'25 Ironman Chattanooga Race Recap - Finding Strength on an “Off” Day

Pre-Race 

We started our drive to Chattanooga around 1pm on Thursday. Sunny has been keeping me busy with his new "job" as a therapy dog and we spent an hour in the morning at the Children's Museum. 

The drive was uneventful with on and off rain. The quickest route was through the mountains and the drive was very beautiful. It was a new route to us and we loved it. We arrived around 6pm to our Airbnb (1/2 mile from the race start) and unloaded the car. I ordered Chipotle online and picked it up around 7pm. My body was feeling great all week but I was very tired. It was as if I couldn't get enough sleep to feel rested during the day. I was supposed to get my period on Monday but I was feeling stressed and anxious all week which contributed to a late period (it arrived Friday afternoon). 

On Friday morning we went to the Dam for a swim. It felt good to be in the water (which was warm). I wore my swim skin and swam for around 30 minutes. I included some faster efforts throughout. It was nice to see some of our athletes (Lindsey, Greg and Jiri) at the dam. Karel was in Nice and Czech for a week and a half and his mom came back to stay with us until December (she can stay up to 90 days in the US). It's nice to have her here. I'm so grateful for all of Sunny's obedience training because last year in Chatty Sunny was so anxious and fearful and it would have been impossible for his mom to walk him. Now, Sunny is a well behaved pup and he is so good on the leash with Karel's mom (who is 80 years old). 

As for the rest of the day, I checked in for the race, walked around the Expo with Sunny and got some work done. Karel went for a 2-hour mountain bike and picked up groceries in the afternoon. 

For dinner I had my typical pre-race pizza (from Community Pie) - which was delicious. 

On the two nights out from a race, I try to get as much sleep as I can knowing that I won't sleep well the night before the race. I slept around 11 hours and it felt amazing. Karel put my disc wheel on my bike and I rode out to St. Elmo to meet up with our athlete/friend Yannick. While I was out biking, Karel went for an hour run. I rode for around 75 minutes and threw in a few efforts while staying on Yannick's wheel. We rode on some of the old course, which is just beautiful. 

After the ride, I went for a short run (11 minutes) and felt really good while running. I then prepared my bottles and my transition bags. I packed up my nutrition in baggies before I left for Chatty so it was easy and quick to prepare everything. I also brought extra nutrition in case I spilled anything. I also used the extra sport nutrition (~150g of carbs each day) to help carb load on Fri and Saturday (drinking some of my carbs instead of trying to eat everything from solid food). 

Run Nutrition: 

45g Never Second C30 Berry in 10 ounce flask (consuming every 45 minutes) + ~275mg added sodium (~1/8tsp salt) 

Never Second Gels as needed

Sips of Ketone Aid as needed

Bike Nutrition: 

1 x 26 ounce bottle per hour with 90g INFINIT Fructose (Fruit Punch and Grape flavors) - each with 1/8tsp added salt. 

I dropped off my bags and bike around 2:30pm and watched "You're Cordially Invited" on Prime. I like watching a movie on my iPad on the afternoon before a race (while enjoying a brown sugar Pop Tart) and this movie had me laughing out loud. I was feeling blah since it was the first day of my period so carb loading was a bit uncomfortable. I had my normal bagel, waffles, PB and eggs in the morning/lunch, Pink Lemonade (instead of OJ - easier on my tummy) and for an early dinner  rice w/ Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup. I snacked on pretzels throughout the day, a banana and a yogurt. I also sipped on INFINIT (~90g carbs) and had Never Second (~60g) in my bottle during my warmup ride. 

As I mentioned, two days before the race, my period started, and honestly, I just felt off. I wasn't excited to race. I was very nervous. I wasn't feeling terrible—just not feeling 100% in my body and mind. And that’s the thing about Ironman: you can prepare perfectly and still wake up to challenges you didn’t plan for. My training over the past few months has been incredible and I'm so proud of what my body has been able to do (consistently) for the past few years. And that’s why I love this sport—it teaches us to adapt, to problem-solve, and to show up with what we have. 

Race Morning 

I've raced with my period many times but over the past 8 years, I find that my blood pressure is very affected around my menstrual cycle. For those who don't know, I have fainted 3 times on race day morning (in 2017, 2021 and 2025) - all of which happened around my menstrual cycle (either right before, during or soon after). In December, I fainted during a mammogram and two years ago, I fainted after being bit by fire ants after a gravel event. Both incidents were around my menstrual cycle. Since this is happening more frequently, I am starting to look into things more seriously (if anyone has any advice/suggestions/resources please let me know). As you can imagine, this has me feeling extremely stressed on race day morning. I try to take my time getting up and I'm extra careful when I go to the bathroom (going from laying, standing to then sitting). Thankfully all was ok on race day morning in Chatty. With the race starting at 7:30am, I didn't have to set a crazy alarm time so waking up at 4:45am wasn't too bad. I had no problem eating my pre race meal of a bagel w/ PB, banana and a few sips of a yogurt drink. I also had a few sips of coffee and did some foam rolling/stretching. Around 5:30am I gathered my bottles from the fridge and Karel and I walked down to the race start with Sunny. Having Sunny with me helped me a lot as I could focus on him and he helps me feel happy and less nervous. I did a bit of jogging and walking as we were going to the transition area. The nerves started to subside when I got into the transition area. I pumped up my front tire (the disc was fine) with my electric pump and put my bottles and computer on my bike. I then went to my run bag and put my two flasks inside the bag. After I was done, I saw Karel and Sunny, gave them my love and boarded the bus around 6:20am. I had plenty of time once I arrived to the race start (I should have waited to board the bus) as an hour was a long time to wait around. I did more jogging and put on my swim skin around 7:15am and continued to sip on my bottle of Never Second (30g carbs). I now keep salt with me in a small baggy in case I feel dizzy and it seems to help (I take a tiny lick of it) so I had a lick of salt before I dropped off my morning clothes bag. 

2.4 mile Swim (current assisted) - 45:38

When I learned it would be a non-wetsuit swim on race day morning, I was so happy. As a former competitive swimmer, this was a great way for me to start the race. I’d put in a lot of specific swim training for this race, even though it's a current assisted swim, and I was excited to put it to good use. The river was a comfortable temperature at 76 degrees. I lined up near the front and entered the water less than 3 minutes after the age group start at 7:44am.  Once I entered the water, the nerves went away. I was happy to be in the water. I wore my clear Rona goggles since it was a little cloudy and the sun was behind us. The only downside of this swim (for myself) is I have a hard time feeling the water with my catch. I actually felt like the swim was slow and I wasn't moving anywhere. I don't wear a watch when I swim on race day and I never knew my swim time (until after the race). I guess it was a fast swim! 

Swim Takeaway: Preparation pays off. The work you’ve done always shows up when it counts.

112 mile Bike - 5:10

As of last year, IM Chatty has a new course on the highway. It's a scenic and rolling hills, 3 loop course. Last year when I raced, the course was only 107 miles. The new-new course (this year) was 112 miles and had some added some challenges—an extra long hill before starting the 2nd and 3rd loops. On top of that, the headwind was reversed compared to last year and much stronger on the way out. But despite that, I felt strong and steady throughout the entire ride. I was happy that I was able to push good power but I was also mindful not to go too hard. I felt like I paced the ride well, feeling stronger as the ride went on. As a bonus, I didn't have any low points or struggle moments. The ride went by rather quickly and I liked that I could break down the course into short sections within each out and back section. 

I nailed my nutrition plan by consuming 5.5 bottles of INFINIT (each with 90g carbs). The stop at special needs to replace my 3 bottles was quick and smooth thanks to the amazing volunteers. My highlight of the course was seeing Karel out there (he rode his mountain bike to the first hill) and seeing all of the spectators around special needs. Karel's updates and encouragement gave me something to look forward to each loop. 

Honestly, I didn’t feel “excited” about racing until that last loop. That’s when things shifted. Passing a few female pros on the 2nd and 3rd loops gave me such a mental lift and my competitive spirit kicked in. This made me feel like I was racing, not just riding. 

Bike Takeaway: The spark doesn’t always come right away. Sometimes you have to wait for it, trust your training, and let the fire build when your body and mind are ready. 

Run

Coming off the bike, my legs felt fluid and strong. My run fitness has been at its best lately and after 10+ years of run related injuries, I haven't been injured since 2019. I've had an up and down relationship with running over the years and this year we've been in a good place. And while my splits may not show it perfectly on paper, I know all that training made the difference in keeping me steady throughout the marathon, especially in the 80+ degree temps. 

It was windy and warm, and with my period, I just couldn’t get comfortable. I had to work through a side stitch, hot spots on my feet and I just felt off throughout the entire run. I made the call before the race to unzip my kit in T2 and run most of the marathon in my sports bra—as that is how I normally do my run workouts. I stayed on top of my fueling with Never Second: 45g carbs each 45 minutes, plus I sipped on a Never Second gel  through the back half of the first loop. I used special needs (2 more filled flasks) and sipped on coke to help spread out the Never Second. With me being on my period, I knew I had the potential for gut issues but thankfully I didn't have any major issues. My stomach behaved (just one bathroom stop), and my energy never tanked. Even though it was hot out, I never felt like I was overheating. Karel was out and about on the course on his mountain bike and he gave me great encouragement. Whereas in IM Lanzarote in May, I had no idea how I would make it through the marathon, I never felt like I wanted to quit in Chatty. I love certain sections of the course (the hills and neighborhood across the river and the path by the river) so I was able to break the course down into small sections and focus on one mile at a time. 

