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Trimarni is place where athletes and fitness enthusiasts receive motivation, inspiration, education, counseling and coaching in the areas of nutrition, fitness, health, sport nutrition, training and life.
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On September 22nd, 2024 the best female professional and age group triathletes from around the world will race 140.6 miles in Nice, France. For the second year, the Ironman World Championship will be split between Nice, France and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii for the men's and women's races. Last year the men raced in Nice, France and this year the women will take the stage in Europe.
The course consists of a 2.4 mile swim in the salty blue Mediterranean sea, a one-loop 112 mile stunning and spectacular bike course with over 7,800 feet of elevation gain and a four-loop 26.2 mile run on the iconic Promenade des Anglais.
Although a beautiful race venue, the course brings with it some challenging situations. With a good understanding of the following nutritional considerations, you can improve your chances of delivering a great performance on race day - while enjoying this incredible experience.
Carb loading Authentic French Cuisine places great emphasis on using fresh, high quality ingredients to create great flavors. However, much of French food is rich in butter, dairy, meat and oil. Although the food is delicious, consuming large quantities of fat and protein in the days leading up to the race may reduce gastric motility and emptying, contributing to feelings of fullness and nausea, along with increasing the risk for Gi issues during activity. More so, foods rich in protein and fat are more calorie dense, which makes it difficult to effectively carb-load and fill the muscles and liver with glycogen in the days leading up to the race. On the flip side, if you are concerned about eating unfamiliar foods or you have specific dietary needs (ex. vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free) and feel limited with your food options, you may find yourself not eating enough and going into the race feeling depleted and low in energy. TIP: Have a plan for carb-loading. Know exactly what foods you will eat (and where) and how much to consume at least 8g/kg/bw of carbohydrates in the 48 hours before the event. By prioritizing a higher-carb consumption in the earlier hours of the day and reducing carb volume in the evening, you can minimize the risk of feeling lethargic, uncomfortably full, gassy, nauseous and bloated on race day morning. With grocery stores and markets at almost every corner, you should have no trouble finding a variety of familiar food options to prepare in your Airbnb/hotel room.
Sea water The salty sea provides great buoyancy for swimming but there's a risk for swallowing air or sea water. The first condition is called aerophagia. Swallowing too much air can cause stomach distress, reflux, burping, belching and GI issues. Examples include not fully exhaling underwater before taking the next breath, mouth-only breathing, rapid breathing and swallowing big gulps of air. As a result gas is trapped in the stomach, which can lead to gas and stomach aches. TIP: Keep a steady and rhythmic breathing pattern. Make sure to forcefully exhale when your face is in the water. Try to work with the rhythm of the ocean by changing your cadence of your stroke to keep yourself moving forward (and not slapping waves/chop). Chewing gum, drinking carbonated beverages, and consuming too much caffeine can also increase the risk for stomach pain, reflux and belching.
Sport nutrition timing Whereas general nutrition guidelines advise consuming carbohydrates, fluid and sodium in 10-15 minute intervals to optimize digestion and absorption and to help delay fatigue, a bike course with significant elevation changes, technical long descends, step and gradual uphills and potentially wind in certain sections presents challenges for fueling and hydrating on specific intervals. First off, with a significant amount of climbing in the first 1-2 hours of the bike, your energy requirements may be slightly higher but your gastrointestinal tract (blood flow) may be compromised if you are working too hard to get up the climb. Because proper fueling on the bike can reduce the risk of bonking and becoming progressively dehydrated as the race progresses, keeping your fueling strategy simple to execute is key. The more steps in your fueling/hydration strategy, the more you risk GI issues from consuming concentrated nutrition products. TIP: Look for opportunities on the course to coast/ease up on effort in order to take in nutrition when breathing/heart rate is controlled. Start with enough nutrition on your bike to get you through 3 hours of riding (with the help of aid stations for water as needed). Your sport nutrition is your most important currency in racing and it's not worth sacrificing bottles to save weight on the bike. Be mindful that you won't always be able to drink on a schedule - you need to work with the terrain of the course. Therefore, try to take smaller sips more frequently over 10-15 minutes (or a few big gulps every 15 minutes) when your breathing is controlled. Do not go more than 20 minutes without fueling/hydrating. In the 10-15 minutes before a long descend, it's advised to take in a little more nutrition (~50-80 calories) to reduce the risk of dropping blood sugar while coasting (plus digestion will be easier while descending vs. climbing). Be mindful that it takes ~15 minutes to digest nutrition so don't take in more than 25-30g carbs within 15 minutes. Lastly, your nutrition strategy can only work if you are well hydrated. It doesn't matter how many bars, gels or chews you consume, if you are behind on your fluids, your muscles will tire faster and your risk for nause and GI issues increases. Dehydration slows gastric emptying and gut motility. Although gels, bars, chews are convenient and easy to consume, they often lack adequate sodium and they obviously lack adequate fluid.
