IMWI '18 Race Report - 112 mile bike

Photo: Jay Baker

If I had one complaint about this course, it's the first few miles on the bike path. Even though the course was altered a bit due to recent flooding, it's still a technical way to start the bike in a race. Thankfully, it's not more than a few miles of navigating cracks, turns and bumps and a railroad track before you are on an open road and heading out to the country.

With the temp around 50 degrees, I was happy I had my arm coolers on as they were keeping me warm. I felt very comfortable (body temp) when I started the bike but I still gave myself a few miles to wake-up my legs and to settle into a nice rhythm. I always start the bike with my helmet shield up so it doesn't fog and then after a few minutes I snap it in place as my "sunglasses" for the rest of the ride. It's also a lot easier to get on this way.

After losing both my rear bottles at Ironman Chattanooga last year in the first few miles of the bike, I was extra paranoid at IMWI with every bump on the road. I kept tapping down my rear bottles before and after every noticeable bump for the first few miles as I didn't want to make the same mistake twice (and this is even with very secure gorilla bottle cages). But just to be safe and not sorry, I filled my hydration flask with 2 bottles worth of INFINIT powder just in case I were to lose two bottles. I chose not to use my hydration system for this race because I am very comfortable grabbing my bottles and it's easy for me to see how much I am drinking and to get in full gulps. But since it is more aero with the hydration system, I keep it on my bike. I've only had my new Ventum to ride for just a few weeks but I have tested out the straw and plan to use it for extreme conditions (ex. rain and wind).

It wasn't too long into the bike when I heard my name and it was my athlete Ericka who was racing in the professional women's field. She is a super strong biker and she loves to ride her bike. It was great to see her ride away from me and I was so pumped for her to experience her first Ironman - and to share the day with her.

The Ironman Wisconsin course is tough. There's little time to settle into a rhythm with over 91-turns per loop (over 200 turns over 112 miles). While the course has 5600 feet of elevation gain, you are either going up or down and rarely do you get a lot of momentum to get yourself from one downhill to the next uphill. There are a few technical sections with tight turns that can be executed safely but you have to be on alert, especially when other athletes are around.  And when there is a flat-ish segment, you usually get wind. On our race day, the wind was angry. And lastly, the road conditions are rough. While several segments have been paved over the years, it's not a "fast" course. However, having said all that, the scenery is beautiful (think farms - lots and lots of farms and fields), there are designated spectator-heavy spots that you can get a ton of energy from the crowds, the course is very-well marked, the course is safe (even though it's not closed to traffic, there are police and volunteers everywhere) and it's a fun course!

NUTRITION
I keep my nutrition super simple during an Ironman so that I can focus on my execution but also ensure that I can optimize digestion and absorption of all calories consumed.  For my nutrition in an Ironman, I use 1 26-ounce bottle of INFINIT per hour (I use my own custom version of my endurance base formula, discount Trimarnicoach if you'd like to try it) with around 500mg sodium, 250 calories, 62g carbs and 15g of sugar. One of my 6 bottles (3 for the first loop and then 3 in special needs - already filled with water and powder) contains caffeine and aminos (mixed in my custom formula) - 50mg caffeine and 1g aminos. I use this bottle as my third bottle on the bike (so around 2 hours of riding). This is the same strategy I use for every long ride. To help with taste bud fatigue, I bring along 4 different flavors (watermelon, pink lemonade, fruit punch and grape) so that each hour is a different flavor. My front bottle cage holds my primary bottle and when I am finished with it, I either toss it at an aid station (I use an old bottle that I am happy to get rid of) or move it to my rear cage and replace with my rear bottle. I keep rotating bottles so I can always grab my front bottle. For this race, I didn't grab water in the first loop but grabbed water at each aid station on the second loop to use for sipping and cooling. While I like to have a plan for an Ironman, I am also always listening to my body. I always bring "extra" fuel with me for those just-in-case situations and in this Ironman, I brought along a Clif PB and pretzel MOJO bar as it's something I have practiced with in training and have had good runs off the bike when I nibble on the bar throughout my ride. So I broke up the bar in advance, put it into a baggy and stuck into my bento box for easy nibbling throughout the ride. I mostly went through the entire bar throughout hour 2-5 of the bike. I also had a small flask filled with 1 Enervite cheerpack (caffeine) that I took a swig from anytime I needed a little burst of energy. Again, I practiced with this in training. So aside from drinking my INFINIT bottle every hour, 4-5 chugs every 10-12 minutes (give or take depending on the terrain and how I was feeling), the extra nutrition was based on how I felt.

Picture: Brian Comiskey

TRAINING PREP

The IMWI bike course is very similar to what we train on in Greenville so I think that helped me a lot with my execution and knowing how to ride my bike on the course. While we have a lot to climb where we live (and bumpy roads), this helped my bike handling skills, terrain management and strength on two wheels but it leaves very little opportunity for steady state riding. So my long rides are always outside and my more specific rides are typically on the trainer. I usually ride my road bike once a week for an easy spin and I have found that I need to incorporate variable cadence work (riding at a very low or very high cadence) during my workouts to keep the fibers firing, versus just focusing on steady state efforts. I haven't done a power test in over a year so all my rides are by feel as I know what each effort should feel like and I adjust based on how I feel for the day. My bike fit is all dialed in thanks to Karel as it wasn't a difficult fit as my new Ventum fits me so well. Whereas my Trek Speed Concept was a size small (700 wheels), it was a bit too big for me. This new bike is just perfect and with my 155mm cranks and Dash saddle plus the shape of my aerobars (Ventum product), the bike feels extremely comfortable and rides so well. And with the wind, I felt like I was just slicing through it! This never happens to me as with my old bike, I felt like I was always getting pushed around. With no downtube on my Ventum, there is less for the wind to hit. Also the chain stay is shorter than on most bikes which brings my weight more towards the center or the back of the bike while still maintaining an aero position. This makes the bike feel more like a road bike compared to a heavy tri bike. The bike road so well and I was so happy with my choice to ride my new Ventum at IMWI (even though I had only completed 2 long rides on it prior!).

As for my training going into this race, my longest ride was 5.5 hours and that was with our campers in August. Other than that, the majority of my rides were around 4-4.5 hours. While I don't do many "long" rides, my workouts are very specific and intense. Either the terrain brings up the inside or the workout itself. Plus, our miles go by very slow where we live so it's not uncommon for us to average 16-17mph for a long ride. Thus, completing a 100+ mile ride would be a long day in the mountains and we feel there are other beneficial ways to gain fitness versus spending so much time in the saddle. While I love to ride my bike and train, I'm always looking for the most efficient way to gain fitness in the least amount of time possible.

Photo: Jay Baker

RACE STRATEGY
As for the race, I hit lap every 30-35 minutes once I got on the loop (~40 miles per loop). I used the stick part of the course to build into my effort and I made sure to keep the first loop very sustainable. I felt strong but tried to hold myself back. There was a lot of sitting up in the saddle or standing on the climbs which I liked as I am much more comfortable changing my position than being stuck in aero for miles at a time. The crowds were incredible on the two longer climbs on the course, in addition to the 3 sisters (or b!tche$ - however you choose to call them). I saw a lot of familiar faces on the course which was awesome - thank you Ed, Diane, Cory, Michela, Tim and all other friends/family for being out there! I was getting updates on my position that I was leading the female amateur race and first in my age group. While this news was motivating, I didn't let it change my game plan of riding my bike well. After a stop at special needs to get three fresh bottles (for those who thinks special needs is a waste of time, my stop was only 12 seconds according to my data), I was looking forward to the second loop. Knowing that fatigue was building, my goal was just to ride the same effort as before but to save a little for the stretch going home as I knew it would be windy and in my face. I was starting to warm-up and while I probably could have kept on my arm coolers, I decided to remove them around mile 60 just to feel something different. I tucked the arm coolers into my jersey pockets. Not too long later, it hit me. A low. After 14 Ironmans, I know these lows come but it's always a guessing game as to how long. While the miles were going by very quickly, my low stayed with me for some time. Maybe it was the wind, the part of the course where I was riding (I was alone for a very long time) or being passed by two very strong girls but the low stayed with me for more than I would have liked. It's hard to describe this feeling but it's easy to get negative and to start having doubts. I took in some calories, did a few check-in's with my body and all was still feeling ok so I just rode it out (literally) and was able to bounce back from it.