I did need to walk through aid stations on the second loop as it was the only way I could keep myself focused but I kept moving forward. The volunteers and crowd support (as usual) were incredible—every cheer and smile helped me through the uncomfortable stretches. Even though I didn’t feel my best, I still felt strong and durable. 

I never felt totally comfortable on the run (thanks, period), but my energy stayed stable and I didn't have any major issues that kept me from moving forward. 

Takeaway: Your run fitness may not show itself by paces or times on race day. But it's in the preparation that allows you to work with what you are given on race day. Running strong doesn’t always mean running fast. It means managing the conditions, staying steady, and refusing to give up on yourself, even when you don’t feel your best.

The Finish - 10:01.55. 3rd female amateur. 1st AG (40-44). Personal Best at the Ironman Distance. 

That finish line feeling never gets old. I’ll never take it for granted. As I was making my way to the finish line, I had no idea of any of my splits. I felt like I had prepared myself for my first sub 10-hour Ironman so I sprinted to the finish line with everything I had left but I fell short by less than two minutes. In looking back at the race, there were several moments that cost me time that had nothing to do with my fitness. The biggest moment was when I called out the wrong bib number as I was running to get my T1 bag and got handed the wrong bag. A little mix-up in T1 probably cost me two or three minutes. When it happened, I just laughed it off. I stretched, used the bathroom (pee), and let the volunteer superheroes save the day by finding my actual bag. 

I am a little bummed I missed breaking 10 hours, but this was still a personal best for me at my 22nd Ironman (25th Ironman distance, counting 3 XTRI events). My fastest Ironman time was in 2016 (at the age of 34) at Ironman Austria (with a shorter bike) of 5:16. At the age of 43, I'm pretty proud that I am still improving with a course best swim, PR Ironman bike (time/speed) and personal best at the Ironman distance. 

In the end, this race was about resilience. Even when I didn’t feel like myself, I stuck to my plan, I managed the conditions, I used my experience to troubleshoot and I felt strong. I’m really proud of this race—not just the PR, but the way I handled everything that came my way. 

Takeaway: Perfection is not required. Progress is. Every finish line is proof that you can handle more than you think—and sometimes it’s the “off” days that make us the proudest.

Final Thoughts
Chattanooga is one of my favorite race venues. I love the community, the town, the volunteers and all of the familiar faces I get to see on and off the course. This race had me feeling lots of emotions before and during the race. 

Ironman Chattanooga reminded me that training for an Ironman isn't about times, paces or results. It’s about resilience. It’s about becoming someone you never thought you can be, discovering new strengths (and limits) and finding joy in the effort, regardless of the outcome.

If you’re training for a race, remember this:

• You don’t have to feel 100% to give 100%. 

• Strong doesn’t always mean fast—it means steady, focused and committed.

• The finish line will always be worth it, no matter how the day unfolds.

I walked away with a PR, but more importantly, I walked away with a deeper belief in myself. And that’s what keeps me coming back to this sport. During the race, I 100% convinced myself that this was my last Ironman and I would take a break from the distance. But of course, that feeling always changes after crossing the finish line. I'm officially un-retired and I can't wait to start planning my 20th year of long distance triathlon. 

'24 IM Chattanooga Race Recap

Race Week 
We left for Chattanooga on Thursday September 26th around 11am. Most of the drive was in the rain. We drove through Asheville and Knoxville as it's so scenic and our favorite way to go Chattanooga. It rained most of the drive. Two weeks ago we adopted Sunny - a 1-ish-year old, 16 lb terrier mix from the Charlotte Animal Control and this was our first road trip together. My mental health hasn't been the best this past week because I have been really missing Campy (it's been 10 weeks since he passed away) and I wasn't sure how I would be able to put together a good race in Chattanooga. I gave myself a lot of grace going into Chattanooga as I didn't specifically train for the event with Norseman XTRI as my primary focus. I signed up for Chattanooga because I love the course and I love the community/spectator support. I also love hot and humid races. Seeing that the weather was cool and the bike course was entirely changed a month out from the race, I was having trouble getting myself excited to race. We arrived after 3pm and went right to athlete check-in. I was given bib number 218 and it was a quick process to get in and out of the registration tent. We drove to our Airbnb (next to the Whiskey building) which was located ~0.6 miles from the transition area. After seven years of racing in Chattanooga, this was the first time that we stayed in this location and we loved being within walking distance of the venue. After we unloaded the car with all of our stuff, we drove to Whole Foods to get a few groceries. Karel walked Sunny around the parking lot while I did a quick shop (I brought most of our non-perishable foods). We ate dinner and went to bed around 10pm. 

On Friday morning we woke up to texts from our neighbors that the power was out due to strong winds and heavy rain. We never expected the strength of storm that came through Greenville (especially since we live close to the mountains). Thankfully we have incredible neighbors (and a great pet sitter that we just hired for this trip) and they took care of our house (and animals and fish) for the next few days. Sadly our generator had old gas in it so it didn't work when the neighbor tried to start it. We need it to power up our 70-gallon fresh water fish tank so the cichlet fish can breathe. Karel has a portable bubble maker so our neighbor used that instead (the only downside is our fish couldn't eat for 3 days due to no filtration system running but thankfully they all survived). We were very stressed about our house after we heard that a tree broke our wooden fence in the backyard. On Friday morning I found out that the 2.4 mile river swim had been cancelled due to the predicted fast flow of water from the dam. This was a major bummer since swimming is my strength. After 18 years of triathlon, this was my first ever bike-run "triathlon" which was a strange feeling because it felt so different to what I had mentally prepared for (and what I know after racing 19 Ironmans). 

On Friday, I opted to ride the Kickr trainer (which Karel brought from home) for around 80 minutes. I did an over-under workout to wake up the legs. I didn't realize the Y was open (and free for IM participants) but if I had, I would have swam first as it's where I can zone out and relax before a race. The trainer workout felt good and got my mind into a good place. The rest of the day was uneventful. We walked to pick up pizza in the evening. We invited our friends Yannick and Katie over for pizza from Community Pie and enjoyed pizza in our Airbnb. I always get Margherita pizza two nights before a long distance race. 

My mom arrived with our athlete Scott around 8pm. Scott was supposed to come on Friday morning but he had a tree fall in his driveway which blocked him in - and he was without power.  He was able to get the tree removed and they had a suprisingly smooth drive to Chattanooga through Atlanta. I was happy that my mom was there to help us out with Sunny as he is still new to us and has a few anxieties/fears that we need to work on (he was abandoned in an apartment). 

We woke up to wet roads and light rain on Saturday. I didn't want to risk any issues the day before the race so I rode the trainer for ~45 minutes and did a few short efforts to wake up the legs. My legs felt a little tired during the ride but I felt surprisingly good for a 12 minute run off the bike (1.6 miles - I ran until I was ready to stop). As for the rest of the day, I prepared my bottles for my bike and flasks for the run, got all my nutrition ready and collected my gear. It felt strange to not have to think about getting ready for the swim and to not drop off a bike gear bag (due to the time trial start we wore our bike gear to the transition area on race morning). Karel got my bike ready in our Airbnb and for the first time ever, I used a disc wheel on my tri bike in an Ironman. Because of rain in the afternoon, Karel taped over the box that holds the wires for my electronic shifting so that they wouldn't get wet after leaving my bike in the transition area. Around 1pm we walked down to the race venue and I dropped off my run bag and bike. 

I eat the same foods the day before every Ironman and half IM, which makes it easy to get in my carbs as I don't have to think about what (and when) to eat. My typical day before race meals are: 

• Before workout: 2 piece bread + peanut butter
• During workout: 1 scoop Never Second C30
  
• After workout: Glass of milk + handful cereal. Then bagel + PB + banana + 2 eggs
• Lunch: Pasta + marinara + veggie burger 
• Afternoon snack: Pop tart + Chobani black cherry yogurt 
• Dinner: No chicken noodle soup (Amy's Organic) + 1 cup rice + saltine crackers

Race morning
Surprisingly, I slept really well the night before the race. With my alarm set for 6am due to the delayed start (cancelled swim) the race nerves felt nervous. I was curious to see what type of fitness I brought to the race since I didn't specifically train for this race but I didn't feel any pressure or expectations. The race also felt a little anticlimactic without the swim, which also made me feel less nervous. Even though I love to swim and was looking forward to the 2.4 mile river swim, the race just felt different. I was worried that without the swim, I wouldn't place as high in my age group as I usually need the swim and bike to make up for my slower run time, relative to other ladies in my age group. I laid in bed around 7pm and fell asleep between 8:30-9pm. Although I was in bed for close to 10 hours, we woke up to the sound of a car being towed outside our building around 3am. Sunny thought it was time to get up with all of the noise so Karel had to take him outside. It was an eventful 30 minutes but I was able to go back to sleep (and felt very rested at 3am). 

For my pre-race meal, I had the usual: Cinnamon Raisin Bagel w/ PB and banana. I ate around 6:30am and had no issues eating. I also had my Nescafe instant coffee and some water. I kept telling myself that this was similar to typical weekend - a long brick (bike-run) workout. Sunny stayed with mom when Karel and I walked to the transition area around 7:20am to drop off my bottles for my bike (and run bag), check my tires (which were fine from the day prior) and drop off my special needs bag for the bike (which had to be dropped off by 7:45am). We walked/jogged back to the Airbnb and Karel set up his gravel bike on the trainer and adjusted it for me so I could do a 10 min EZ spin on the trainer. This really helped to wake up my legs and got my mind in a good place to feel ready for the race. I didn't feel nervous but rather, I just wanted to get the race started. 