More is not better The bike course is demanding and it will require a lot of muscular work, endurance, strength and stamina. There may be times during the bike, but especially during the run, when you may think that you need more nutrition to give you more energy. Although this is true to a point, your gut can only tolerate so many carbohydrates (and fluids) per hour. And if you plan to consume more than 60g carbs per hour, it needs to be a combination of glucose/maltodextrin + fructose and your gut needs to be trained to be able to absorb higher levels. Overfueling and overhydrating present much worse side effects than being a little underfueled and dehydrated. TIP: Understand your individual carb, sodium and fluid needs per hour and don't let your sore/tired/fatigued muscles fool you into thinking that taking a few more gels each hour or several cups of sport drink (on top of what you plan to consume) will give you more energy. Think small amounts consumed frequently throughout the run and recognize that your muscles will be tired and sore - it's an Ironman!
I'm still feeling the positive energy from this past weekend. For the first time in the history, the biggest triathlon stage in Kailua-Kona hosted the first dedicated women’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race (the men's race was on September 10th in Nice, France). In a world where women are much less represented in sports media than men, the spotlight exclusively shined on female age group and professional triathletes for the entire Ironman World Championship coverage. And not suprising (because I know how strong and powerful female athletes can be), every athlete who entered the water at the women’s 2023 Ironman World Championship exited before the swim cutoff time and 97% of age-group women who started the race finished it!
When I participated in my first Ironman World Championship in 2007 at the age of 25 years, the event had 1800 participants - and there were just under 500 women! In 2019, for my 5th Ironman World Championship, 663 females finished the race out of 2258 participants. The sport of long distance triathlon has really grown and it is great to see so many more women competing, however there is still work to be done to get more women in the sport. Interestingly, when I did Ironman Austria in 2014, there were 2621 competitors but only 375 women. When I did XTRI Icon, there were 120 participants and only 10 women (all of which finished). Like any sport, representation matters. Having the spotlight only on the women is the biggest way to grow the sport from a female participation perspective. But not just that, having female coaches, female experts, female commentators, female-owned companies also gives credibility to women. Interestingly, almost every professional female athlete has a male coach except Laura Siddal and Lauren Brandon, who are coached by the amazing Julie Dibens, so we still have some work to do in that area. We don't need female experts only at female athletes. They deserve to be at all events to show that women are just as capable as men.
But I'm not surprised by the stats from the day. I love coaching all genders, but I really love coaching female athletes. Female athletes are primed for success because of a strong work ethic, they are creative, have good time-management skills, are determined and thrive on competition (sometimes with other athletes but often within themselves). Plus, female athletes tend to show better endurance, stamina, resiliency and decision making - which helps in long distance racing.
But what I think brings out the best in female athletes is women supporting other women. I see our athletes motivating and encouraging one another to own their "athlete" status - even as an amateur who also balances family/career. I see our female athletes inspiring others to set goals, go after big dreams and to never give up. Being involved in a sport like triathlon has show so many female athletes that they are capable of so much more than they ever imagined. And that belief and confidence comes from having people around you that believe in you and that can show you that anything is possible. Female athletes have so much potential and a strong community creates an atmosphere for growth so that every athlete can be the best she/they can be.
No matter what sport you are in, you deserve to feel heard, supported and part of a community.
Get to know the Trimarni athletes who recently raced in the Ironman World Championship.
Later today, we are boarding a plane to Italy for the Xterra World Championship. It feels a bit strange to fly to Europe when early October has become synonymous with us heading to Kona, Hawaii.
While I'm loving all the Kona spam, I'm really excited for something new and out of my comfort zone. Since our race is on the 1st, this means that on October 6th and 8th, we will be glued to our computers to watch the pros compete at the Ironman World Championship, and to cheer on our 8 athletes who are racing.
Nutrition is one of the most commonly blamed reasons for a bad race and it's also the most worrisome factor that athletes try to tightly control.