Karel was spectating around the 3 sisters and I was super excited to see him. I gave him a big smile but also told him "I'm feeling tired." He yelled back "you should be, you are doing an Ironman." Sometimes it helps to say what I am feeling as it's kinda like a little self-talk for myself to get out of my funk. It helped and I felt stronger soon after I saw Karel. I was prepared for the final section of the bike (the last 14 miles) to be very tough and it was. It was slow but I just focused on smooth pedaling, staying relaxed and doing my best to deliver myself to the run as fresh as possible after riding a super windy and tough 112 miles. While I was passed by two girls, I was still first in my age group so that gave me a lot of motivation to keep taking good care of myself and giving my best on this day. While sometimes our thoughts tell us negative things, thoughts aren't always actions. I had nothing to convince me that I was having a bad race so even with a low on the bike, I still told myself that I could have a great race. I reminded myself of all my hard training sessions and no matter how I feel on the bike, I can still put together a solid run. To be honest, I had my normal thoughts of quitting and questioning why I do this crazy sport but something deep inside myself loves to prove myself wrong. 

As I neared the helix, I couldn't believe how fast the day was going and that I was about to start the marathon. Only 26.2 miles until the finish of my 14th Ironman! With the lead in my age group and 3rd female amateur overall, I questioned if history would repeat itself and with only 2 and 3 minutes between me and 2nd and 3rd place in my age group, I was in need of the run of my life to take the age group win.

112 mile BIKE RESULT (per Ironman tracker)
5:37.55 (19.86 mph)
2nd fastest AG (35-39)
14th female
141th overall

Bike specifics:
Any questions about these components, email me and I'll send your question along to Karel. I don't do bikes - I just ride them :) 

• Ventum One Frame size 46 (custom paint) 
• Ventum handlebar set up with TriRig ultra light elbow cups with CeeGees pads
• Wheels: Alto CC 86 rear and Alto CC 56 front wheel with Specialized S-works 24mm tubeless tires and Ultegra 11-28 cassette.
• Crank: Rotor 3D24 crank arms 155mm with Rotor Qarbon 53 aero big chainring and 39 small chainring with Power2Max pwoermeter. 
• BB: CeramicSpeed bottom bracket (red) 
• Saddle: Dash Stage Custom saddle 
• Other components: Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 and Utegra 8000 Di2 group set with CeramicSpeed oversized pulley system (red) 

My race data (Garmin 810): Each split represents when I lapped my computer (I wasn't always perfect, sometimes I would forget)

-14 miles (39 minutes/21.7 mph), 169w NP, 87 RPM
-11 miles (30 minutes/21.3 mph), 168w NP, 85 RPM
-10 miles (31 minutes/19.3 mph), 180w NP, 84 RPM
-10 miles (32 minutes/18.9 mph), 170w NP, 83 RPM
-13 miles (37 minutes/20.9 mph), 164w NP, 83 RPM
-12.4 miles (37 minutes/20 mph), 169w NP, 82 RPM
-9.66 miles (30 minutes/19 mph), 159w NP, 81 RPM
-10 miles (34 minutes/17.6 mph), 161w NP, 80 RPM
-6.6 miles (19 minutes/20.9 mph),135w NP, 80 RPM
-14 miles (45 minutes/18.5 mph), 140w NP, 78 RPM
Data recorded 111 miles in 5:35.59 (19.8 mph)

IMWI '18 Race Report - Pre-race + Swim + T1

Pre-race

I was looking forward to my 30-minute swim on Friday morning at the Pinaccle Health Club. Karel joined me but swam about double my distance as he is still in training mode for his upcoming races. Because two days out from an Ironman is a relatively light day of training for me, I was really looking forward to connecting with our 13 athletes who were racing IMWI (and seeing their family members). In usual Trimarni fashion, we had our pre-race pizza party + course talk as a way to connect everyone and provide last minute advice and tips. Our athlete Lisa lives in Madison and offered up her rooftop deck/clubhouse for our party. The views were incredible. Plus, you can never go wrong with pizza two days before a race. We ordered pizza from Pizza Brutta and it was amazing!

The rest of the day was very low-key for me and it was early to bed to try to get a good night of sleep as you never know how sleep will go on the night before the race. 

Saturday was all about waking up the body and fueling for the long adventure that awaited me on Sunday. Interesting, I never felt “too full or heavy” despite eating far more than I normally eat before a race. I started the day with my typical pre-training snack (2 waffles w/ PB, syrup and Greek yogurt) and a small cup of coffee and water. Then it was off for a 55 minute spin on the race course (with the terrain dictating my efforts to raise the intensity) followed by a 15 minute run off the bike. I’m not tied to any specific goal times, paces or distances to achieve with my pre-race warm-up as I’m looking to warm-up until I feel good and then save it all for race day. Karel started with me (and our athlete Thomas) but then continued on with his ride as he had a big day of training planned with a 6-hour ride followed by a 20-minute run. After a big glass of milk while cleaning up, I prepared myself 2 big slices of French toast w/ scrambled eggs and fruit. 

                                        

                                         

I re-packed my gear bags (I had them all laid out and almost packed as of Thurs evening) and then around 11:30am, headed downtown with Thomas, Karel’s mom and Campy to check-in our bikes and gear bags. Because the wind was gusty, I noticed that a few other athletes had used duct tape to secure their saddle on the transition rack. This was a great idea since my bike is too small to touch the ground so I did the same by taping down the saddle rails to the bike rack. After dropping off our gear bags, we walked around the outside expo and checked out the finish line and then headed home. 

But first, we had to make a quick stop at a local bakery to pick-up a few treats for Karel so he could survive his day of spectating on Sunday. Sadly, they were out of croissants but I substituted with two scones and a huge cinnamon roll (for me). If you didn't know, I LOVE cinnamon rolls. 

When we returned home, my lunch consisted of leftover pizza (from Pizza Brutta), cottage cheese, a handful of arugula. I really cut back on my veggies in the 48 hours before the race. I also yummed over some of my cinnamon roll (it was calling my name and I couldn’t wait to dig into it). Then it was time to fill my bottles with my sport nutrition powders (topping off with water on race day morning) and put my feet up and relax. Since I am not the best relaxer, I found a movie to watch on Netflix which distracted me for a while. Karel eventually came home from his workout around 3pm and he provided us with some great feedback on the course (since he did the entire course and a little more during his ride). I snacked on corn chips and fruit throughout the afternoon and ended the day with a bag of microwave rice (high in carbs and lots of sodium). Our professional athlete Ericka (doing her first IM!) came over with her husband in the evening on Friday for a last minute pre-race chat with me and Karel.

Since carbonated water can sometimes irritate the gut, I avoided it and just drank plain water all day plus 1 bottle of precision hydration (1500). Even though the temps were not predicted to be warm for race day, I still found it important to load on sodium to optimize my hydration level before the event. Since Karel was tired from his training, we both headed off to bed around 7pm and lights were off around 8:30pm. I think Campy was the first to fall asleep – this Ironman stuff is tough for his almost 11-year old body!

Race morning
My alarm went off at 3:45am and surprisingly, Karel was quick out of bed. He was starving and ready to eat after his big day of training on Saturday. This made it easy for me to get out of bed but I made sure to sit up slowly as to not throw off my blood pressure and faint (which happened to me at IM 70.3 World Championships in 2017). Campy (as you see below), was not quick to get out of bed. 