With the age groupers starting at 8:40am, we walked back down to the transition area around 8:20am. I was able to see some of the professionals start while on the trainer and walking to the transition area. I put on my cycling shoes and helmet outside of the transition, gave Karel my running shoes and went to my bike. I stood in line for a few minutes and before I knew it, I was standing in line, almost ready to start the bike. They had us stand in a row of 4 and two athletes who start every 5 seconds. The line moved very quickly. Although we were supposed to line up by bib number, there was a mix of numbers in the 200's (I was 218). 

BIKE
107.4 mile bike (5211 feet) 
4:40.06, 23 mph
Normalized power: 162W (IF .84)
Average cadence: 86rpm

I wasn't sure what to expect from the bike course since I had never seen it before. Our athlete Yannick drove the course and told me about it and I did a little research online looking at the terrain. I didn't have any set watts to target and I don't wear a HR monitor when I race but rather I like to race by feel. I know my body really well and I know what I can quickly recover from and what I can sustain. Since we didn't do the swim, Karel told me I could push a little harder on the bike since I would have a little extra energy to start. 

4.96 miles - 15:18, 195NP, 19.4 mph
I really pushed the first few miles. I knew I could settle in once I got to the 3 "loops" of the course. This section made my legs burn as I went hard from the very beginning. The warm up on the trainer really helped so my legs didn't feel like total bricks when I started. 

16.3 miles (out) - 38:24, 170 NP, 25.5 mph
I started to settle into a good rhythm really quickly on the bike. After a few miles, I found myself near the front of the race with only an athlete or two ahead of me. I could see our athlete Scott in the far distance, leading the age group race. I knew I would be at a slight disadvantage starting near the front because I wouldn't get the natural draft effect of passing people if I had started later on but I wanted to race my own race and see what I could do on my own. Plus, when I race and I have a lot of guys around me, it's hard to settle into my own rhythm as I have to pay more attention to staying draft legal or accelerating to pass versus focusing on my own effort. This section was really fast and had a nice flow to it. The course was rolling but there was plenty of time to stay in the aero bars. The climbs were not steep but had enough of an incline that I could sit up out of my aero bars (which is my preferred riding style since I do so much riding on my road bike). The downhills were fast and fun. With only two turns (one at each end of the course), there was no need to break, which made the course very fast at times. The rain started to come down (not strong rain but enough to get my compression socks wet) and my visor was fogging with the humidity. I actually liked the rain as it felt more "extreme" and I felt more in my element with the past two years dedicated to XTRI events. 

16.3 miles (back) - 44:43, 168 NP, 21.9 mph
This section felt like more of a drag. There was a bit more climbing to do on the way back. The aid stations were set up between the exits of the highway and the cars had to exit the hwy and then return on the on ramp. This allowed for two full lanes for athletes at the aid stations. I didn't grab anything at the aid stations so this allowed me to keep up my speed. I could feel the headwind in this direction. The rain continued to fall. I rode this section entirely by myself and it was long and lonely. I had a few guys pass me but they were way too strong in the time trial position for me to even stay draft legal behind them. I was able to somewhat keep up on the climbs but they got away from me on the downhills and flats. 

16.3 miles (out) - 38:49, 158 NP, 25.1 mph
I was relieved to make the turn around (which was a little technical over rumble strips and a lot of cones to make it a tight turn on both ends of the loop) as this section was the "easier" section of the two out and backs. At this point there were more people on the course but I was passing those starting their first loop (and being passed by a few more guys). I was also feeling the draft of having some cars in the lane next to us (we had the left lane closest to the medium and cars were coned off to our right) which also helped to keep up the speed. I was worried that the bike course would be lonely on the highway but there ended up being a good handful of people who drove out to the course. This loop felt a little long to me as my mind started to play games with me and tell me that I was biking too hard and that I should just stop after the bike and not run and that I was not having a good race (all normal self-talk that happens when riding for hours in a race). I was able to quiet those voices at times by focusing on my effort and terrain management and keeping up with my nutrition. 

Fueling on the bike
My fueling strategy was pretty simple as it's the same thing I do for all my long rides. 
I started with 3 x 26 ounce bottles of INFINIT Fructose (Fruit Punch flavor) with each bottle having 80g carbs and ~500mg sodium (not exactly 2 full scoops). Every 10-15 minutes I would take 3-4 big sips. I peed 3 times on the bike (the best I could on downhills). I tossed one of my bottles at an aid station and always kept my primary drinking bottle between my aerobars (two bottles in my rear cage). I don't use the aero bottle on the frame as I find it very difficult to grab and put back on the frame). 
I stopped at special needs (mile 62, which was 2:38 into the ride). I had finish 2 full bottles and a little over 1/2 bottle. My special needs stop took about 26 seconds. A volunteer handed me my bag after I stopped, I tossed my two bottles on my bike and put on 3 more bottles (one between the aero bars and 2 in the rear cages). 
In my special needs bag I had 3 more 26 ounce bottles of INFINIT Fructose. Same amount but my favorite flavor grape. I was able to finish 2 1/4 bottles over the next 2 hours (44.8 miles).
In total, I consumed: 
~127 ounce fluid
~390g carbs 
~2400 mg sodium
 
16.3 miles (back) - 44:23 (includes special needs stop), 162 NP, 22.1 mph
With more people on the course, the ride started to feel more fun as there was more to focus on. I was surprised to see Karel as I was nearing the end of the 2nd loop. He told me I was leading my age group and 2nd overall female as a younger female was riding much faster than me. I was really surprised that I was near the front of the race. This gave me a lot of incentive to keep pushing. I never felt tired or had any low moments so my mission was to try to make my third loop strong. At this point in the race, the rain was on and off. The temperature was perfect as I never felt cold. My athlete Jeremy passed me on the bike before special needs and he was riding really strong. It was great to see him out there. The nice thing with the looped course was being able to see athletes on the other side of the median. 

16.3 miles (out) - 39.52, 147 NP, 24.5 mph
Karel gave me one more cheer as I was starting my third loop and then he biked back to the race venue (he biked out on the course since it was closed to cars in and out of town). Although I could feel the natural fatigue of riding strong for the past 3+ hours, I could also feel the draft effect of the cars and other athletes on the course. I never found there to be big groups as there was a constant passing of athletes. I called out "on your left" a lot and everyone was very considerate to move over quickly. I found the course to be very safe. It was smooth pavement and very well controlled with volunteers and police. Although I really enjoyed the old course in the country, I didn't mind this course as it was hilly enough to feel hard at times and it felt safe with all the athletes on the course. 

16.3 miles (back) - 44:22, 152 NP, 22.2 mph
I really tried to push this last section. I felt strong and I was really focused with all the other athletes on the course. I had another guy pass me on a downhill and I was able to keep him in my sights for most of the last loop. This really helped me keep the pressure on the pedals. I never knew my mileage or overall time as my screen was set to lap intervals and I was only focusing on my current speed, 10 sec power and normalized lap power. Even though there were mile markers on the course, I only focused on the lap that I was in. This made the bike go by relatively quickly. This was my first time using a disc wheel in an IM and this course was perfect for it as I could keep my speed up (and validate the effects of using the disc). 

4.64 miles - 14:11, 154 NP, 19.6 mph
It was nice to finally go straight and not make the turn after 3 loops. The last few miles were tough as there was a big climb heading back into town. I didn't remember that climb (or downhill) heading out as my legs were burning. I started to experience my normal worries of "what type of run will I have off the bike" as I always lack confidence in my run. I expected that I would be passed by Elyse and other females somewhere in the early miles of the run so I didn't put any pressure on myself that I had to run fast. My only goal was just to enjoy the run. With less than a mile left, I saw Karel standing with Sunny and he was so cute sitting there (Sunny, not Karel :) I yelled "HI SUNNY!!" Karel told me that I was first overall female and I couldn't believe it. I switched the screen on my bike computer and although I was bummed to see only 107 miles, I was shocked to see my time. I thought I could go under 5:10 on the bike (which would be a big PR for me) so when I saw my time nearing 4:40, I couldn't believe it. I did some quick math as I was riding after seeing my speed for each lap but I had no idea what that would actually come up to at the end. 

T2 - 3:33
When I got off the bike, my legs felt pretty good. I felt like I did a great job with my fueling and although I biked strong, I didn't feel like I overdo it. As I ran to my run bag, my mom was there along the fencing giving me cheers and updates that I was leading my age group by over 15 minutes and I was first overall female. I got a few other cheers from friends and I was quickly reminded why I love racing - I love being part of the triathlon community. I ran into the changing tent and I was the only female there. Two other professionals entered shortly after me (I passed them on the bike). I quickly put on my shoes and Naked Running belt and flasks and grabbed my plastic baggy that had my visor, sunglasses, powder in baggies to refill my flasks and Campy's collar. I really needed to pee as I never fully emptied my bladder on the bike so I went into the porto potty and sat down (without undoing my kit) and peed while I put on my stuff in my bag (multitasking). 

Photo credit: Angela B.

25.7 mile run - 3:33.17, 8:18 min/mile, 1200 feet elevation gain
Mile 1 - 8:05
Mile 2: 7:37
Mile 3: 7:42
Mile 4: 7:48
Mile 5: 7:54
Mile 6: 7:48
Mile 7: 8:02
Mile 8: 8:06
Mile 9: 8:09
Mile 10: 8:20
Mile 11: 7:47
Mile 12: 8:29
Mile 13: 8:25 (half marathon 1:43, 8:01 min/mile average)
Mile 14: 8:33
Mile 15: 8:08
Mile 16: 8:19
Mile 17: 8:18
Mile 18: 8:26
Mile 19: 8:30
Mile 20: 8:38
Mile 21: 9:04
Mile 22: 8:40
Mile 23: 8:53
Mile 24: 9:17
Mile 25: 8:42
Mile 26: 8:00 pace (Last 12.5 miles, 1:47, 8:36 min/mile average)

Fueling on the run 
Like the bike, my fueling strategy was very simple on the run. It's the same thing I do for all of my runs (no matter how long, short, hard or easy). I always use Never Second C30 berry on the run. 