A lot of learning lessons have occurred after 9 trips to the Big Island for the Ironman World Championship. If you are racing in your first IM Kona or 10th (or somewhere in between), here are a few nutrition tips to keep your body functioning well over 140.6 miles.
Carbo-loading should not be confused with overeating. Effective glycogen (stored carbs) loading should result from emphasizing more energy-dense, low fiber carbohydrate sources and reducing fat intake alongside reudcing (not stopping) expenditure (tapering). Two days of carbohydrate loading is sufficient to fuel your muscles for the upcoming event. Aim for ~7g/kg/day of carbohydrates in the 2 days before the Ironman. Opt for a low-residue (low fiber/fat) diet, prioritizing more carbs in the morning hours to allow for more time for digestion.
Hydration during the days leading up to the race is crucial. This includes daily hydration as well as staying well hydrated during workouts. Make sure to rehydrate after workouts with a sodium-carb beverage and monitor your urin so it's light yellow (not dark or clear). Proper hydration means having the urge to urinate once every ~2 hours.
Sure, you are in Hawaii and there is a lot to see, do and experience. But the more you are outside, the greater the risk for sunburn, dehydration and fatigue. Cover your skin, wear reef-safe sunscreen and minimize your time in the direct sun. Overexposure to the sun may also supress the immune system - putting you at risk for getting sick.
With the recent news that there will be less aid stations on the bike and run at the Ironman World Championship, this should not cause you to overhaul what has worked in training. However, it's important to be prepared. The more self-sufficient you are, the easier it will be to stick with a schedule for drinking/fueling throughout the race. To help with this, here are a few tips: -Have at least 3 cages/hydration systems (1 bottle per hour of sport nutrition) on your bike for sport nutrition. When you finish 1 bottle, toss it at the aid station to allow room to store water on your bike. You should start with 3 bottles of sport nutrition and have three prepared bottles of sport nutrition in special needs. -When you get to an aid station on the bike, grab water first and store on your bike to use for sipping/cooling until the next aid station. Then grab water to use for sipping and then cool the body as much as possible by pouring the water on your head, arms, back and legs. If you choose to wear a hydration pack, use it for sport nutrition so you can use your cages for water for sipping/cooling the body. -Avoid carrying a heavy bottle when you run as it can throw off your gait. However, having a small 4-6 ounce flask of water to refill throughout the race can be a game changer between aid stations (you can sip it). If you practiced with a sport drink and plan to wear your nutrition (belt/pack), bring baggies of powder to refill along the way. -Wear an absorbent cooling towel (I use Perfect Cooling Towel) to hold water. This way you can squeeze the towel anytime to cool you off. -Hold ice in your hands and pour down your shorts/top to help keep you cool. Look for body parts that are high blood flow areas. -Be careful running through sprinklers and hoses as wet, soggy shoes are prone to blisters. -Keep your nutrition simple to execute. Well-formulated products digest and absorb the best. Don't overcomplicate your fueling plan.
Swimming in the ocean (or any open water) can result in gulping air (aerophagia), swallowing water or feeling sea sick. This can result in belching, nausea, headache and/or vomiting. Make sure you are well hydrated going into practice swims and on race day. Try to focus on something fixed (not moving) can help settled the brain. Pressure in your ear can make you feel off so you may consider wearing ear plugs. After the swim, take a few sips of water to dilute contents in the gut and wait ~10-15 minutes on the bike before consuming sport nutrition products on the bike. You may also find relief by sucking on a ginger chew or peppermint in the 20 minutes before the event.
If you are properly carbo-loaded, you may feel a little "heavy" from water retention. Or, perhaps you didn't reach your arbitrary "race weight" and you are feeling self-confident. Or maybe you feel like losing a few more lbs will give you the competitive edge. Resist the temptation to make extreme changes in your diet. Respect, fuel and nourish your body as it prepares to take you on a 140.6 mile journey. Don't compare your body to that of another athlete. How someone looks does not mean that athlete is better (or worse) than you. Never stop believing in yourself.
While the sun is hot, humidity is a greater threat to your health and performance. When the air is saturated with water, it's difficult for sweat to evaporate and cool the skin. Also, with the skin being the primary area for blood flow (to avoid overheating), that means less blood to the working muscles to power you forward and the gut becoming extremely slow for digestion. With all this in mind, it's extremely important to pace your own race. Your fastest performance is the one where you minimize a massive slowdown. Be realistic with your effort. Don't fixate on a specific outcome. Power, heart rate and pace can be misleading in the heat and humidity. Listen to your body.
