolling start setting (half and full distance).

My athlete Stephanie lined up next to me and she mentioned that she wanted to draft off me as long as possible. I laughed because I know how hard she has been swimming and I was pretty sure it was going to be the other way around. We both have the same wetsuit (in purple) and I know her swim stroke so I was excited to swim with her.

There was a slight delay to let the sun rise and eventually, it was time for the official race start. Suddenly, the nerves went away and I was ready to get this race started!! The rolling start took a few minutes but finally, we stood on the beach near the waters edge and we were allowed to run into the water.

1.2 mile swim
Although a technical swim course in the shape of a M, I really like this course because there's always something to focus on and you never feel like you are swimming too far for too long. There was some congestion with slower swimmers and Stephanie and I found ourselves bumping into each other a few times but it was nice to have a pacer off Stephanie as we both swam fairly close together for the entire swim. I never found the sun to be in my eyes and it was easy to sight on the buoys. I felt good in the water - not fast but very steady and efficient. I was focusing on my catch to make sure I was grabbing water with each stroke and constantly sighting to stay on course. I found a good rhythm and once I got to the last turn buoy, I had extra energy to pick up my effort. As I was nearing the exit of the swim, I reminded myself of the drop in sand/mud in the water after the shallow section so I kept swimming until I literally could not swim any more and quickly got out of the water. Since I don't wear a watch in the swim, I had no idea of my swim time but when I saw the official race clock, I did some quick math and figured I was right around 30 minutes. Karel said he felt really good in the water. His swimming has progressed a lot over this past year and he is very efficient and much more comfortable in the pool and in open water. I was really happy to hear that he swam so well but just a little jealous that he beat me in the swim by 5 seconds. Guess I need to keep stepping up my game!

T1
Last year I forgot my helmet as I was leaving my rack and had to turn around and go back. This time around, I wanted a quick but efficient transition. I ran to my rack while pulling down my wetsuit to my waist, took off my cap and goggles and once I got to my rack, I quickly took off my wetsuit, put on my socks and cycling shoes, started my bike computer, put on my helmet and I was off. My visor fogged up immediately so I pulled it off and attached it (magnets) to my helmet to defog.

Photo by Ryan Rager

Photo by Ryan Rager

56 mile Bike
I gave myself a good 5 miles to settle into a rhythm and to find my cycling legs. They came to me pretty quick but I didn't rush it. I really like the start of this bike course with all the twists and turns as it's such a great way to wake up the legs and to change up the cadence. My legs were ready to climb as that's all I know from where we ride in Greenville but I enjoyed flying on the flat section of this course. Immediately from the start of the bike, I was passing athletes. Eventually I did get stuck around packs of athletes but I stayed draft legal at all times. I even had an official (female) around me three times over an hour so I knew I was following the rules and not drafting. After about an hour, the riders started to dissipate and I found myself riding alone for a windy stretch of road. Thankfully, it wasn't incredibly long until I made a turn and knew the hills were coming. Finally!! My cycling skills and fitness has improved a lot over the past few years but with all the trainer work and outdoor rides this year, I felt really confident going into this ride. While it's always an unknown how the body will feel on race day, I was pleased to feel strong all day with no low moments. I stayed up on my nutrition and strategically drank every 10-15 minutes (4-5 chugs) and rotated my bottles so that I started with Carbo rocket, drank it until 3/4 finished and then drank the last 1/4 in the final stretch of the bike. It's super light and easy to get down and I really like the black cherry taste. Other than that, I drank my INFINIT which has never failed me on the bike in long distance racing. When we got to the last 10 miles or so, the pavement turned to chip seal and it was rather annoying but I prepared myself for it and just focused on a good rhythm with my pedal stroke and embraced the uncomfortable pavement. Nearing the end of the bike, I had no idea of my total time as I was hitting the lap button throughout the race to help me focus on one stretch of road at a time. I do not race with any power goals which allows me to be an active participant in my race. When I flipped over my computer screen to total time, I was shocked to see that I nearly broke 2:30 hours on the bike. I was really excited and felt like I paced the bike really well and rode hard but didn't blow myself up. I took smart risks and trusted all my previous training, knowing that I could still ride hard and put together a good run off the bike.