I started with 2 x 10 ounce Nathan hard flasks, each with ~120 calories (30g carbs, 200mg sodium of Never Second C30 Berry). I tried to finish 1 flask every 30-40 minutes. I took a few sips water at each aid station and followed it with 1-2 big sips of my flask. Sometimes I would sip the flask between aid stations if needed. I carried 4 small baggies (jewlery bags), each with 1 scoop (30g carbs) Never Second to refill my bottles along the way. I ended up using 3 of the 4 baggies. 

Total: 
150g carbs
1000mg sodium 
~70 ounce fluid

I didn't use anything from the aid stations besides water. No sport drinks, gels, or coke. 
I carried 1/4 bottle of  KetoneAid KE4 Pro Ketone Ester Drink which is something I don't use in training but I have used it in my last two XTRI events (Norseman and ICON) and it helps to keep my energy stable. I hate the taste so I can only take in a small sip at a time. I had my first sip on the bridge around mile 8 and then as needed throughout (anytime I felt like I needed a mental boost). 

I didn't have any stomach issues and my energy felt really stable throughout the entire race. 

Mile 1-4
As I ran out of the transition and on to the grass, my legs felt good. I do a lot of brick runs (and all my brick runs start uphill because of where I live) so running up the hill toward mile one didn't feel too hard. I didn't worry about my pace but rather I wanted to make it feel easy so that I could start easing into my marathon effort at the top of the hill. The first few miles are on a four lane road. We ran on the left side of the road. The road is rolling to start and then slightly flattens out. This is not my favorite part of the run so my focus was getting to the first turn at the end of this road. I ran with two other guys and the effort felt comfortable. I looked at my watch at the mile marker splits and I was surprised at my pace. I knew I could hold between 8:10-8:30 min/miles so when I saw splits under 8 min, I told myself to try to hold on to that pace for as long as I could. My goal was at least ten miles. The effort didn't feel forced as I was focusing on my rhythm and moving myself forward. I wore New Balance Supercomp Elite V4 shoes (from Run In). I have been wearing New Balance Fuel Cells for years so this change was an easy one (these new shoes only had ~10 miles in them before race day). As I was running, I noticed a few female pros running back on the same road. This had me feeling worried because I didn't mentally prepare to do an out and back on this road (I really looked forward to running on the path by the water, especially over the wooden bridges). Thankfully it was only a short section of around a mile back on the main road between the paths (there was prior flooding on the path). 

Mile 4-8
My energy felt stable, my mind was in a good place and my legs felt good. I was expecting to be passed by the faster age group female runners before the "hilly" section across the river but as the miles went by, I didn't see any other females around me. I saw Karel on the battery place hill before the Veterans Bridge and he told me that Elyse was running a faster pace than me but I was winning my age group by over 15 minutes. I expected Elyse to run past me at any point so I continued to focus on my effort. I never imagined I would be leading the amateur female race (especially at the age of 42!) so I didn't feel any pressure that I had to stay in the lead. My main focus was putting together a marathon run that I knew I was capable of but haven't done in my previous 19 Ironmans. I shuffled my way up the hill and on to the bridge. It felt good to finally have some signficant elevation change as I find it harder to run on flats than hills. 

Mile 8 - 11
I took a sip of the Ketone bottle that I was holding in my hand throughout the run when I was on the bridge. I was really looking forward to the Barton Avenue hills as I knew this was terrain that suited my strengths. I ran steady uphill and tried to work the downhills. At the bottom of the hill, there was a slight false flat that was a little annoying.  I refilled one of my flasks at the aid station at the top of that false flat. I stopped, put the powder from my baggie in my flask the volunteers helped me fill up the flask. I really enjoyed the "loop" at the bottom of Barton Av. as it was rolling hills. I saw Karel before I started the climb back on Barton (which is a bit steeper/longer on the way back) and he told me that I was keeping my lead against Elyse. I asked him how much time I had ahead of her and he told me around 2 minutes. I really enjoyed these miles and I looked forward to them on the second loop. I saw several familiar faces which kept me feeling happy to be running. I will still surprised how good I felt. Karel asked me how I was feeling before I made my way under the Veteran bridge (he was on his bike) and I told him I was feeling good energy wise but my legs were starting to get a little tired (understandably). 

Mile 11-13
I enjoyed the wooden pedestrian bridge back into town as I like running on different surfaces. There weren't many spectators on the bridge (I was looking forward to seeing lots of people) so that was a bummer. However, there were some good cheers from those who were standing there cheering. 

Mile 13 - 16
I made my way out on the second loop of the run. I was really surprised how fast the first 13 miles went. I never experienced any major lows but there were a few low moments over the next few miles as these miles felt very long. My legs were starting to stiffen up but I was still able to hold the same form that I was holding in the first loop. I told myself that all I need to do is finish these 4 miles and then the "hard part" would be overwith. I refilled another flask around 13 at the aid station. The volunteers were amazing. Each refill stop took me ~30-40 seconds. It was nice to have a quick stop. Other than these three refill stops, I didn't walk or stop throughout the run. 

Photo credit: Kayla 

Photo credit: Kayla 

Mile 16 - 20
I could tell that my propulsion wasn't as strong and my legs were feeling tired. The good thing was my energy still felt great and I was actually enjoying the run. With my last 3 marathons taking 5-6 hours due to the extreme nature of extreme triathlons (each of those runs was over 4000 feet elevation gain), I didn't doubt my endurance and strength. I had taken some risks in this race to see what my capabilities were on the bike and run and I wasn't willing to give up now. I saw Karel on battery hill and he was full of positive comments. He told me how good I was running, that I was keeping my lead to Elyse and even extending it on the hills and that he was so impressed with how good I looked when I ran. While I may not be running "fast" I had confidence in my ability to run well under fatigue. I was actually looking forward to the point when my legs were starting to really hurt from the fatigue as I knew I could push through it. 

Mile 20-23
I never focused on what mile I was in or how many miles I had left but rather I used destinations/landmarks to keep me focused. I broke down the race into sections and just focused on a few miles at a time. Once I checked those off, it was on to the next segment. In many of my past Ironmans, the last 6 miles were always so incredibly long and hard and I couldn't wait for the pain to stop at the finish line. But I actually looked forward to the last 6 miles. I saw Karel on Barton and he told me that these hills are were I am the strongest. He told me "no one can run hills like you." He was extremely supportive. Although my legs were hurting on the climbs, I kept things in perspective. These hills were tiny compared to the mountains I climb in extreme triathlons. These were tiny short bumps compared to running up Zombi hill in Norseman, or climbing up a ski slope during Karel's race (in the rain, on snow and ice) or hiking up 3000 feet to the top of a ski slope in Livigno at almost 10,000 feet elevation. Barton hills were NBD (no big deal) :) 

I continued to sip my nutrition and use a few sips of water from the aid station. The weather stayed fairly comfortable in the 70s. Although I was tired, I really tried to run as strong as I could up and down the hills. It was uncomfortable but I felt strong and durable. Karel told me to keep pushing until I got to the end of the bridge and then that was where I could feel like the race was "over." This mentally helped me stay focused up the last big climb. 

Mile 24-finish!
Anytime the run got hard or I had a brief low moment, I would tell myself "If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you've never done." I continued to repeat this in my head over and over as I knew I was on track for a PR marathon run but at any point I could convince myself it was not worth it due to the pain in the legs and I could slow down. I kept on pushing myself. At mile 25, I took Campy's collar out of my hydration belt, gave it a kiss and held it in my hand for the last mile. I thought about pulling it out sooner but it was something that I really looked forward to and that helped me stay motivated until mile 25. There were more people on the wooden bridge which gave me a boost of energy. As I was making my turn toward the finish on the top of the hill, Karel was there and told me "it may be close, you need to keep pushing." I ran as hard as I could to the finish line while still soaking in the atmosphere and quickly reflecting on the day. I switched my watch screen from lap pace/current pace/lap distance to overall time and I was shocked to see my time. Even though the run was short, it was still a PR marathon pace for me (lifetime best!) 

When I crossed the finish line I couldn't believe what had happened. I was the first overall female amateur across the line. I've raced Ironman Chattanooga twice and I won overall amateur female both times. There's something special about Chatty!

Yannick and Karel greeted me at the finish and shortly after, my mom and Sunny came. I saw Karel and we had to wait over 5 minutes before Elyse and a few other females crossed the finish line (they started behind me and we weren't sure if someone ran a faster time than me to push me out of first overall) for the official results. 

I couldn't believe how good I felt all day. I had no idea what I was capable of doing on the day and with so much emotional stress going into this race, I really didn't think I had the mental capacity to suffer. Similar to Louisville 70.3 when I placed overall female, I just felt good all day. It required a lot of mental focus and staying in the present moment but thankfully I had just enough of that left in me for 132.5 miles. 

A few years ago I was feeling like the Ironman distance wasn't exciting me anymore. I needed a change. Xterra racing, mountain biking, gravel biking and XTRI events helped me step out of my comfort zone and feel like a beginner again with new unknowns, new skills to learn and new ways to train (and race). I thought I was stepping away from the "standard" long course triathlons but thanks to all of these different events, my love for the standard distances has returned because I have new perspectives and experiences to bring to each race. 