While I felt a little nervous, I didn’t let it get to me too much. I knew once I got to the race venue, my nerves would disappear. I ate my typical pre-race meal (which is also the same thing I eat before every training session – just in higher quantities for race day and a few extra toppings) of 2 waffles, PB, yogurt, syrup, banana, cinnamon, granola. I had a cup of coffee (instant is what I like), glass of water, 3 MAP BCAA’s and 1 scoop Osmo pre-load. I filled all of my 6 bike bottles and 4 flasks with water (since I put powder in them the day before) and then packed up my race day bag. 

Karel’s mom and Campy stayed at the house as Karel planned to go back to the house before heading out on the bike course to cheer. Karel drove Thomas and I to the race venue and we parked on the street just a block from the capital. We walked first to special needs to drop off our bags (Bike and run bag drop offs were both by the capital, before the finish line) and then headed to our gear bags inside the terrace to drop off any last minute items (like nutrition). I kept myself warm with pants, a jacket, a hat and gloves because it was a bit cool out (in the low 50’s) and a little windy. For every race, I always bring a bag of "extra" clothing like gloves, ear covers, shoe covers, arm warmers, leg warmers, rain jacket/vest and anything else I may need if weather changes. I made a mental note of where my bags were before heading to body marking and then to our bikes. 

Karel stood outside of the transition area and gave my tires a touch to see if they were good to go for the race. Since we pumped them up the day before (gave the bike a full charge for my electronic shifting on Friday night), they held their pressure on race day morning. It was nice to see so many familiar faces throughout the morning, including several of our athletes. Of course, I made sure to untape my saddle – that would have been no fun if I would have forgot! 

                                  

It was nearing 5:45pm when I was finished with my pre-race to do’s. I made a potty stop inside the terrace (nice clean bathrooms with no line) and then did a little light mobility work on the floor in the terrace for the next 10 minutes. Around 6pm, I put on my wetsuit, gave Karel a kiss and hug good-bye, found a doggy to give a kiss (can't forget the furry ones) and then made my way down to the swim start. It was a little crowded to get down there so I was happy to give myself extra time. I was hoping to get in the water but it appeared they weren’t letting anyone in the water so I just kept myself loose before getting into the corral. I had an Enervite pre-race Jelly around 20 minutes before the start. With the pros going off at 6:40am (in-the-water start at the first buoy), it was getting rather tight in the corral by 6:20am. I wanted to get around the 1-hour group but the only sign was 1-1:10 (predicted swim time for the rolling start). This created a lot of chaos even before the start for there was a wide range of swim abilities all crammed together (plus those that probably shouldn’t be near the front anyways). While it may seem like standing around for 30 minutes in a tight corral would be stressful, I didn’t mind it for I knew that for the next 10+ hours, I would be moving and using my body. 

Swim 2.4 miles - 59:38 (2nd 35-39, 6th female, 24th overall)

Source: IMWI facebook page

Once the gun went off, the line moved quickly. I first stepped over the timing mat and then walked to the water. It felt like forever until I crossed over the mat and then entered the water but I’m guessing it wasn’t more than a 30 seconds. I made a poor decision and started on the left of the swim start which was a bit more crowded since we needed to keep all buoys to our left. I found it very chaotic in the water for the first few buoys due to the large amount of athletes who lined up in the 1-1:10 time frame plus the sub 1-hour swimmers. There were many times that instead of focusing on staying on course, I was sighting to find clean water. The best part of the early part of the swim was swimming next to my athlete Stephanie who is a great swimmer. I immediately noticed her as we both wear the same Xterra vengeance wetsuit and I know her swim stroke. I eventually swam away from her but she wasn’t too far behind me as she had an awesome swim. The stretch to the first buoy went by rather quickly. While I found myself needing to swim by many swimmers, I finally found my groove.

However, once I made my way around the two turn buoys and started to swim back toward the start, the water became incredibly choppy – more like an ocean. Since I have a pretty straight-arm stroke, I really focused on catching the water and trying to time my stroke with the chop. While it worked for a little bit at a time, the chop would change and then I would need to reset my rhythm. Since it was a good mile of straight swimming against the chop, I had no time to think about anything in the future (bike and run) but to stay in the moment. Since it takes me some time to feel warmed-up (this is for any sport), I like to pick up my effort as the swim progresses. I found myself around a few other girls (pink caps) which gave me a little boost to keep my effort going and to swim really strong to the finish. Since I always wear new goggles for an Ironman swim, I could see perfectly throughout the entire swim which also helped me stay on course. Although the long stretch felt long, the final stretch to the shore came rather quickly. I felt strong throughout the entire swim and felt I paced it well. Since I don’t wear a watch, I didn’t know my swim time but quickly glanced at the race clock and saw 1:10 – which I figured was for the pros. I quickly did the math and figured I was right around an hour which I was happy about. It was a nice tone to set the day.  Karel stayed inside the terrace and then made his way near the mount line to cheer me on (and our other athletes) for the start of the bike.

T1 - 6:10

Source (not from this year)

The transition from swim to bike at IMWI is a loooooong one. I first got my wetsuit removed by the “strippers” and choose to go to the very end before laying down as to not get stuck around other athletes. I kept my cap and goggles on as two less things to carry up the helix. Oh that helix. The crowds were incredible as they were 3-4 rows deep cheering as I ran up and up and up to the entrance to the terrace. This race is also special because the transition area is inside! The volunteers were great as always and directed me into the room with our blue bike gear bags and then into the female “changing tent” (a room). My volunteer helped me put on my gear and held my timing chip as I put on my compression socks (typically I put it in my mouth so I don’t forget it). I wasn’t planning to wear my arm warmers as the swim really warmed me up (water temp was in the 70’s) but the volunteer told me it was rather chilly out and in looking back, I was glad I had them on. They were actually arm coolers so they were really light but provided my arms with just enough warmth for the early miles of the bike (well – actually until mile 60!). While the Ironman is a very long day requiring patience and not taking risks, transitions are nothing more than “free speed.” 

Source (not from this year)

Since this transition is naturally long, I made good use of my time by removing my cap and goggles right when I entered the terrace, put my helmet on as I ran to the changing tent and then carried my bike shoes with me until I got to my bike. While running the entire length of the parking lot to my bike (on the very far side near the mount line), I also put on my arm warmers while running. Once I got to my bike rack, a volunteer held my bike, I turned on my bike computer and then put on my shoes. I grabbed my bike and then I was off. I felt like it was one of my best executed transitions, even though it’s a long one. As my first race on my new Ventum, I was really excited to put it to the test and see how it dealt with the bumpy roads, gusty winds and technical terrain that was ahead of me for 112 miles of riding. 

IMWI Race Report: 112 mile bike

It’s no easy task to train for and race in a 140.6 mile event as it is huge undertaking for the body and requires a big commitment in life.

I can’t believe that in the past 14 months, I have crossed 4 Ironman finish lines. For three of those races, I had 3 consecutive PR finishing times (10:43, 10:37, 10:17). Incredibly, in 2013 I raced two Ironman races within 14 weeks from one another and in 2014, I raced two Ironman races within 11 weeks of one another. My body has not only let me  finish every Ironman I have started but I also recently qualified for the Ironman World Championships twice, within the past 14 months.

In the past 14 months, Karel (who just learned how to swim 2 years and 2 months ago) has progressed extremely quickly with his triathlon fitness and is now racing at the top of his age group.

As Karel and I continue learn more about the sport of endurance triathlons, we continue to train and race smarter. And the biggest contributor to us getting faster and stronger over the past few years is training the least amount possible with the most performance gains. We train hard but recover harder. 

In the past two years, I have experienced huge gains in my bike fitness. I contribute a lot of this to being married to a great cyclist and bike tech who knows everything and anything about bikes, bike racing and bike training. Although there have been some tweaks to my new Speed Concept Trek bike thanks to Karel over the past two years (shorter crank length, saddle, wheels/tires, Hawk ceramic bearings, Di2 shifting, RETUL fit) the biggest change has been training less hours on the bike than when I started training for Ironmans.