Karel said he felt good on the bike and really enjoyed his new Ventum. He didn't have any back issues which was something that plagued him in the past few years on the bike. While he felt like he rode well, he said his time didn't reflect how he felt and he's ok with that. He is realistic with his fitness with where he is right now in his season and he's not one for excuses. He said he felt good and put together the best ride he could on that day. He was stuck behind packs of athletes near the front of the race (since he started near the front of the swim) and he hates drafters so that frustrated him a bit but did not let it affect his own race.

T2
I slipped my feet out of my bike shoes as I was rolling into transition and put my feet on the ground right before the mount line. I have yet to learn a flying mount or dismount but I was proud of myself for removing my feet from my shoes. I rolled my bike to the rack and the race announcer gave me a cheer and told me that Karel was about 8 minutes ahead of time. Not sure how he knew his time exactly but I thought it was really cool that he mentioned it. I gave him a thumbs up. I tried to make my transition super quick and put on my running shoes and then race belt followed by my hydration belt. I grabbed my hat with sunglasses on the bill and put it on as I was walking. I then put on my watch and started a very light jog. I made sure to keep it light and easy to keep breathing under control under I crossed the timing mat to officially start my run.

Photo by Elyse

Photo by Elyse

13.1 mile Run

When I started running, my legs felt ok. Not great but not bad. They felt light but something just felt a little off. My form was good and I didn't feel heavy in my legs but I didn't feel how I wanted to feel. It was great to hear the cheers from the spectators as I started running and then from my friend Elyse who was giving me excellent information about my status in the race. I was really looking forward to this run course (all except the flat section on the back half of each loop) because I love running hills and I LOVE looped courses. I am not sure if it's from my swimming days of following a black line but somehow my mind works really well with loops and this course was just perfect for my mindset when I run.
When I hit the first hill about 1/2 mile in the course, I liked the change in my stride so I welcomed the incline. Once I got to the rolling hills, I felt a little better but still not great. I love my hydration belt because I can drink when I want to drink and I made sure my breathing was under control when I took my first sip of my sport drink and I also tried to time it for sections where I was running downhill to make it easier to drink. I kept my mind in a good place throughout the first loop of the run by reminding myself of all of the training sessions that I have done, working on my running economy and resilience. My run has been a huge work in progress but I can't take too many risks as I feel I am always at a great risk for injury coming from a swimming background (sometimes my lower body doesn't always feel connected with my upper body).
During the first loop, I had a bunch of mind games going on. On one side my brain was saying "you are slow, this isn't a fast run" and then the other side said "but you are running well, you feel good and if you could run faster you would!" I remembered our team motto "do things well" and I just focused on my form, trying to find my rhythm and ignoring the sabotaging thoughts. I never felt hot during the run but at times, a little warm. I only took water from the aid stations to help cool my body.

Once I got back to the transition area to start loop two, my legs finally came around! I was so happy and I felt like I was in a really good place with my running. I felt myself running stronger and passing people on the course. I loved seeing more of the Trimarnis on the course as it gave me a lot of energy. Elyse told me that I wasn't losing my age group position but I was losing my spot in the top 3 overall female amateur. While I was a little bummed, I was also really happy with how I felt on the run and the race I was putting together. I didn't get stuck on paces on the run as I don't find any benefit in chasing paces - especially on a hilly and hot course so I just focused on running well uphill and running strong downhill. I kept up with my fueling every 5-8 minutes to keep my blood sugar up to help delay fatigue. I never felt the need to take in coke so I just stuck with water at the aid stations. The volunteers were great.