We went to the awards at 9:30am the next morning and after receiving my award for winning the 40-44 age group, we left to head back to Greenville to get back to our powerless house (and to remove all the food from our fridge and freezer). I did not take a slot to Kona as I am not sure what events/races I want to do in 2025 and I am really enjoying different adventures, race-cations and event experiences. 

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IM Chattanooga '18 reflection/interview

Wow. Has it really been a year since Ironman Chattanooga?

As a little recap, my entire 2017 season was dedicated to qualifying and then racing the 2017 IM 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga. However, on race day day morning, just after 4am I found myself on the kitchen floor, with a smashed and bruised face and bloody lip due to fainting soon after getting out of bed. You can read more here. Racing an Ironman in 2017 was not on my season plan as I spent the season focusing on the half Ironman distance. But after my incident at Worlds, I knew that I couldn't finish my season on such a low moment.

Thus, Ironman Chattanooga will go down as one of my most memorable Ironman races, for so many reasons.

First off, Karel and I shared the course with 14 of our Trimarni athletes and we watched every one of them cross the finish line. It was incredibly special to be there with so many Trimarnis (and to even have a few of our athletes attending just to cheer).

Secondly, Karel and I both won our age groups and each qualified for the 2018 Ironman World Championship. Karel accepted his slot whereas I let mine roll down to another deserving female in the 35-39 age group. Because racing Ironman Chattanooga was never on my 2017 racing season plan (more on this in a minute), I wanted to focus on my two Ironman this summer (Ironman Austria and Iroman Wisconsin) and to get more Ironman racing experience before returning back to the Big Island. I recently accepted my slot at Ironman Wisconsin to race my 5th IM Kona in 2019.

Lastly, Ironman Chattanooga was my first ever overall amateur female win. Karel placed second overall male amateur. Talk about a surprise for both of us, especially since I registered for the race just two weeks before the race! Thank you body for being so amazing - from a very low low to an amazingly high high!

To learn more about my Ironman Chattanooga race as well as a few of my thoughts about the course and venue, you can check out this interview that I did with Crew Racing.

Ironman Chattanooga interview with Marni Sumbal

You should also scroll through their other blog posts for additional information on triathlon training and racing, as well as on returning back to sport after injury. Caitlin and Drew have a successful coaching business as both of their careers revolve around athletes.

IM Choo Race Report - 26.2 mile run

With every Ironman, there is always the unknown of what will happen to the body on race day. For most athletes, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Ironman marathon. Running 26.2 miles is no easy feat but after 2.4 miles of swimming and 116 miles of cycling, the body is physically compromised. Toss in the heat and a very hilly and challenging run course and the thought of running a marathon at the end of an Ironman can cause a lot of worry.

After I registered for Ironman Chattanooga the week before race week, I didn't worry too much about the marathon. To be honest, in the past, I've dedicated my entire season to training for an Ironman and felt less ready than I felt going into IM Chattanooga. All summer, my running form and resiliency has continued to improve. I always feel stronger running off the bike than in solo runs. I've experimented with all types of sport nutrition products and I've gone back to running more on the treadmill and track (along with hills) to help me stay injury free. With my longest runs in training this summer  ~11.5-12 miles (Karel's longest run since IM Lake Placid was 1:50 and on the treadmill), I found myself going into this marathon with a surprising amount of confidence. I didn't feel fast but I felt strong.

Because we don't prescribe to high volume run training (instead run frequency and specificity), we believe that a "successful" marathon does not result from running long miles in training (2.5+ hours/20+ miles), trying to be fast in training or by achieving a certain body image/body fat composition but instead, focusing on the things that are important on race day. A great attitude, a healthy body, freedom in pacing, great form/posture, great mental strength and a dialed-in fueling/hydration plan (with ability to adapt) provides an ideal scenario to help delay fatigue. Although I never consider myself a fast triathlete runner (and Karel was not too impressed with his "slow" marathon immediately after the race), we both have learned to recognize that success in long distance triathlons, especially in the Ironman, comes from being exceptionally great at not slowing down. This is why Karel and I use sport nutrition for every workout so that we can go into a race with confidence and experience on the products that best work for us. This is why we focus more on form/posture and building resilience in our run training instead of chasing times or paces. Seeing that we both were focused on doing things well on race day and being great at not slowing down, this is a testament that a healthy and well-fueled and hydrated body with a strong mind can do amazing things on race day

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Even though Karel recently ran on some of the Ironman Chattanooga course just two weeks ago at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, you can only mentally prepare so much for an Ironman marathon as mechanical fatigue and the weather and any other issues can play an impact on how the body performs when running off the bike.

When Karel started the marathon, he quickly passed a few guys and found himself in 2nd place in his age group, 1:46 behind the leader. For the first 4.5 mile slightly undulating, long stretch of road with no one in sight, Karel focused on finding his form and taking care of himself, nutritionally and mentally. When he got to an aid station around mile 7-8 ("railroad" station with the band for those who were on the course), he started to feel the heat and at that point, he walked through the aid station to make sure to really cool himself off. By the time he saw Justine at the first kicker of a hill around mile 8 of the course, Karel was in the lead of his age group by about 2 minutes. When Karel crossed the bridge, he still felt ok but to keep himself cool, he took advantage of the fully stocked aid stations with water/ice. In the back half of the course with the longer hills, Karel walked twice more at aid stations to take the necessary time to cool himself and to also take in calories from coke/Red Bull. Karel also used his sport nutrition from his flasks, which he sipped as needed between the aid stations to get electrolytes, fluids and some calories. Karel never has a precise plan with his nutrition going into his Ironman races yet he has never had a nutrition/GI related issue on race day. Karel is always listening to his body to know when to take in or back off on calories based on how he is feeling.

After crossing the wooden blue bridge, Karel got another update from Justine that he was still leading his age group and the gap to 2nd place was over 8 minutes. At this point, Karel didn't care about his overall placing as he was focused on getting his Kona slot but little did he know that he ran his way from 10th overall male after the bike to 4th overall but the leader was still over 5 minutes ahead of him. Because Karel was so focused on his age group, he didn't think to ask Justine to track his overall placement so he never knew where he was in the overall placing. After Karel stopped at special needs to grab two new bottles (which were fully unfrozen and very hot), he started to really feel the heat so he knew that he would need to start walking more at the aid stations to take care of himself. Although this would slow down his average pace for the marathon, this was the best decision for him on this day to put together the best race possible.

                                               

Once I reached the top of the hill and heard from Justine that I was "killing it" (thanks Justine for the great energy!) in my age group with a 17:45 minute lead from 2nd place (official results, more on this in a minute), I didn't get too confident with this information as I know nothing is certain in an Ironman marathon. And with the rolling start, I wasn't sure if the results would change after a few miles, when more females got on the run course. With my athlete Thomas (first time Ironman) about 1-2 minutes ahead of me and in my sights(great motivation), I kept myself focused on my form and used the first aid station to cool myself down. I wanted to give my tummy a chance to settle after the bike before taking in calories so I waited until mile 2 to take in calories from my hydration belt. The volunteers were amazing at the aid stations and for the first 4.5 miles, I looked forward to each aid station to break up the run course. I was using water, ice and sponges to keep myself cool.

I didn't care for the first 4.5 miles of the run course (boring to me) so my focus was on running well and then rewarding myself by taking a little walk before turning to the path by the water. With every mile, I found myself passing guys and running alongside a Japanese guy who was great company for me. Before I knew it, the "boring" part of this course was over and I was surprised that I didn't walk yet. Although we are huge proponents of walking to reset form and to take care of yourself, my form felt great and mentally, I felt strong and resilient so I just kept going.

I loved the run path section of the run course (especially the wooden bridge sections) and before I knew it, I saw Justine at the hill around mile 8 before the bridge. It's always a nice boost to see a familiar face but Justine was giving me so much positive energy.  She told me that I was still in the lead with over 16 minutes to 2nd place (it was actually 20:23 per official results but more on this in a minute).

When I got to the bridge, I spotted Thomas's wife Lindsay and my athlete Katja who was cheering and it made me smile. I couldn't believe that each mile marker was getting bigger and I was already at mile 8 and the miles were just ticking by. While I didn't feel fast, I didn't feel slow as I was passing a lot of guys out on the course. I had a great rhythm and I was actually looking forward to the hills to bring a change to my running stride.

By the time I got to around mile 10/11 of the run course, I passed Thomas at an aid station and gave him a cheer. We ran together until the next aid station and I loved having his company. I noticed that the camber of the road was making it hard to run as my legs began to fatigue so I made sure to focus on running the straightest line possible around the neighborhood/country club.

Not even half way through the run, I didn't think about how long I still had to go but I kept myself going by thinking about how awesome the wooden blue bridge would be with all of the spectators.  Although the hills were tough on this course, I felt like I was still moving at a good pace. I never looked at my running watch as I didn't want to get disappointed if I saw a time slower than what I thought I was running so I just focused on how I was able to use my mind to control my body.

Before I knew it, I had tackled the big hills on loop one of the marathon and I was finally on the wooden bridge. I really liked the feel of the bridge as it was a little easier impact on my legs but the dips and bumps in the bridge made it a little more challenging to run on than I had imagined. Regardless, I was so happy to see so many spectators cheering me on. What a great boost!