It is very rare for us to ride more than 5 hours, even for our peak Ironman training. Typically we do one ride around 100-110 miles and maybe one more ride around 5 hours but most of our long rides are around 4-4.5 hours and almost always include a 30-60 min run off the bike. 

The reason why I mention this is because it is possible for you to be a faster cyclist without long hours on the bike. We are firm believers that to get faster, you must ride faster. But you must train faster before you go longer.

Additionally, I can speak first-hand about how my cycling skills have improved while living in Greenville for the past 3 months (and learning from/training with Karel) and this has helped me take my cycling to the next level.

Far too often I hear Ironman athletes talk about wanting to be better runners off the bike and also being faster cyclists. And thus, they train more. And more, and harder and harder and more. 

Sometimes it works but I ask you this, if you could work less hours and get paid more, would you?

 More time to spend with friends/family, more time to get restful sleep, more time to make time for healthy/balanced eating and more time to enjoy life….would you work less....even if you LOVE your job?

Since Ironman athletes can spend up to 40-50% of total race time on the bike, it is extremely important that if you want to have a good race day Ironman performance, you must get faster and stronger on the bike. And to get stronger and faster on the bike, you have to train smart. And when you train smart, it’s NOT just about the miles but instead, knowing how to ride smart.

There are a few tips that I have for you (that we believe in for us and our athletes) to help you improve your cycling time in a triathlon and concurrently your overall finish time.

-Strength train in the off season and think beyond long, slow base miles to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness. 

-If you train indoors, have a coach who reviews your training files, perform intervals in training and want to use your time wisely when you train, invest in a power meter and bike computer (ex. Garmin Edge) and learn how to use them properly.

-Take good-care of your bike and get regular tune-ups. It’s not just about the parts that you see but also consider how the inside parts are working to help you have a safer, more efficient ride.

-Invest in electronic shifting (Di2). This may be the best investment you will ever make on your bike because you will not only be able to shift more often but you will keep a steadier cadence. You will also ride safer as you will minimize the time your hands are off the bars.

-Be sure your fueling plan not only meets your needs and is easy to digest and absorb (ex. liquid nutrition and not 3 different methods of obtaining calories, fluids and electrolytes) but is also practical for your race day course. Hydration systems should be easy to reach, bottles should be secure and you can actually fuel/hydrate yourself consistently (ex. every 10-15 min) throughout your entire bike ride.

-Get a professional RETUL bike fit from an experienced fitter that understands your fitness, flexibility, race goals/distances and riding style.

-Incorporate longer bricks into your training plan instead of just focusing on long solo bikes and runs. We do not believe in runs longer than 2.5 hours OR bricks/long bikes longer than 6.5 hours.

-Understand your race course so that you can pace and fuel effectively and be mentally prepared for your race day.

-Your bike leg prepares you for the run. Overbiking and underfueling does not make for a strong run off the bike.

-Improve your cadence and use your gears when you ride. Learn the best way to ride hills for your weight/height and improve your skills on turns, descends, rollers, windy sections and climbs.

-Be smart with your race day gear. Wheels, helmet, tires….it’s not about the “fastest” gear in the wind tunnel but instead, what helps you ride your best on your race day course. 

                                 

After a 6 minute and 12 second transition (over ½ mile transition!) I was down the helix and ready to wake up my land legs. I immediately took a MAP (BCAA amino pill) and a sip of my custom INFINIT sport drink. I sipped my sport drink at least every 10 minutes (2-3 gulps at a time, typically while sitting up). 

The first 10 miles of the IMWI require you to stay alert. There’s a short no-passing section on a paved trail (can we talk about how much this frustrated Karel- haha) and then there is a section throughout a parking lot. During these first few miles, your bike is quickly introduced to the theme of this course: Hills, bumps and turns.

There’s a good 17 miles or so to get out to the 40 mile loop that we repeat twice. We encounter hill after hill, bump and bump and turn after turn. Yep, that pretty much sums up the ride. But despite this extremely taxing course that provides very little opportunity to recover after each hill, the sights are beautiful. Farm land everywhere and the scenery extends for miles and miles.

I wasted no time to settle into my rhythm on the bike. As I mentioned before, Karel and I both took a lot of risks in this race. Rather than using our power meters to pace ourselves, we simply used it as a tool to give us feedback. We were out racing our competition and because of that, we both knew we could not hold back BUT we still had to ride smart.

It was very important to me to stay up on my calories from my liquid nutrition as there really is no easy way to conserve energy on the IMWI course. As you may guess, Karel and I were not looking for a conservative ride and we know how much energy it takes to ride hilly courses (as we train on hilly courses all the time). It was extremely important that I get in a bit more nutrition throughout the 112 mile bike ride (however not too much that I could not empty it from my gut and absorb it) so for the first time, I used special needs. I carried 3 bottles with me of my custom INFINIT drink that I created and have used in all my past training, each bottle containing around 300 calories. I had the same in my special needs bag. There was a lot of bottle dropping on the course so I made sure that my bottles were secure in my cages by doing my last bit of IMWI training prep on bumpy, hilly roads here in Greenville. I also had some Clif blocks (1 package already open for easy consumption) and a sport bar (already opened) for additional energy.

Miles 1-17:

I felt really good during these miles. There are a few rollers but nothing too difficult or technical. My main focus was keeping a nice high cadence which has been years in the making (I have gone from 78 average cadence in an IM just a few years ago to 91 at IMWI!! This is HUGE! All those cadence-specific intervals in the early season have paid off!) so that my legs would not be too toasted throughout the bike and on the run. Since Karel and I rode most of this section (and 1 loop) of the bike course on Thursday, I was aware that I needed to keep up with my nutrition as it could be very easy to not keep up with it due to all the bumps. Also, early frequent, consumption of liquid nutrition has been shown to postpone fatigue so never neglect your nutrition in the first 1 hour of your IM race. 

I wasn’t sure how many women were ahead of me and since I anticipated a handful of fast swimmers in my age group, I thought that I was around 5-6^th in my age group. I passed a few girls within these first few miles and eventually, I was just riding with the boys. 

Loop 1:

Karel and I had several discussions as to how we would each pace this course. We both decided that we would not have a pacing strategy so much (ex. hold back or to focus on specific watts). It is important to understand that Karel and I both race Ironmans differently because of our strengths. 

As a life-long swimmer, I am near the front of my age group when I race so this puts me at a prime spot to see where I am at in my age group. As for Karel, I think his theme is “on your left” when he races for he has a lot of catching up to do after the swim. 

Because of this, I am not forced to play catch up, like Karel. So for both of us racing for a Kona slot at IMWI, Karel is the one who is really digging extra deep, especially in the first hour of the IM.

 (this is not something that I would recommend to other athletes as Karel is an experienced Cat 1 cyclist who has taught his body how to suffer for almost all of his life. He has learned how to think differently as a triathlete but because of bike racing, he has an extremely high pain and anaerobic threshold and often still races like a cyclist). 

So, I primarily went by feel in this race with a close eye on whoever was around me but also to not dig a hole I could not get out of. I do not wear a HR monitor when I race so when I did look at my Garmin Edge, I focused only on cadence and normalized power. I would also look at speed but really this was just to keep me honest with my efforts, along with power. I have all my mini screens set to lap so every 10 miles (markers on the roadside) I hit lap (see very bottom of page) so that I was only focusing on one-10 mile (or around 29-31 minute) segment at a time. This was the best way to pace myself and it is just like how we train….lots and lots of intervals to focus on only one segment at a time. 

I did a really good job with my nutrition on this course and I found myself to be really comfortable on the climbs. I was also handling my bike really well with every turn and descend on the course (I’ve heard there are 91 total turns on the IMWI course). 