When I got to the 3rd loop, I felt stronger than the first two. This was a huge motivator for me and I was really happy with how I was feeling. I never had any low moments and never felt like I wanted the race to end (of course, I was looking forward to crossing the finish line). There were more athletes out on the course on my 3rd loop so the energy was growing. I felt like I paced the run really well and had some energy to pick it up in the last mile to finish strong. As I was nearing the finish line, I was so excited to get this race behind me as a great kick-start to the 2018 season.

Karel said that he felt ok on the run but just didn't feel his normal running rhythm. He put together the best run that he could. On a positive note, he loved his new Naked innovations running belt that he wore during the race. Karel said that he is ok with the fact that he is not running fast right now as in the past, he would tend to peak too early in the season with his running. 

Once I crossed the finish line, I met up with Karel. Surprisingly, I didn't feel too beat up. Karel and I went out on the course to cheer for the rest of our team until everyone crossed the finish line. It was so much fun and inspiring to see so many of our athletes on the course and to be able to high five everyone as they came by. Elyse told me my results and I was happy with an age group win and super happy for Karel to place 3rd in his competitive 40-44 AG. I couldn't believe my 4-minute PR at this distance but I felt like this was one of those days when everything came together.

Although Karel was a little disappointed in his race, he didn't dwell on it too much. It's just one race and certainly not a determination of his athletic worthiness or predictor for the rest of the season. As always, it was fun to share the race course with him and all of our athletes and share the post race "war stories" after the race.

Two funny stories from the race:

-The announcer saying "Mr. Marni" when Karel crossed the finish line.
-A spectator cheering for me on the run yelled "Go Trimarni, your coach would be so proud!" (I don't think he knew I was Marni the coach :)

Now to rest up....just a few weeks until we return back to IM 70.3 St. George!

Marni 

1st AG (35-39), 5th overall female
Swim: 29:46

T1: 3:00

Bike: 2:30.32

T2: 2:38

Run: 1:38.59

Total: 4:44.52

Karel 

3rd AG (40-44), 13th overall

Swim: 29.41

T1: 2:37

Bike: 2:22.45

T2: 2:59

Run: 1:29.33

Total: 4:27.33

IM 70.3 FL - one more sleep

Oddly, I'm very calm with one sleep to go before race day. With no expectations or pressures for this race, I'm most excited to kick off the 2018 triathlon racing season and go through the motions and emotions of swimbikerun in a competitive setting. I am also so pumped to race with over 30 of our coaching athletes as part of the regional Tri Club Championship. There's something about seeing familiar faces out on the race course (and the sidelines) that makes for a fun, energy filled day of racing. Here's a list of all of our athletes who are participating:

Ironman 70.3 Florida
Alvaro Velez
Chris Anuszkiewicz
Christine Feiherr
Curt Kloc
Erica Nagy
Fiona Martin
Greg Marshall
Heather Anderson
Heidi Hogan
Jane Green
Jim Nitz
Julie Huyett
Justine Waters
Kathy Petri
Kevin Drury
Kim Crist
Lisa Comer
Lisa McCartney
Lisa Heath
Melanie Ziarko
Meredith Rigdon
Mitch Przybelski
Natalie Ramello
Tricia Rado
Rebekah Miller
Reid Thomas
Stephanie Gibson
Stephanie Lefkowitz
Wesley Cook
Don Oswalt
Dave Barrie 
Tony Madore
Marni Sumbal
Karel Sumbal

You can track on the Ironman Tracker App. 

On Friday morning, we started the day with an outdoor swim at the Lake Eva community pool at the race venue. It's very unique to have a race venue with a free venue for pool swimming in the days leading up to the race. The water was perfect for swimming and I was able to test out my short sleeve swim skin over my one piece tri suit. We only swam about a 1500 but it was a good building effort set.

After the swim we headed back to the rental house and I made a quick grocery shop for a few items for our team pizza party. Karel has been staying busy here in Haines City with last minute bike mechanic work for our athletes as well as a RETUL fit for one of our athletes (he brought his RETUL fit system).