When I got to special needs, I gave myself permission to walk as I felt it was a necessary moment to take care of myself. I grabbed two new flasks of sport nutrition (mine were not super hot which was good) and walked until I was ready to start running again. Although it felt like I walked for minutes, my file in Training Peaks said I only walked for 45 seconds. After my walk, I saw Justine and my friend Kristen and they both told me I was still doing great and that the girl in front of me (overall female) was not looking at good and she was really slowing down. Once again, I didn't think about overall as it never occurred to me that I would be racing for an overall amateur female finish so I just stayed focused on my age group and taking care of myself to keep myself going.

As Karel made his way through the growing crowds of his second loop, he started to walk more often at the aid stations as he was in survival mode to keep himself cool. As his body was getting tired, he kept focusing on his form and nutrition as he knew those two things would help him run the best possible on that day. Aside from Kona, Karel and I have never raced a hot Ironman before so we were adjusting to the conditions with every mile. Karel stopped taking the Red Bull on the second loop as he felt like it wasn't sitting as well as the Coke and he was using ice/water at each aid station to keep himself cool. We both wore our Perfect Cooling Towel which worked wonders on race day as it not only kept us cool but it held water for us to squeeze when we got warm in between the aid stations.

When Karel saw Justine at mile 20 (on the hill), he told her that he was getting really tired. Karel isn't one for excuses but his energy was running low.  Justine kept him going with some positive words just like I did when I saw him in Lake Placid and he told me he was hurting bad.  Even though Karel had over a 15 minute lead in his age group at this time in the race, he still didn't want to leave anything to chance, just in case another athlete had an unregistered/lost chip or if something happened to Karel in the later miles.

The hills were growing on loop two of the run but no matter how much pain Karel is in on race day, he finds something deep within him to keep him going until the finish line.  Just before climbing the last long hill just after mile 23, Karel told himself that this would be the last hill so he could push it. Well, that extra push took so much energy out of him that he stopped at the top of the hill (before the downhill into the downtown across the river) because his body stopped moving. His mind was telling his feet to keep moving but for 8 seconds (which felt like forever) he could not get his body to move. He almost thought that he would collapse and not make it to the finish line with less than 2 miles to go. Finally, he managed to wobble forward and let gravity push him down the hill. Karel doesn't remember much on the wooden bridge as he was just focusing on one foot in front of the other but he does remember getting a few cheers saying his name (he says thank you!). Just as Karel was about to round the corner to head to the finish, his fuel belt fell off (velcro) and he had to stop and pick it up. He said that was so difficult to stop and bend over with less than 1/2 mile to go. Karel managed to make his way to the finish line chute without being too disoriented (like in Placid) and crossed the line with his first age group win.

(Karel didn't wear his bib number in the front on the run so we are still searching FinisherPix lost and found for his run pictures before we purchase them...so for now, this pic will have to do.)

When I got to the long stretch of road on my second loop, my mission was to keep moving forward. I said a few cheers to familiar faces and my athletes but other than that, I tried to minimize any extra energy expenditure that was not related to cooling myself, moving forward and fueling myself.

Once I made it on the running trail, I pulled every mental trick in my book out to keep me going. I would tell myself "pretend you are on a relaxing training run" and I would look at the birds in the water. I also found myself really embracing the pain in my quads and calves as it was a sign to me that my body was healthy and strong enough to keep going. I thought back to all the times that I was injured in the past and I would have given anything to run. I also looked forward to every aid station to grab ice and hold it in my hands, along with sponges and to soak my cooling towel. Around mile aid station 10 or so, I started to sip coke every now and then just to change things up with my sport drink in my flasks. My tummy felt fine but I still had to make sure not to listen to my body as I know it's a small margin of error with sport nutrition in a hot and hilly race as you have to fuel/hydrate enough to help delay fatigue but without overfueling/hydrating to cause GI issues. So far, my gut was doing ok and based on my ability to keep going without walking the aid stations, I felt like I was doing things well on race day.

Marni Marathon Nutrition (Nathan Hydration belt): 
4 x 10 ounce flasks each with 120 calories EFS Pro (cucumber)
Coke at aid stations (I'd estimate about 8-10 aid stations)
Water/ice

Karel Marathon nutrition (Fuel belt hydration belt): 
2 x 6 ounce flasks with precision hydration (1500)
2 x 8 ounce flasks with precision hydration (1000)
1 x 8 ounce flask with Enervetine
Coke/red bull

Water/ice

When I saw Justine at mile 20, I was doing more shuffling up the hill than running but still smiling. Justine told me that there was a girl named Olga was closing the gap behind me and that she was now about 6 minutes behind me. After I heard this information, I remembered to ask Justine how Karel was doing. She responded by saying "He finished 2nd overall and won his age group." I was so happy for him that I completely forgot about my pain for a minute. I also laughed to myself that she said "Finished" as I was a little jealous that he was already done and I had 6 more miles to go on the hardest part of the course.

After I settled back into my race, this Olga girl worried me a little bit as she was running much faster than me and gaining a lot of time to me. Part of me said "oh that's ok, you can be 2nd in your age group" but then a bigger part of me said "second doesn't sound as good as first!"

With my legs throbbing with soreness with every foot strike (especially on the downhills more than the uphills), I found my mental strength to be at an all time high to keep myself going. Although per the tracker, I was slowing down, I was still holding good form which was my main focus on race day. I was determined to keep on running until the finish line because well, the quicker I get there, the sooner I can stop the hurt!!

With around 4 miles to go, I became really really worried about the downhill to the finish line as my legs were starting to get tighter and tighter as I made my way to mile 22 and it was so painful to hit the ground with every foot strike, especially anything downhill. I remember seeing the mile 23 sign on the first loop and when I got to the second loop, I was so thrilled to see it! It was the best feeling to see the bigger numbers on the mile signs on the 2 loop course and to finally realize that those are my numbers!

As I was making my way back up the last long hill, I saw a few of my athletes on the course and everyone was cheering me on. I tried to give everyone a cheer or least a thumbs up (or pat on the butt). Although I felt like I was still moving forward I knew that I was really slowing down. After not being passed by any females all day, I was finally passed by a female athlete. She looked really good as she passed me and as I made a little surge up the hill to glance at her bib, and it read Olga. I wasn't sure how much of a gap she had closed on me in 4 miles so I tried to stay with her, but my body had one speed and it was not as fast as hers.

                                              

After she passed me, I stayed in competition mode as I know that anything can happen in the last two miles. Even with all of the pain in my body, I did not come this far to give up. When I saw Justine at the end of the wooden bridge, she yelled to me "Marni, you have to sprint!!!"

Sprint?!?! Are you freaking kidding me?? Well, I did all I could as I knew there must have been a reason why Justine wanted me to sprint and somehow, I managed to run down the hill toward the finish chute as fast as I could, with pain in every leg muscle and a body that just wanted to fall over and rest.

Although I was still running as fast as I could (after 144 miles of racing), I made sure to really enjoy the finish line. There's nothing more special to reach the finish line after a full day of swimming, biking and running.

Although my focus was on the finish line, I somehow managed to spot Karel and I immediately I ran over to him and gave him a high five. It was the best feeling to see him there, cheering me on. I could hear Justine cheering me on "Go Marni Go!" and I gave it all I had until I crossed the finish line.

                                               


Before I had a chance to even process my day, the volunteers were asking me if I was ok and if I needed any help. I told them that I was ok, just very, very sore and exhausted. I couldn't wait to hug Karel and hear about his day since I hadn't seen him all day since we started the swim, over 10 hours ago.

                                              

After the volunteers congratulated me and handed me my finisher hat and shirt, I walked over to the barricades to finally rest and I saw Justine sprinting over to me, yelling "You did it, you did it!!"

My immediate response was, "I did what?"

She then proceeded to yell to me that I won.

"Won what?" I asked.

Justine ran over to me on the other side of the finishing area and she gave me a huge hug and told me that I was the overall amateur female. The amateur female champion! This was the first time that I processed this information and to be honest, I didn't believe her. A few minutes went by as I collapsed into her arms with exhaustion and I kept asking her "Are you sure?"

Karel walked over to me and gave me a huge hug. What a day for both of us! Karel was pretty tired as he had been waiting for me for over an hour so not too long after I finished, we waited for Thomas to cross his first ever IM finish line (10:50!!) and then we both hobbled our way to our gear bags and then to the car to get changed, before spending the next few hours waiting for each one of our athletes to finish so that we could congratulate them at the finish line.

A little while later we heared that Olga (who was in my age group) was disqualified (we still don't know why). But before her results were removed from the official results, Justine told me that I still won my age group by ~90 seconds. It was so close between us and that is why Justine told me to sprint the last 1/2 mile. Even though I won, I'm glad that I sprinted! 