There is no one “big” climb on this course but instead, several. Each climb comes with its own description but what makes this challenging course so incredible is the crowds. They are everywhere! There are 3 climbs that are packed with spectators. Tour de France-like feeling. The cheers can be heard before you even get to the climb and even if you are having a low moment, the crowds know how to give you energy that you do not have.

It was close to around 2.5 hours in the race (so around 75 minutes or so of riding, if I remember correctly) when I hear Karel’s voice next to me (and his disc wheel). We talked about our usual topic when we see each other “how was your swim?” and we both told each other our times and wished each other a great race. Hearing Karel tell me that I looked great on the bike gave me a huge boost of confidence. 

I can’t recall the miles but on the first “big” climb (of three), I heard someone in the crowd yell “Go Girls!” Girls, I thought? For so long I had been cheered on by the fans as “you Go Girl!” so suddenly I was being passed. 

It was Stacey and I knew she would be strong on the course due to her past race results. Because I knew of her, I didn’t try to pace off her. Although I reach my higher limits as an athlete because of girls who are faster than me, I was honest with myself as to what I could handle on this course and riding with Stacey was not practical. Rather than getting upset, I stayed focused as I was having a really strong ride. There was no need for me to overlook my success on race day by comparing myself with others. I had a feeling that Stacey would win our age group (unless something happened which I would never wish I any athlete – I need those faster girls to help me be a better athlete!) and I figured 2-3 Kona slots so I was still in the running depending on where I was in our age group off the bike.

Special Needs: 
How long was my spot? 10 second stop according to my Garmin. 

Since we rode by special needs when we started our first loop, I made sure to check where my bag was placed on the ground according to the many rows of bib number ranges. I actually ended up spotting my bag on the beginning of the first loop thanks to my purple ribbons so when I yelled out my bib number and pulled over to the side right next to my bag, the volunteer had my bag ready, I asked her to put the bottles in my rear cages as I quickly stretched out and took one last sip of my last bottle before I tossed it (I had tossed the other two on the course at the feed zones where I also grabbed water to sip and cool my body and then toss) and then put the 3^rd bottle in my frame cage and off I went. 

What a great decision to use special needs!

Miles 56-112

One thing that I have learned in Ironman racing and has been repeated to me many times by Gloria (my mental coach) is that there are highs and lows in Ironman racing. You just have to keep yourself going. I certainly am no stranger to lows in racing and I wish I could say there has been an Ironman when I felt good for the entire 112 miles of the bike...or even the entire 140.6 miles. 

Nope, it hasn’t happened. 

From miles 50-80, I was just feeling a low. Performance wise, I was ok but it was just one of those times when I had to keep on trucking along. Since most of my pacing was with guys, as I had only been passed once on the bike by a female, I gave myself a little pep talk that I was riding really strong. Probably stronger than I have ever ridden before!

Strong is very relative as I was not anticipating a "fast" time close to 5:30 on the bike like I did in Kona or 5:29 in IM Austria. A strong, fast 112 mile IMWI ride by a female would be between 5:40-5:45 and that was a goal of mine, that I felt was also achievable with my current fitness and the current weather conditions.

We were blessed with great weather with most of the bike being around 77 degrees but my Garmin told me it did get up to 86 degrees in the sun for about an hour (around 4 hours on the bike so this would be around noonish). 

The clouds went away at times and I found myself a bit warm at times but I made good use of water at the aid stations to keep my body as cool as possible. By the time I got to the last 3 climbs (and saw my homestay Ed and his wife Judy along the course – cheering super loud for me which was awesome and also my new Trimarni friend Kayla) I got some mojo back and it was time to get my mind focused for the marathon.  I continued to take 1 MAP every 30 min or so throughout the bike. 

Riding back into town, on the path again (no pass zone) and up the helix, I was impressed with myself. It’s moments like that when I remove myself from competition for a Kona spot and I thank my body. I thank my body for not only being healthy that I can race in an Ironman but for not failing me and for being so strong when I ask it to be strong. It may not be my fastest 112 mile bike ride in a race but on the hardest Ironman course I have raced, I feel this was my strongest performance and I gave it my absolute best effort, stayed up on my nutrition and paced myself to the best of my ability.
It was certainly NOT an easy ride!

As for Karel…he was on a mission..... Don’t let anyone pass me, move on up.

And wow, did he ever move on up! 

Karel felt good on the bike, stayed up on his nutrition (he had 3 bottles of his custom INFINIT mix that I created + perform on the course, his own nutrition that he brought) and made sure he gave his absolute best effort. That was our only goal. 

No excuses, race the competition and not the finishing time. 

When I gave my bike to the volunteer after I dismounted my bike, I removed my cycling shoes from my feet and carried them inside the Terrace. I grabbed my T2 (bike to run) red gear bag quickly and was greeted by a dozen awesome female volunteers. 

I couldn't stop smiling but quickly did I realize that I am the only female in this changing tent!! 

They gave me the most awesome welcome!

The volunteer lady told me that I was probably the 10^th or 11th female but I immediately thought age groupers. I wanted/needed to know AGE GROUP 30-34..where is my competition? Ahead of me, behind me…where am I?

I quickly put on my Brooks Pure Flow Run shoes and grabbed my race belt, my dad’s favorite Corvette hat  and two Infinit Napalm run flasks  and I was out of there with volunteers all around me, cheering me on. But first, I need a potty stop! 

I went pee twice on the bike but because I was working really hard, I was not able to fully empty my bladder in the last 40 miles. Oh how I needed to pee! While in the port-o-potty, I put on my race belt and hat (multi-tasking, Ironman style) and oh did it feel good to just sit. Oh wait, I have a marathon to run! As I was enjoying my brief “rest” in the potty, it just dawned on me…I was only passed by 1 female and she was the female that I thought would win overall amateur for the race and if I am 10th female per the volunteer and there are pro women ahead of me...... Could it be that I am not only 2^nd age group but also 2^nd amateur female? Holy cow! I got to get out of her. Potty stop is over!

It’s time to run for a Kona spot and find Karel out on the course.

112 mile bike stats:
 

Marni

112 mile bike – 5:42:58, 19.59mph

2^nd age group after the swim, 2^nd age group after the bike

21^st female after the swim, 10^th female after the bike

2^nd female amateur after the bike

Karel 

5:11:30, 21.57 mph average

89^th age group after the swim, 5^th age group after the bike

521^st overall after the swim, 43^rd overall after the bike!!

41^st male after the bike

Marni bike splits per Garmin Edge 510 (every 10 mile marker)

Elevation (somewhere around 5,000-5,300)

Normalized power: 160

91 cadence average

Variable Index (VI): 1.07

10 miles: 19.93mph, 96 cadence, 172 NP (normalized power)

20.43mph, 94 cadence, 165 NP

19.13mph, 93 cadence, 175NP

20.89mph, 94 cadence, 166NP

19.68mph, 91 cadence, 177NP

20.13mph, 91 cadence, 145NP

18.64mph, 90 cadence, 165NP

19.77mph, 88 cadence, 155NP

18.66mph, 88 cadence, 151NP

19.21mph, 88 cadence, 148NP

19.02mph, 88 cadence, 128NP

First 56 miles: ~2:47, NP 168, 20.07mph, 93 cadence

Last 56 miles: ~2:53, NP 150, 19.04mph, 88 cadence

A big thank you to Gloria and all of the Team Sumbal followers on race day!!
I can’t believe that I was 2^nd overall amateur for all of the bike and I didn’t even know it! 

Thanks Adam B for the pics!

IMWI Race Report: Pre-race + 2.4 mile swim

Every athlete dreams of the perfect race. 

The race when there are no mechanical issues, the tummy stays happy all day, the legs feel fresh and the mind stays focused. The race when the weather is perfect and the pacing plan works perfectly.
And the race when you don't even get kicked once on the swim (Ok - now you are just thinking crazy thoughts :) 

Is there really such a thing as a perfect race?
Well, let's back up.... is there even such a thing as a perfect training session?