In the afternoon, I headed to athlete check-in just before 3pm and then attended the athlete briefing at 3pm with several of our Trimarni athletes. Since there was a slight change in run course for this year, I decided to bike 1-loop of the 3-loop run course after the athlete briefing to check out the entire run course. I find it helpful to review the start/finish of the bike course and as much as I can of the run course for visualization purposes going into the race.

In the evening, it was time for our tradition of holding a team pizza party for our athletes at our key races. We had over 30 athletes attend our pizza party (with a few unable to attend because of travel) and it was so fun to have so many of our athletes together in one room. Karel and I also gave a team talk to go over some last minute tips/suggestions relative to this race course.

Pizza from Pizzanospizza

After a great night of sleep (9 hours!), it was time to wake-up the body with a pre-race workout of bike/run, swim.

Karel and his friend Roman (from Czech) did their own thing in the morning so I was off on my own for my pre-race warm-up. It was rather windy this morning but it was good practice to include some wind with my pre-race warm-up on the bike.

My 9-12 am morning workout on Sat (day before the race) included:
-90 minute bike (Same course I rode on Thurs with Karel), ~26 miles
Included a pre-set of: 3, 2, 1 hard efforts w/ 3 min EZ in between. Then a MS of 2 x 6 min build efforts with 8 min EZ between.
-Off the bike ~8 minute run with some stops/walks
-~15 min open water swim

It was great to see so many of our athletes out and about warming up before the race.

It was a packed morning of training but it all felt good to wake-up the body with one night of sleep to go before race day.

During our talk last night at our team pizza party (during our pep talk portion of the race), I told our athletes to think of the race as being a carpenter who is building a masterpiece. All of us athletes are carpenters with our own tools, experience and knowledge. The masterpiece that we each decide to build on race day is created by our performance. The goal is for each of us to create a race (or masterpiece) that we are proud of. On race day, we each experience our own obstacles to overcome and we each bring our own tool set and experience to cover the race distance. There's no point to compare yourself to anyone else, not even a past version of yourself. Remind yourself that YOU are in control all day. Don't focus on the end result, stay present tense and be an active participant in the process....and don't forget to thank your body!

Hello from Haines City!

After a busy morning packing up the car, squeezing in a short outdoor ride and getting our furry crew ready for "grandma", it was time to hit the road down south. We headed out around noon (but didn't make it far until Karel realized he forgot our Di2 charger) and then we officially hit the road.

I had prepped a lot of meals before we left to make it easy for us to eat when we arrived to our rental home in Florida, as well as lots of snacks to minimize the need for grocery shopping. We stopped a few times to stretch our legs, go to the bathroom and pick-up dinner at Moe's but other than that, it was a smooth day of traveling without any major traffic delays. We arrived around 7:30pm and made it to bed just before 10pm. To help break up the drive, we stopped at our friend's house (Joe and Erica) in Jacksonville, FL for a good night of sleep before the rest of our trip on Thursday morning. 

To shake out the stiffness from our long day in the car on Wednesday, we went to the Winston YMCA for a nice 2000 yard swim with a 1000 main set. This main set is one of our favorites (courtesy of our friend/swim coach Kristen J):

MS: 5 x 200's broken as
#1: 200
#2: 2 x 100s

#3: 100, 2 x 50's
#4: 4 x 50's
#5: 8 x 25's
There are many different variations to this as for the rest and intensity but we like to build the effort as we go along but keep the rest to 10 seconds. It's a great tune-up set before a race and a quick way to get in 1000 yards.

After our swim, we enjoyed one of my prepped meals (arugula, lentil and quinoa "Salad" with an egg, potato and veg casserole). We then packed up the car, made a quick stop at the Amar European grocery store in Jacksonville and then finished our long drive to Haines City. In total it took us about 10 hours of driving but thankfully, no major delays for a stress free 1 1/2 days of traveling. 

After arriving to Lake Eva (race venue), we changed into our cycling gear for a spin on the race course.