Although Karel and I both ran "slow" marathon times, we have both learned that to run fast for 26.2 miles at the end of an Ironman, you don't have to be fast....you just have to be great at not slowing down (or be the one who slows down the least). Here are the stats as it relates to our age group and overall placing (and time gaps) over 26.2 miles:

Karel Overall: 
Bike end: 10th overall, 9:52 down from leader
Run start: 10th overall, 10:19 down from leader
4.5 miles - 4th overall, 8:21 down
7.2 miles - 4th overall, 7:49 down
10.1 miles - 4th overall, 6:49 down
13.1 miles - 4th overall, 5:26 down
17 miles - 3rd overall, 4:48 down
19.7 miles - 2nd overall, 4:01 down
22.6 miles - 2nd overall, 2:49 down
25.6 miles - 2nd overall, 2:25 down
26.2 miles - 2nd overall male, 2:25 from the winner

Karel Age Group (40-44): 
Bike end: 2nd AG, 2:05 down from leader
Run start: 2nd AG, 1:46 down from leader
4.5 miles - 1st AG, :53 lead
7.2 miles - 1st AG, 2:06 lead
10.1 miles - 1st AG, 4:12 lead
13.1 miles - 1st AG, 8:22 lead
17 miles - 1st AG, 12:27 lead
19.7 miles - 1st AG, 14:26 lead
22.6 miles - 1st AG, 16:48 lead
25.6 miles - 1st AG, 17:06 lead
26.2 miles - 1st AG, 17:02 ahead of 2nd place


Marni Overall: 
Bike end: 2nd overall, 10:38 down from leader
Run start: 2nd overall, 9:08 down from leader
4.5 miles - 2nd overall, 8:49 down
7.2 miles - 4th overall, 8:35 down
10.1 miles - 4th overall, 7:08 down
13.1 miles - 4th overall, 6:37 down
17 miles - 3rd overall, 5:16 down
19.7 miles - 2nd overall, 2:03 down
22.6 miles - 2nd overall, 1:43 down
25.6 miles - 1st overall, 5:33 lead
26.2 miles - 1st overall, 5:47 ahead of 2nd place

Marni Age Group (35-39)
Bike end: 1st AG, 17:26 lead
Run start: 1st AG, 17:46 lead
4.5 miles - 1st AG, 19:45 lead
7.2 miles - 1st AG, 20:23 lead
10.1 miles - 1st AG, 22:02 lead
13.1 miles - 1st AG, 22:49 lead
17 miles - 1st AG, 24:22 lead
19.7 miles - 1st AG, 24:20 lead
22.6 miles - 1st AG, 22:22 lead
25.6 miles - 1st AG, 20:40 lead
26.2 miles - 1st AG, 20:20 ahead of 2nd place

Final Results
Karel:
9:20.55
1st AG (40-44)
2nd amateur
3rd overall
Kona qualified for IM Kona 2018 (accepted slot)

Swim (2.4 miles): 47:05
T1: 3:08
Bike (116 miles): 5:08.14
T2: 2:40
Run (26.2 miles): 3:19.52

Marni:
10:28.50
1st AG (35-39)
Amateur Female Champion
10th overall female
Kona qualified for IM Kona 2018 (declined slot)
Swim (2.4 miles): 47.00
T1: 4:12
Bike (116 miles): 5:33.23 T2: 3:00
Run (26.2 miles): 4:01.18

Stay tuned for our post-race/awards/Kona slot/rolldown race report!

A BIG thank you to our 

2017 Trimarni sponsors and affiliates:

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

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

IM CHOO Race Recap - Pre-race + 2.4 mile swim

Karel and I arrived in Chattanooga on Tues evening so that we could settle (back) into the city before race day on Sunday. As I mentioned in a previous post, I registered for IM Choo about 10 days out from race day as it was my comeback race from my fainting incident on race day morning at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. While a half IM may have made more sense since my season was focused on half IM distance racing, the idea of racing an Ironman made me excited to want to race again. Although I did not plan to race an Ironman this year and didn't focus my training on preparing me for an Ironman until 2018, I felt calm, confident and excited to participate in my 12th Ironman in Chattanooga. Seeing that Karel directed all of his training and energy to Chatty as his key race to try to win his age group and qualify for Kona, I fueled off his race day readiness. Plus, being out on the course with my athletes had me even more excited for the race. Karel had a tremendous amount of confidence in me that I would do well on this course, especially in the heat. Karel always jokes with me that he can wake me up any day and I will be ready for an Ironmn - all joking aside, my body has great aerobic capacity and with my sport nutrition knowledge, I seem to favor the Ironman distance. Although an extreme event, we both really enjoy the Ironman distance simply because it requires a lot of mental strength, decision making and being comfortable with being uncomfortable and while we may not be the fastest triathletes out there, we both feel we have finally figured out how to successfully train and race for 140.6 (or 144.6) miles. Knowing that I was arriving to the race healthy, fresh and hungry to race, I didn't overthink the distance, I didn't focus on the competition and just thought of it as an awesome opportunity to do what I love all day with my awesome body.

                             

We rented a beautiful house (Airbnb) just 2 miles from downtown which was perfect for us to have plenty of room (and a fully stocked kitchen). I brought a lot of food with us but we also made a few grocery trips to keep our fridge stocked with food. With so many Trimarnis racing IM Choo, we designated our house as the "team house" for anyone to stop by and hang out.

The house was also the spot for our team pizza/pasta party and pre-race meeting on Friday evening, which also served as Karel's birthday celebration on 9/22 (41 years old!).

                                         

It was great to share the house with our two first timers Elizabeth and Thomas. Elizabeth gave us a nice zen vibe as she was relaxed and excited for the big day, whereas Thomas gave us no shortage of laughs and good energy all week long. We had a lot of funny moments in our house which kept us all in great spirits all week long.

Our fridge was stocked with lots of food and we had no shortage of snacks and local bakery eats. To be honest, the feel in our house was relaxed and excited versus anxious and nervous, which made it easy to eat and sleep on the days leading up the race. I was averaging about 8-8.5 hours of sleep each night on race week, whereas Karel was getting about 9 hours.

I don't think I have ever eaten so much food over 4 days but I kept reminding myself to fuel-up for the big day and that it was OK to be a little uncomfortable in the belly. We fueled before and after every workout and used liquid sport nutrition for every workout (no matter how short the workout). We focused on the early hours of each day to enjoy bigger meals and frequent snacks to allow plenty of time for digestion as the day went on and kept the afternoon snack/dinner light and easy to digest. I made sure to salt my food and to stay well hydrated as the weather was predicting upper 80's for the race day high. Karel and I never let our body image affect what and when we eat as we maintain a healthy relationship with food so that food can fuel our body for 144.6 miles. As usual, our diet has no food restrictions or rules so it provides us with a lot of freedom to eat what feels right in the moment, knowing that most of what we eat going into an Ironman is well practiced and familiar.


For training on race week, we stayed very active and sharp to rev the system. We made sure not to overdo it on race week but not be too lazy as the body needed to wake-up for the big day. Here is what our training looked like on race week:                        


Monday - AM Swim (~3000 yards for me, ~1800 for Karel)
Tuesday - AM Brick (~75 minute bike + 20-25 min run)

Wednesday - AM Swim at Chatty YMCA (~3000 yards), Late afternoon run on the run course to the swim start and back (~35-40 minutes).

                         

Thursday - Bike on the back part of the bike course (90 minutes, ~30 miles) 

                         
Friday- AM open water swim (~20 minutes), followed by a bike on the back side of the run course (30 minutes for me and 80 minutes for Karel - he rode a bit longer). PM Karel went for a 25 min run.

                                      
Saturday - Bike + run (~55-75 minute bike followed by a 10-15 min jog)

                           

On Thursday we checked in and attended the athlete briefing.

The energy on Saturday morning was building as we did our pre-race warm-up.

                                          

Elizabeth, Thomas and I headed out together whereas Karel did his own thing. As we rode downtown to start our ride from the transition area, the final pieces of the race venue were getting set-up and it was exciting to know that we only had one more sleep until race day.

Although this was my 12th Ironman (and an unexpected one), I still get that feeling in my belly as if I am racing an Ironman for the first time.

                             

After our morning workout, it was time for a big carb-rich breakfast before repacking our gear bags for check-in. We rode our bikes downtown to the transition area around 12:30pm (with our gear bags in a backpack) and completed the check-in process before 1:30pm.

For anyone who has never done an Ironman, you drop off your gear bags (Bike gear and Run gear) and your bike on Saturday and bring your special needs bags (bike and run) on Sunday. You can access your bags on race day morning if you need to add/remove anything so you don't have to bring your nutrition until race day morning.

Since Thomas and Elizabeth had family in town, Karel and I walked the 2 miles back to the house before spending the rest of the day resting and getting our last minute things (ex. bottles) ready for the race. It was hot outside so mentally, Karel and I were preparing for a challenging day of racing, requiring a lot of staying in the moment and taking care of ourselves to prevent overheating and dehydration. We provided our athletes with a lot of tips and suggestions to help with race day execution as we have a lot of experience racing in the heat in Kona, as well as racing on challenging Ironman courses.

I was so excited to have my athlete/great friend Justine in town for the race to cheer us on. She flew in on Saturday afternoon from Delaware so that she could share the race experience with us and the rest of our team (14 other Trimarnis). Justine gives a great amount of positive energy so her company was awesome to be around.

It was early to bed for us on Saturday (around 7:30pm in bed) and surprisingly, I slept really well before my 3:45am alarm. You better believe that I took my time getting out of bed on Sunday morning and Karel had a watchful eye on me all morning. To be honest, I felt completely normal on race day morning, unlike two weekends ago when I felt a bit off in the 24 hours before the race. I woke up a little nervous but also very excited. I was mostly feeling anxious to get the race started. Karel had his techno music jamming in the kitchen on his iPad and as we all at our pre-race meals:

Karel: 2 cups coffee, 2 scoops Osmo pre-load in water, oatmeal, butter, raspberries, syrup. 1 piece Challah bread + butter and jam.

Marni: 1 cup coffee, 1 scoop Osmo pre-load in water, 4 small homemade pancakes (made ahead of time), loaded with syrup, a little peanut butter and a hardboiled egg.

Karel and I went for a quick jog outside around 4:50am outside (each on our own) to get the system going and to help with one last bathroom trip before we left the house.

We left around 5:15am and arrived to the parking garage by 5:30am. We brought our bottles (bike special need bottles were frozen, same with run flasks), bike pump and morning clothes bags to the transition area.