 How many times have you found yourself in the middle of a workout and feeling as if you are getting nothing out of it and just counting down the minutes until it is over? How about the workout when you feeling super tired or you are feeling stuffy in the head (or perhaps on the verge of a cold) and you can't help but lace up your shoes and get your workout done because it is on your training plan? 

How about the workout that you felt super run-down but still managed to feel strong at the end of the workout? 

Perfect is not a word that endurance athletes should be using in training OR racing because it is not only hard to achieve, but it rarely occurs. 

What's so funny about an athletes' hope for the "perfect" race is that an athlete who wants a perfect day can have the tendency to magnify EVERYTHING before a race. A little sniffle, sore throat, ache in a leg...all of those would likely be pushed to the side in an effort to "workout" in training but come race week, any little thing that makes you feel "off" is a worry for a "bad" race day performance. 

Athletes must remember that we train to improve fitness but to also better prepare for race day. Experience comes a long way when it comes to racing and within every training session, we have the opportunity to learn something that can be applied to race day...that is if you are training smart. 

Believe it or not, but race day is likely not going to be perfect but you can set yourself up for a great race day performance by using every training session to help you be better prepared for race day. 

I believe that the ultimate goal of endurance athletes is to not stress over having the perfect race but to channel positive energy to have a day when the body can perform in a way that reflects current level of fitness. You have absolutely no idea what will happen on race day so instead of hoping for the best day ever or comparing yourself to other athletes, you must know how to overcome obstacles that you encounter before and during the race. Just like in training, race week will not be easy but there IS a reason why you put in all the work....to experience race day and all that comes with it until you cross the finish line. 

Even though I know it is difficult to keep the mind in a positive place, just trust yourself that you and your body know what to do on race day. You got through all the training so stay confident that despite a few things popping up that may not be ideal, you can still accomplish more than you ever dreamed.

Karel and I both felt good about our fitness going into IMWI and we were both super excited to race and leave everything out on the course, especially since this was our last race of the season. To be blunt, our entire season was dedicated to THIS race. 

As for the perfect race, well, things started to pop up well before race day that made us question if this would be the "perfect" race for us. I will go into this in another blog so that right now we can focus on the race itself. 

Our diet before the race remained the same as in training. Real foods with the occasional Clif or KIND bar to snack on. We reduce fiber and fat on the 2-3 days leading up to the race so that means rather than having a plate full of veggies with rice on top we would instead have soup with rice or bread or rice with a side salad. Breakfast is our largest meal of the day and we consume this after morning training. This meal is usually carb dense and foods that sit well in the gut. The rest of the day is a lot of snacking and mini meals. We enjoy fruit and granola as well as our staple meals that work well for us on the two nights and night before the race. On Saturday (the day before the race) we ate our last meal around 4:30pm after checking in our bikes/bags and then just had a small snack around 7pm or so before laying down for bed around 8:30pm. 

To keep our minds calm, we watched a few funny cat/dog videos on the iPad and Karel also watched the US Pro cycling crit race to pump him up (I watched the end of it with him). 

We both slept really well (lights off at 9pm) in the basement of our homestay. Although I woke up once, I went back to bed to wake up fairly rested to our alarm set for 3:45am. 

Karel was rather calm in the morning whereas I was a bit more nervous.  With so many Ironman's behind me, I still get a bit nervous before racing. So many unknowns but I always think "what would Gloria say?"

"It's going to be awesome girl! I'll be tracking all day sending lots of good vibes. You Got This! Mind and body are in sync and ready to go!" - Gloria, my mental coach and BFF

By 3:55am I was filling my powder-filled bike bottles and run flasks for my T1 and T2 bags and special needs. I put powder in the bottles on Sat to save time on race morning. Karel filled his bottles the night before and kept in the fridge. 

By 4pm we were sipping on our coffee (with a little milk) and ready to eat. Since we do not eat a large meal the night before the race, we typically have some type of urge to eat in the morning but nerves kinda make it a little tough to enjoy that 4am pre race meal. I was on the computer checking the weather and Facebook and Karel was browsing his phone. 

I had a glass of plain water and then a water bottle filled with 3 scoops Osmo hydration to sip on while at the race venue (I had the same to sip on the day before the race). 

Karel had a glass of water with 2 scoops Osmo pre-load and then a bottle for the race venue of his custom INFINIT drink (with 2.5g protein) with 2 scoops in it. Neither one of us take anti-inflammatories on race week (and hardly ever in training, maybe less than 10 a year) for it can have a negative affect on recovery as well as the gut and kidneys. We both take MAP before long training sessions and races as well as during the race (even though each of our own INFINIT formula has 1.5g of BCAA's in it). Karel also takes Race Caps Supreme and has a Enervit pre sport gel before the race. I do not consume any additional caffeine except coffee for it upsets my tummy. 

Pre race was our typical pre-training foods, just in higher quantities. All low residue and carb dense with a little fat/protein. Karel had a waffle sandwich with PB and Jam and INFINIT MUD. I had 2 WASA crackers w/ PB, banana, granola/raisins and maple syrup. 

Around 5:10am we were dressed in our race outfits and warm clothes on (which we would also have for post race in our morning clothes bag). The weather cooled off since Friday and race day was looking perfect!! Winds 5mph and lows in the low 50's and high's of 76 degrees. 

Our amazing homestay Ed (who raced IMWI last year) drove us to the race start and kindly dropped off my special needs bags at Starbucks for me. What a treat!! 

Surrounded by so many athletes, volunteers and spectators, my nerves started to subside. I was feeling waves of excitement and anxiousness so I knew that this meant I was getting in race mode. I feel much more experienced than when I started racing Ironmans so I just kept reminding myself that I could handle anything that came my way on race day. 

Karel and I typically stay close together before the race until we part before the swim start. Body marking was outside the transition and was really quick. The volunteer asked me if this was my first IM and I said it was my 9th. He said "WOW" and all I could think was "thank you body...and wow, this is a bit crazy!"

We both got body marked (race numbers on our shoulders and age on our left calf) by the awesome volunteers, and then we headed to our bikes. 

Karel had a pump with him for our tubular tires and he pumped up my tires first and then went to his bike. 

I put on my Garmin Edge 500 bike computer on my bike and turned it on to test to make sure the power meter picked up (since we put a new battery in it yesterday). I tested my brakes, spun my wheels and placed my three bottles in my bike bottle cages (2 rear and 1 on the down tube). My cage on the seat part of the frame held my spare tubular. My extra CO2's and adapter are on my Gorilla cages in the rear of my bike.

I was approached by a few Trimarni followers which made me so happy and all of a sudden, all nerves went away. Surrounding myself with so many athletes (and soon-to-be Ironman) made me remember why I love what I get to do with my body. Even though this is an individual sport, we all are in this together (and we all like to suffer together). 

After I finished with my bike, I walked to Karel's bike which was at the end of his rack, closer to the mount line. The transition area is HUGE so we made sure that by 5:45am we were walking to the inside of the Monona Terrace to put our bottles in our transition bags (inside the building, just like the changing rooms/tents)

After a bathroom stop, we headed to our bags and they were both easy to find thanks  to purple ribbons on them. I debated about wearing arm warmers so I took them out of my T1 bag in case I wanted to wear them under my wetsuit and for the bike. But it ended up being comfy weather while putting on the wetsuit so I decided no arm warmers (which were actually arm coolers and very light). After dropping off my flasks in my T2 bag, Karel and I headed to the helix to walk down so that we could both see what we would be running up after the swim. 

Before we went to the water, we put on our wetsuits at the top of the helix and gave the pump to Ed. We said our goodbyes to Ed (see ya at the finish!) and bathed ourselves in body glide. Karel kept his old socks on to toss by the water and I walked barefoot. We each had a throw away bottle of sport drink to sip on and toss before we got into the water. 