We rode 26-miles of the race course by starting the course from the transition area and then getting off the course after mile 10 to get back on the course after mile 45. It felt great to spin the legs and move some blood. After the ride we went for a quick run (~10 minutes). We included a few "efforts" on the bike to open up the engine.

Around 4:30pm, we checked into our rental home, unpacked, settled in, had dinner and got to bed around 9:30pm. It feels great to be at the race venue and (finally) be just a few days away from kicking off our 2018 triathlon racing season!!

           

It's Race Week!!

High Fives All Around!!

It's race week! 

I've waited seven long months since Ironman Chattanooga to say those words.

On Sunday, I get to experience all the nerves, excitement, questions, low moments, pain, what if's, emotions and fun of participating in a half Ironman. But this time it will be extra special as Karel and I will be sharing the race course with over 30 of our Trimarni coaching athletes as part of the Tri Club Regional Championship at IM 70.3 FL!

Nearing the age of 36 years old, I think back to almost 12 years ago when I participated in my first half IM event in Disney. I had no idea what I was doing yet I loved every mile of it. Fast forward to 12 Ironman finishes, 4 Ironman World Championship finishes and too many half IM events to remember, I feel stronger, healthier and fitter than ever before but my love for the sport hasn't changed. I love the sport of triathlon as it keeps me healthy and happy and provides me with so many amazing opportunities to live life to the fullest.

Racing is a skill and it's something you get better at the more you do it. It's now time to dust off the rust at this early season race and go through the motions of racing. I look forward to the high and low moments of pushing my limits for 70.3 miles as I test my current fitness, strengths and limiters.

And most of all, I look forward to finding motivation and inspiration from other athletes as racing has a special way of bringing out the best in all of us.

Ironman Haines City 70.3 - (spectator) race report

There are athletes who love to train and athletes who love to race. Some enjoy one or the other and some enjoy both.

It's very easy to get so overwhelmed and anxious about the end result of a training journey that you may find that you are only defining progress or success by a finish time or place (or both). This puts tremendous pressure on you, as the athlete, to always think about how you need to perform on race day to have a great race.  If your only way to define development is in a certain time or place, you may limit your ability to discover true greatness. Sure, we all want to be fast and strong and this can happen with a smart training and fueling plan and race day execution but there are times in every athletes's season when you have to simply race for the best effort possible that you can give on that day and not chase times or placing. Every race is different.

Sometimes, that best effort will give you a personal best time or podium spot but many times, that race will help you grow, learn and develop to someday, reach your ultimate athletic potential.

Rarely do I hear athletes thanking their body that they were able to cross the starting line. There is so much that can happen between the day you sign up for a race until you step foot on the starting line. And when you are so focused on results, you overlook a critical and necessary part of reaching your full potential....being healthy and strong enough to meet the demands of your upcoming race.

The scary and exciting part about racing is there is no way to know what can happen with your body during the race until you get started. And at no point during the race can you predict the future.

Sometimes, you just have to be thankful for what you get to do, with the body that you have. There's nothing wrong with having goals and feeling ready (or not) but regardless of how you feel before the race, you just have to show up on race day and let what will happen, happen. It's with the "best" races that you spend less energy on what could or may happen and remain confident, brave and strong with what you want to happen. You do your best to pace your own race to set yourself up for success and with every moment during the race when the odds aren't in your favor, you find a way to overcome those odds to prove to yourself that you are capable of so much more than you ever thought you could do with your body. 

After a 6 hour drive to Jacksonville, FL on Friday, we spent the night at a friends house and then on Saturday around 8:30am, we made our way 3 more hours to Haines City, Fl. Wow - it was hot coming from Greenville, SC!! This is our first time in 10 years (for me and more for Karel) living outside of Florida for almost a year so adjusting to seasons vs being warm all year long has been strange. 

When we arrived to the race venue we attended the athlete briefing at 12pm for any last minute changes/rules (ex. new drafting length rule in effect) and met up with several of our 12 Trimarni athletes who were racing. I was the designated sherpa for our group but it is part of our normal pre-race routine to always attend the athlete briefing. 