Not knowing if I would see Elizabeth and Thomas again that morning, I wished them both the best of luck and told them to enjoy their first Ironman experience. A day full of unknowns but with every spectator and volunteer keeping them going to the finish line.

Karel and I were on the same side of the transition area (by the fence, closest to the water) so it was easy for us to find each other. After handing off our special needs bags (Karel and I both used them for bike and run with extra bottles and flasks), I walked over to my bike and put my 3 sport nutrition bottles on my bike (INFINIT custom formula - each with a different flavor: grape for hour one, watermelon for hour two and pink lemonade with 50mg of caffeine for hour three). I also placed my bike computer on my bike and waited for Karel to pump up  my tires. We then walked over to our gear bags and I placed my extra nutrition in my bike bag as I didn't want it sitting overnight outside (a squeezy Hot Shot bottle of 1.5 Enervitene cheerpack with caffeine, a Hammer coin container of MAP aminos-2 per each hour, and 1 package of Skratch chews, opened for easy grabbing). I then walked over to my run gear bag and placed my two frozen hydration flasks (each flask with 120 calories of EFS pro cucumber flavor) into my hydration belt.

After we were done with our bags, we walked over toward the buses to shuttle us to the swim start. We made a quick stop at the port-o-potty once more before boarding the bus.

Karel and I listened to our music while riding the 2 miles to the swim start. I was feeling a little short of breath but this time it was all nervous/excited energy. Karel was also feeling the same way as we were both anxious and ready to get things going. The waiting was tough as we arrive to the swim start around 6:15am and had over an hour before the race started.

To keep us occupied, we hung around some of our athletes so that we could all feed off each other's positive energy. You never know what type of energy another athlete will give you as you are waiting for the start of the race as it's no fun to be around negative energy. Thankfully, our athletes are always positive and energetic.

I didn't want to stay seated the entire time so I found myself getting up to jog a few times, while also laying down and listening to my music. The time went by pretty fast and to keep my blood sugar up, I sipped in 1 scoop Clif hydration (cran razz) in a plastic throw away bottle. I didn't consume any solid food before the race after my pre-race meal whereas Karel sipped on a little Infinit MUD and ate a banana. He also took in one Enervitene sport gel (he calls it "that slimy thing").

At 7:20am, I put on my swimskin, cap and goggles and swapped my running shoes for my sandals. By 7:30am, we found ourselves slowly moving along the path as we made our way to the swim start.
Karel and I discussed starting the swim together so we stayed close together after we turned in our morning clothes bags right before the dock. I spotted Mike Reilley and gave him a double high five, which made me smile and I immediately felt the nervous go away as I was filled with excitement that our Ironman day was about to start.

After crossing the timing mat, I jumped into the water with Karel jumping right behind me. Our plan was to swim near the middle of the river, while swimming as straight as possible. This was an interesting swim as we not only had a downstream current but we also had to navigate our way through a winding river. The swim was wetsuit optional since it was 77 degrees so anyone who wore a wetsuit would not be eligible for awards or a Kona slot. The water felt extremely comfortable, especially since it was in the mid 60's for the race start.

(picture source)

I used the first two buoys to find my rhythm and Karel had no problem staying on my feet. By the 2nd buoy, I picked up the pace to a stronger effort and Karel said it was tough for him to stay on my feet as it felt like his half Ironman effort. Although Karel and I didn't plan to intentionally swim the entire swim together, I was so happy to see that Karel could kinda keep up with me as he has improved so much in the swim. Of course, I say that only because I beat him out of the water - if he would have beaten me, I would have been a little upset ;)

I could tell that we were moving fast despite not wearing a watch in the water. A few times I felt like I was very off course but as the river bent around an island, I found myself back on course. I wasn't sure if Karel was behind me for the swim so every now and then I would breath and look back to see if I could spot Karel's arms as I know his swimming style. A few times I had other guys on my feet and Karel would say to himself "hey guys - those are my wife's feet and they are for me!"

Karel said that he wasn't able to stay with right with me but he could keep my pink cap in his sight as I was about 15-20 feet ahead of him. Karel thought it was so cool to be passing so many people in the swim and it was a great confidence booster for both of us to start the day off with such a speedy swim. To be honest, it didn't feel like 2.4 miles so the current really helped us exit the water feeling fresh.

As I made my way under the last bridge and swam in between the two red buoys, toward the swim exit stairs, I wasn't sure if Karel was still with me but I had no time to look for him as I sprinted my way up the stairs, along the path and up the ramp and to my gear bags.

(picture source)

I wasn't sure of my swim time but it felt fast so that gave me a burst of energy for the bike. I felt really good and was excited to get on my bike for 116 miles of country road, farm-viewing riding.

The changing tent and transition area was a little packed since Karel and I didn't get into the water until around 7:43 (13 minutes after the swim start due to the rolling start). As a faster open water swimmer, I am use to being alone or with a few ladies in the women's tent so it was actually really nice to be around so many other female athletes. The volunteers were great and the lady who was helping me made it quick for me to be in and out of the changing tent. I asked her to put my nutrition in my pockets as I put on my CompressSport calf sleeves and then my Lazer helmet. Since my bike was near the front of the transition area, I decided to carry my cycling shoes with me and put them on at my bike.

When I got to my bike, I powered on my Garmin bike computer before putting on my shoes and then checked my tires (I always do that before I leave transition area) and then rolled my bike to the mount line. I heard a few cheers from the spectators saying my name and I couldn't wait to get back from my bike ride to see more familiar faces.

Not knowing if Karel was behind me or in front of me, I switched my mind from swimming to cycling as I clipped in, started my bike computer as I rolled my way out of the transition area to start my 116 mile bike ride.

The first few miles of the bike course are in city streets as we make our way toward the Georgia state line. We go over a few bumpy patches of roads, make a few turns and cross a few railroad tracks. I made sure to press down my bike bottles in my rear cages before and after every bump or railroad crossing but when I got to the 2nd railroad crossing, I must have hit something hard (or too fast) and it shot my two rear nutrition bottles out of the cages. NOOOOO!!! I was so upset as I looked behind me and saw the lids popped off and nutrition emptying from the bottles. Some guy next to me said the worst thing possible in that moment to me, "I hope you only had water in those bottles." Thanks dude.

Stay tuned for our 116 mile race report.......

Ironman Chattanooga - quick recap

After our last race of every season, Karel and I like to reflect on the previous season and set new realistic and bold goals for the next season. Rather than overanalyzing single race results and critiquing every detail of every race, we like to focus on the season as a whole so that we can do a better job of training and racing smarter for the next season.

Over the past 11 years of endurance triathlon racing (five for Karel), we have learned to let go of expectations, assuming that the only way to reach a goal is to perfectly follow a plan or to avoid setbacks all together. This doesn't mean that we don't set big goals for ourselves but rather, we recognize that accomplishing a goal requires going with the flow of life and staying in the moment on race day.

Life transitions, whether it's an injury, fainting and smashing your face on the floor on race day morning or balancing training during a stressful period at work, can cause a significant amount of stress, making it difficult to stay focused and committed to your training and racing goals. But we are not ones for excuses.

As age group triathletes, our swimbikerun lifestyle is a hobby. Although we are passionate about the sport of triathlon and triathlon enriches our life and connects us with like-minded, inspiring individuals, we have learned that there are plenty of setbacks, obstacles and changes in our way as we try to successfully integrate training into our life. Therefore, rather than training and racing with one clear path, we have learned to adjust to everything that comes our way.

Over this past season, we have experienced unexpected great results and unwanted setbacks. But with every change, we became stronger, more confident and better prepared for what comes next in our training journey. Because most setbacks are neither desired or expected, Karel and I have learned to never give up on goals just because the plan doesn't go as planned. And while a hard work ethic, a healthy lifestyle and dedication to training paves the way to race day accomplishments, never do we expect our triathlon journey to be smooth and easy.

Whereas Karel set a high goal of winning his age group and qualifying for Kona at Ironman Chattanooga, my season ended on a very low note as I blacked out on race day morning of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which resulted in my first DNS and a very empty feeling in my heart after the race.

When Karel suggested for me to register for Ironman Chattanooga (Foundation entry as the general entry was closed) and participate in the race with 14 of our athletes, it just felt right. It was almost like it was meant to be for me to register for Ironman Chattanooga just 10 days out from race day, without spending my season focusing on training and racing the Ironman distance. I arrived excited and grateful for the opportunity and all day, I raced with a smile. Karel raced confident all day and never doubted his ability to accomplish his big goal.

It's hard to summarize all of the thoughts and feelings that Karel and I have right now after completing Ironman Chattanooga. Honestly, I am still in shock over what happened during and after 144.6 miles of racing.

While I try to gather the right descriptions to describe this exciting race experience, I will leave you with our race results. Thank you for all of the cheers, support and positive vibes over the past two weeks and especially on race day.

Karel: 9:20.55, 1st AG (40-44), 2nd amateur, 3rd overall, Kona qualified (accepted slot)
Swim (2.4 miles): 47:05
T1: 3:08
Bike (116 miles): 5:08.14
T2: 2:40
Run (26.2 miles): 3:19.52

Marni: 10:28.50, 1st AG (35-39). 1st amateur female. 10th overall female, Kona qualified (declined slot)
Swim: 47.00
T1: 4:12
Bike: 5:33.23 T2: 3:00
Run: 4:01.18

And congrats to all 14 of our athletes who started and finished Ironman Chattanooga!! It was extremely special to share the course with our Trimarni athletes!