We carried our Morning Clothes bag (green bag) to the water edge to drop off (I keep my cell phone in it, turned off for post race as well as a change of warm clothes, towel, wet wipes, sandals). Karel and I approached the banner to the swim exit/start and we both listened to Mike Riley pump up the crowds. 

Karel gave me a hug and a kiss and just in case we didn't see each other again before the swim start, we both wished each other a safe race and to give the best effort possible. 

Karel went into the water first and I took my time getting in. Since this is an in-the-water start, there is a lot of treading water. But unlike Kona, the wetsuit swim helps for buoyancy. I swam a little to get my Xterra Wetsuit adjusted (Karel has a new Xterra Wetsuit too) and to get my body warmed up. I made my way to the right of the boat ramp which was to the right of the buoys (which we keep on our left). I would say I was in the middle of the large pack and only two rows back. After the pro's went off, the anticipation was getting greater and greater and after the anthem, the excitement was building. 

Photos by Dan Lee

I could see Karel just a few row's behind me and I just hoped that we would both have a good, safe day. Nothing can prepare the body and mind for the start of the Ironman and even after 8 Ironman starts, I still get a bit nervous of the craziness of the start of the Ironman. 

With 10 minutes to go, I had a little mental talk with my dad. With 5 minutes to go, I turned around and smiled at Karel. With 2 minutes to go, I cleaned my goggles, made sure my Garmin 910XT was set to multisport w/ satellite picked up and hoped that every athlete would have the best day possible. 

With 1 minute to go, I could feel the energy flow through my body. The energy from the other athletes was super contagious. With only a few pink caps around me, I was hoping that the boys would play nice for 2.4 miles. 

30 seconds left. It's almost time. The race that we have been waiting for. The race that Karel and I have to give the best effort possible to make our dream come true. 

The race when I get to travel 140.6 miles with my body and mind to show myself that anything is possible. 

Mike Riley gives us one last pep talk that our attitude is all we can control on race day.
See ya at the finish line he says...3,2,1...BOOM!!!

We are off!!

Unlike in 2010 when I raced IMWI, the swim course is 1 loop. We head straight away from the swim exit so that the Terrace is to our right. I made sure not to go out too hard but instead to find my rhythm. I let those who were faster than me swim ahead and I tried to find a group to stay with...until it was time to find another group. That's kinda how the IM mass start works in that it is just a bunch of small groups working themselves out so that by a mile or so, you are finally around the athletes who are about the same finishing time as you. 

The swim start was not as brutal as I had imagined and I found myself not being beat-up. I was able to get good strokes and spot well without choking on water from kicking feet and large bodies. The water was rather calm and there were plenty of buoys to help keep us on course. 

The first segment to the turn buoy was rather comfortable. I felt really good and all nerves were behind me now. I made sure not to jump ahead in my thoughts so instead of thinking about the bike or the run, I thought about the scenery. Anytime I saw something, a building or tree, I spent some time thinking about that object. Sometimes my mind would wander and I would smile that me and maybe another girl or two were swimming with the boys. 

I also thought about why athletes start kicking hard when you accidentally hit their feet? We are all in this together, can't we all just get along in the water? 

Sometimes my mind would go to a place of calm - so grateful that I can do this year after year! 

But I had to make sure I reminded myself that this race was THE RACE. 

There is absolutely no holding back, there are risks to take and there are no excuses to be made. 

After the first turn buoy, I turned to the left and headed out to the 2nd turn buoy. I didn't look at my watch but instead, made my way to the far end of the lake, still swimming parallel to the shore. I could feel a bit of a current and I kept noticing myself moving away from the buoys to my left. I put a little extra effort into my swim to get with a group so that they were on my right (buoys on my left) so I wouldn't find myself off course. Amazingly, I did not have to spot a lot thanks to the multiple buoys. The sun was in our eyes but even though I went with my non-tinted goggles, I had no trouble seeing ahead...probably because that last far buoy was well, way far!!

I looked at my watch and I was really excited when I saw the distance I had covered and the time. Could this really be the swim I have been wanting since I started racing the Ironman....would this be the race when I would break 1 hour???? I had come SO close in Austria with a time of 1 hour and 10 seconds (uggh) and maybe, just maybe this would be the race when I could do it!! 

Regardless of the swim time, I was not going to let the swim affect the rest of my race and as Karel says, once the swim is done, you forget about it and check it off your to do list. You can't make up for a bad swim and a good swim is just the start of your day. 

As I finally  approached that 3rd turn buoy that seemed like it would never come, I took a look at the shore which was at an odd angle from where we were and then a little bit later, at my watch. Oh bummer. The time was getting closer to an hour and I knew there was no way I would break an hour. Oh well. I didn't see too many pink caps so I felt good with my position in this first leg of the Ironman. 

My body felt good and I did not feel too tired. I was a little ready to get out of the water because I was super excited to put all my Greenville bike training to the test. 

As I looked at my watch, I still had about 100 yards or so to go and noticed that my Garmin was over 2.4 miles at this time. Well, it is what it is. 2.62 miles when I exited the water in 1 hour and 2 minutes. 

Karel had the same on his watch (2.59 miles) and he finished in 1:10. Karel said he felt really good in the water and never felt like he was getting beat-up in the water which is really good for him...considering he just learned how to swim 2 years and 2 months ago (he couldn't even swim a lap without getting out of breath!)

Now the fun part. This is NOT your normal transition. Just over .5 miles from the swim exit to the bike mount line and a helix that has to be run-up in order to reach the transition area (inside the building). 

The strippers were awesome and I had 3 volunteers to take off my 1 wetsuit. Awesome!

I kept my cap and goggles on (whereas Karel had his in the sleeve of his wetsuit) as I ran with my wetsuit to the Helix. 

Oh the crowds!!! 

Source

Around and around and around I ran. I could not stop smiling!

Once I reached the inside of the building, I ran into the T1 bag room and immediately spotted my bag and purple ribbons. I grabbed my bag and as I was running, I reach inside and put on my Giro Attack helmet. 

The room had just a few women in it and I had a wonderful volunteer helping me out. The volunteers are amazing and they will do whatever you tell them to do - Absolutely awesome!

The volunteer asked if she could empty out my bag and I said yes. 

I then told her to put the Clif bar chomps and Enervit bar and coin purse of 3 Tums and MAP pills in my pockets. I always carry extra nutrition with me just in case I lose a bottle or need additional calories (which on this taxing course, I wanted to have some back-up for sure).I told her it didn't matter which pocket she put them in. As she was doing that I put on my right sock. I asked her to take off my chip and after I put on my left compression sock she put the chip back on me. I grabbed my sunglasses and my cycling shoes and told her thank you and she told me she would put my swim stuff in my bag. 

I put on my Oakley commit sunglasses as I was running and carried my shoes to my bike. The transition area was a long way to run so that is why I didn't have my shoes on (in IM Austria we were required to put shoes on IN transition area and we could not remove our wetsuits until we were IN transition area).
A volunteer grabbed my bike and as he was doing it I put on my shoes. I grabbed my bike, turned on my bike computer and then ran past Karel's bike and then to the mount line. 

(at least I still am faster than Karel on the swim....for now :) 

Because Karel knew his swim would be slower than the top guys in his AG, Karel wasted NO time in transition. I am pretty sure Karel treated transition as a race in and of itself. He sprinted up the helix, in and out of transition and sprinted to his bike. It's time to play catch-up for Karel!!

As I was mounting my bike about to clip in and go, someone yelled "bottle!" I didn't feel my bottle come off when I got on my bike so I stopped and picked up the bottle. It was an INFINIT bottle so I thought it could be mine but all my bottles were on my bike. 

The guy next to me dropped his bottle and it rolled to me so after a quick bottle hand off, I was off. 

(thanks Trimarni athlete Ryan R for the pic from the computer!)