After the briefing, Karel and I put on our riding gear and heading out for a 1 hour spin. With Karel racing, he did a few pick-ups and I treated this as a workout for me since it was super challenging to stay on Karel's wheel for his 2-3 minute pick-ups. My legs were burning but it was so fun to ride aero on flat/rolling roads and to find a rhythm (something we don't get to do where we live near the mountains). Karel didn't even have his race wheels on but wow, he was fast! 

After our ride (and Karel did a short run for 10 min off the bike with a few pick-ups) we made a stop at the local Publix grocery store for food for the next 24 hours including food for Karel's pre-race dinner meal (rice, chicken, bread and salad) and his pre-race morning meal (similar foods but never the same amount for each race - this race: Bolthouse yogurt drink, oatmeal, bread with jam and milk). We both were super hungry after the busy day of traveling and working out so we both ate a meal around 4pm and then just snacked the rest of the evening.

Karel's typically diet is very carb-heavy with lots of bread, grains and starches, moderate (but enough) protein and a very plant strong diet with lots of fruits and veggies. Pastries, coffee and chocolate are also part of his normal diet so race week is no different for him in many ways. There are no off limit foods for Karel - just no alcohol race week (he makes up for that day after the race).

We stayed with a friend from Key West (Roger) at a rental home which was nice to have a kitchen and room to spread out. 

The positive energy was building with a few other athletes in the house also racing and by 9pm, everyone was in bed for an early wake-up call. 

At 3:50am, we woke up and by 5:20am we were out the door to head to the race. I fueled my spectating duties with a bowl of oatmeal with almonds (from Veronica's Health Crunch), milk and raisins and made a PB Sandwich for later with lots of fruit. 

It was fun to be on the sidelines and be there for our 12 athletes. At 6:30am, most of the group met up for a team picture and then everyone did their own thing (warm-up) before their wave start. 

I positioned myself at the swim exit to catch all of our athletes when they got out of the water. The swim course is a bit strange with many turn bodies (the course looks like a M) so lots of spotting is involved. 

With Karel in one of the last few waves, I was able to spot all of our athletes before seeing Karel. 

Karel felt really good in the water. He said he felt very smooth with a good catch and never felt anxious in the water. Although Karel would love to be faster in the swim to position himself better with the top athletes, he will often swim for efficiency over speed to ensure that he does not exhaust himself in the water on race day as newer swimmer. Karel and I swim a lot (often 5 times per week) just so he can keep his feel for the water. Some days he doesn't feel good but just being in the water helps him feel more confidence for race day. 

1.2 mile swim: 

Time: 35:43

41 age group, 212 male, 250 overall 

After all our athletes exited the water and started the bike, I had time to kill so I went for an hour run on the run course. It was so neat to see so many other spectators running - something that I don't get to experience when racing. After my run, I put on a non-sweaty shirt and got rid of my Nathan Fuel belt and grabbed my food/drinks and headed out to watch our athletes come in from the bike with a few other Trimarni athletes who weren't racing (Ryan, Mike, Heather and Adam). It was so great to have so many Trimarni teammates out on the course and on the sidelines. 

I spotted Karel as he neared his last turn toward the dismount line and we all cheered loud. 

I know what you are thinking.....Karel is smiling!!! I guess we made him laugh.

Oh and that orange kit is specially made for Karel from Canari. We love our Canari family and they spoiled us with a full line of seasonal training/racing gear in a "Kona edition" orange for us both. Thank you Canari! Karel absolutely loved racing in his short sleeve tri suit - he found it super comfortable and absolutely no chaffing or overheating. 

Karel didn't have any goals for this race (that he discussed with me) but he did tell me that he wanted to be between 2:20-2:25 to feel happy about his bike performance. Not knowing how he would ride on flat roads with all the climbing we do in Greenville (and averaging 16.5-17.5mph for most of our rides), Karel rode in and looked really good off the bike so I knew this was a great sign that he was feeling good.

Karel ended up riding 2:19 which he was really happy about. He said that he felt really good and he didn't have to push as hard as he thought for the ride that he had. It's always a fine line for Karel as to how hard he can push with his bike racing background but still be able to have fresh legs for the run. Karel doesn't go by power when he rides but still has his gadget for race day to check in as needed. But Karel typically goes by feel as he knows what he wants it to feel like and what it should feel like to run well off the bike. With more experience, Karel continues to dial this in.

Karel consumed 2.5 bottles of his custom INFINIT drink (around 280 calories each bottle) on the bike and a few Clif blocks. No extra water from aid stations.

56 mile bike: 

2:19:11 (24.14mph)

13th age group, 45 male, 45 overall 

Hello game face!

This run course is super spectator friendly with 3 loops and a perfect section for seeing athletes twice within a 10-15 min time-frame around mile 3-4.

The only thing Karel said to me was "it's hot" but other than that, he was a man on a mission. I guess all our hill work and "slow" form focused running paid off as Karel was able to hold sub 7 min/miles for the entire half marathon even though the majority of Karel's long runs are often slower than 7:30 min/miles.

Karel said that he felt really good until the last loop of the run and then things felt hard (which is to be expected). It was nearing 90 degrees out which was hot for everyone but certainly something that Karel and I are no longer acclimated too after moving to Greenville last May. 

Karel wore his fuel belt (as he always does in every training sessions - even the short runs) with 3 flasks, each with OSMO (80 calories). He grabbed ice/water from the aid stations and used the Base Salts capsule and licked salt from it when needed.

He said he felt really strong and his form stayed good throughout. He was even able to build his effort by holding back in the first loop (by feel) and stopping at aid stations (yes, even speedy Karel stops/walks when he runs).

As Karel was making his last loop, I cheered on a few more Trimarni athletes and then headed to the finish to watch Karel finish. I was thankful for our friends Kristen and Trent who were sending me text updates of Karel as I was so busy cheering that I couldn't check my phone for stats with all the pictures I was taking. (a big thank you to Ryan and Adam for also taking awesome pics of the Trimarni team). 

As a coach, it's great to be on the sidelines for my athletes as several needed me throughout the day. Sometimes it was just a high-five or cheer or a quick discussion on nutrition, pacing or mental strength but whatever the reason, I just love being there to see them in action. 

Racing with them is also fun and I can't wait to race at Challeng Knox in May. 

 Because of the wave start, the clock showed the start of the race (at 6:50) so with Karel starting after 7:30am I had no idea what time on the clock he would finish. I watched and watched and finally, Karel came sprinting down the finish. 

It was only a matter of time before Karel gave himself the reward of racing hard and giving everything he could for 70.3 miles.....he finally let his legs rest.

13.1 mile run: 

1:29:39 (first time breaking 1:30 in a half for Karel!), 6:50 min/mile average

Total: 4:28:38
7th age group, 20th male, 20th overall
Wow - a sub 4:30 time got Karel 7th age group. Crazy fast times!
There was some tough competition out there to challenge Karel to dig deep. 
This is proof that sometimes a best effort isn't about the place or the overall finish but instead, what you put into the race to get the best outcome possible, on race day with your healthy and strong body.

Sending a HUGE congrats to all the Trimarni athletes who raced amazingly well.

Everyone finished what they started!!

Trimarni coaching athletes: Haines City 70.3: 

Tricia Ann - 7:50:56

Maggie A - 7:18:43

Stefanie S - 7:00:47

JoAnn J - 6:40:53

Jim N - 6:27:20 (first time half ironman finisher)

Nick - 5:41:00

Colleen - 5:38:24

Christian (pre-built plan) - 5:36:38

Mike M - 5:36:34

Rob J - 5:26:03

Kevin D - 5:22:12

Josh G - 5:03:2

Wlad - 5:01:56

Karel - 4:28:38

For more pictures of our awesome athletes in action, check out the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition facebook page. 

THANK YOU 2015 TRIMARNI SPONSORS!