Now it's time to go down the helix and start the hardest 112 miles of my racing career! 

2014 IMWI FINISHERS! A dream came true.

It was almost eight years ago when I crossed my first Ironman finish line. 

I still remember every detail of IMFL 2006. 

I had my bike-racing boyfriend (Karel) who I had been dating for 6 months, on the sidelines. He thought I was a bit crazy to want to do this 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run event but nonetheless, he was cheering me on for 140.6 miles. Somewhere in the last 3 miles of the marathon, Karel told me I was going to Kona. I yelled back "I love you!" It was the first time I told Karel that I loved him. Even though Karel thought that this sport was super crazy when we met, it's funny that now the Ironman is our sport of choice that has brought us closer and closer over the past two years since Karel stopped racing bikes as a Cat 1 rider and jumped into his first sprint triathlon in the summer of 2012. 

My first Ironman was also special because my parents were dishing out support and positivity for me all day as their 24-year old daughter was about to embark on her first all-day endurance event. I guess some may think it was their parent-duty to be out on the course. But really, it was just normal for my mom and dad to be there for me (regardless if I was at a swim meet, swimming for 1-2.5 minutes or racing an IM for 11 hours) because giving unconditional support is just one of their great traits as great parents. 

When I crossed the finish line, I knew that I had won my age group (18-24) and had received the one and only coveted Kona slot for my female age group. 

With 9 Ironman finish lines crossed since 2006, the places and finishing times have all varied but the feeling of accomplishment feels better and better, year after year. 

I remember seeing my dad when I crossed the finish line at my first Ironman. He had tears in his eyes and he just couldn't believe what his daughter had just accomplished. For me, it was simply a goal that I had worked really hard to achieve but for my dad, it was something more than me just crossing a finish line. My dad knew I had this goal and had put in the work but when it comes to endurance racing, so much can occur in long distance races and he was just so over-the-moon happy for me to have the day that I had worked so hard to have. My dad was the best at bragging about his kids and I am so happy that my brother and I have always been so focused in life with our goals to give my dad so many reasons to be proud of us. But really, he inspired us to dream big and to work hard for success. 

The Ironman triathlon is extremely challenging not only because of distance that the body has to travel but because of the obstacles that arise before and on race day. It requires a lot of time, money and effort to just train for the Ironman but once the hard work is over to get to the start line in good shape with a healthy body, there is an entirely new journey that lies ahead,. A140.6 mile journey that is filled with highs and lows as the body continues to move forward from 7am until the course closes at midnight. 

But what is so special about the Ironman triathlon is that it is a demanding, challenging sport that can change your life. It is a sport that allows big dreams to come true. 

I find that I dream the biggest when I am awake. I do not lay in bed and think about what I want to happen in my life but instead, create big goals when I am awake and in the moment of life. I am so grateful that my body allows me to do the things in life that make me incredibly happy. 

When I dream big, I smile. My dreams do not scare me but instead, they push me to work hard. Hard work brings me joy because it's not just about what comes at the end of the journey but also about what kind of person I become in the process. 

Goals require hard work, time, patience and the ability to overcome obstacles. As you probably know, there are more components in this difficult equation to make your goals become a dream come true. But those dreams never come true if you give up when the going gets tough.

Over the past two years, Karel and I had a dream that not only drove us to train smarter to train harder but also a dream that we couldn't get out of our mind. 

The dream of Karel and I, husband and wife, racing in Kona together at the biggest stage of triathlon endurance racing was more than just an idea. It was something that we wanted to experience together and something so special that we just couldn't let go of this dream. 

Karel and I are firm on our philosophy of training smart so we knew that we would not sacrifice our life just to make this dream come true. Instead, we would spend the entire year planning our racing schedule and every phase of training so we could properly prepare for each race and peak appropriately.....without compromising our health and other things in life that make us happy. We refused to train more but instead, we continued to learn how to train smarter so that we could train hard and then recover even harder. We trained our bodies and mind for 3 key races, all leading up to IMWI as our ultimate race of the season. The last race of the season was the race when we both were willing to give everything for the possibility for the dream to come true. 

No pressure, right?!?!!

The interesting thing about this year is that we never felt burnt-out from training or felt as if we sacrificed a lot in our life for our dream to possibly come true. Although we were 100% devoted to our dream, we only devoted every ounce of energy possible when we expected our body to make physical progress to help us move closer to our goal. In other words, if our day was controlled with a light switch, we turned on our switch before, during and after a workout and then turned off the training switch so that we could turn on the life switch. We were extremely careful not to blow a fuse by blending the two. Certainly there is some overlap (especially since our job is to coach and help fuel endurance athletes) but our continued excitement for triathlons thrived over the years because we felt equal, if not more, happiness from life......when we were not training. 

Simply put, even with the biggest, most grand, perhaps impossible to achieve goal, we never made triathlons are life but instead, just part of our awesome lifestyle. 

Karel and I are more than husband and wife but we are best friends. Although we have our differences, we have a lot of similarities. 

One thing that we both have in common is that when we have a dream, it does not fade away. It is not a dream that is built on ego to be the best, most popular or even the most successful. But instead, it's  a dream that gives us satisfaction. We work really hard, without shortcuts and we do not expect to ever reach for an EASY button (as an endurance athlete, I have learned that my easy button has batteries that always die when I need it the most).

It's the worst feeling to have a dream and to feel as if you wasted time, money and energy to follow a dream that was not possible. But if you have the courage to pursue your dream, consider it possible and do not give up. EVER. .

Your time to pursue a goal is never wasted. But it is extremely important to choose how to spend your time so that the energy (money and time) you dedicate to your goal, is used properly. Success doesn't come from simply putting in the work but instead, making the work count, being mindful of progress (or if lack of it, a need to change the approach to training) and finding fulfillment in the journey....a journey that makes you a better human being. 

We all must believe that were put on this earth to achieve something great with our bodies and mind. 

I believe that we all dream big because we are inspired by the success of others. 

Whether it is in sport, career or with a family, we all have the ability to achieve greatness and to help, inspire and motivate others through making dreams become a reality.

Since a simple formula (if we could create one) for success is hard work, preparation and learning from past mistakes, it's not so much about the dream but instead, keeping the dream alive long enough that it can be achieved. 

We both had one big goal going into this race so we had to leave everything out on this challenging IMWI course. We took some risks and we suffered mentally and physically. There were some highs but ouch, over 140.6 miles, there were a lot of lows. 

No Ironman race is easy. We are quickly learning this as we continue to aspire to be the best endurance athletes that we can be. When it hurts so bad deep inside and you forget about your goals and just question if the finish line is even a reality, this is when you know you are really entering a place that only endurance athlete crave and outsiders do not understand (but yet, they get inspired by the suffering). It's not a pretty place to be in but it is a place that when you overcome that deep, dark place, you feel incredibly accomplished. So accomplished that even if you do not achieve the initial goal that you set out to achieve, you somehow feel exceptionally accomplished. 

When we race against tough competition, it only brings out the best in us. Fast athletes make us push harder. Without them, we would never reach our full potential.  

At 2014 IMWI, we dug so deep that there were many moments in the race that we both almost forgot about our dream. The Kona dream fueled the fire but the flame burned just long enough to help us make it to the finish line.

Thank you everyone SO much for your support, positive vibes and kind words.

A dream in the making just came true. 

We did it and it was NOT easy. 

Karel: 9:44, 3rd AG (35-39), 9th overall male amateur.
Marni: 10:44, 3rd AG (30-34), 6th overall female amateur. 

2015 KONA BOUND!

 What an incredible day for both of us, thanks to so many supportive Trimarni followers and screaming IMWI fans and volunteers. 

I will be racing my 4th Kona and 10th IM with Karel in Kona Hawaii next October, for the 2015 Ironman World Championship!

My dad would have been so proud. 

Thank you dad for inspiring me to love life, dream big and to never ever give up.