Far too many athletes enter race week in panic mode and begin to change the winning formula. Fear based training or overhauling sport nutrition. Rituals that once helped an athlete build confidence for race day are replaced with worry, fear and self-doubt. Sure, the Ironman World Championship is a big-deal race but if you think about the distance, it's just another Ironman distance triathlon race. While you should certainly respect the distance and the island, don't abort the approach, method or formula that worked for you in the past. While it's ok to change certain aspects of your gear, nutrition or pacing plan to better manage the course or conditions (ex. ventilated helmet, depth size of your wheel, wearing a hydration belt, etc), it's not ok to change your plan because you think you'll be faster, perform better or because you saw that someone else (top age grouper/professional) was doing something similar. Trust yourself.
NUTRITION
Karel: 10-ounce Nathan flask filled with NeverSecond C30 (Citrus) stored in kit pocket, carried packets of
precision hydration 1500 and had 3 maurten gels (2 non-caffeine and 1
caffeine). Water/ice at aid stations. One sip of coke.
Marni: 2 x 10 ounce flasks filled with NeverSecond C30 (Forest Berry), carried
packets of C30 and NBS but didn’t refill. Sipped coke at aid stations
throughout as needed + water/ice. Naked Running band. Nathan 10 ounce flasks.
I knew the first two miles would be uncomfortable because I've raced on this course 3 times (70.3 distance). The first few miles are on a long slight gradual uphill. It's never fun running uphill to start a run but then again, we live on the bottom of a hill so we are accustomed to starting every brick run on a hill. Mentally, Karel and I both appreciated that we didn't have to take the running path all the way to Red Hills Pkwy (like in the 70.3) but instead, we went under a tunnel to the other side of the road and this really helped break things up. In feeling the hot temp (low 90s) on the bike - along with the sunny sky and wind, I made the decision in the first few minutes of the run that I would walk the aid stations starting with the first aid
station. I don't see walking as failing to run but an intentional strategy to help delay fatigue (and other factors that can limit performance). I knew that this would be the best strategy for me to help me avoid a massive
slowdown. My run fitness was good and I was healthy but I knew that I wouldn’t
be running anything fast on this day. I didn't have any time goals going into this race but I was realistic with myself that my current run fitness was around a 3:45-3:50
marathon. I prepared myself the best that I could but it takes me a while to get faster (and more confident) with my running and I usually peak with my marathon running in the mid to later summer. I didn't want to rush my marathon preparation to try to get faster and then risk injury. Instead, I focused on getting as strong as I could over the winter and spring with trail running, a lot of hill running and running off the bike. I was ok knowing that I wasn't fast relative to the other top ladies but I felt confident that I could put together a steady run. I was a little nervous about my stomach since I was on the 2nd day of my menstrual cycle but thankfully by gut was fine.
With a long and exciting season of racing, this year is all about staying healthy and
strong. My run fitness was what it was on race day – I never tried to force
anything with each workout to try to get faster. I just let my body adapt as it
wanted. Because of how I felt on the bike, I knew my number one goal needed to
be to keep myself from getting too hot - as that would affect my form, effort and increase the risk for GI issues. Throughout the entire run, I
never once looked at my watch during the run – it made no point to me to see my
pace as I had more important things to focus on like taking care of my
nutrition and cooling. There was so much freedom in not knowing my swim or bike time or run pace until I crossed the finish line. Ironman racing is all about listening to the body, reacting quickly and being proactive. Here's the file of my run (walking only at the aid stations).
I loved this run course because there was so much to it – so many ups, downs, turns, out and backs and spectators. It was the perfect course for me to mentally breakdown and focus on one mile at a time. Although this wasn’t a fast marathon for me, I think it was one of my best paced marathons as I never had a massive slow down or low moments. I had a few quiet voices in my head like “you still have 13 more miles, how are you going to do this?” or “wouldn’t it be nice to just walk a bit longer.” But those voices were really quiet on the day and I could push them aside and stay focused on the task at hand. I was actually enjoying the run and my mind was working well with my body.
Karel didn't have the best run preparation going into this event. First off, he was enjoying mountain biking way too much and he wasn't putting in the miles for this event. Additionally, twice over six months Karel had a knee issue (falling while playing in the woods on his mountain bike) that prevented him from running for several weeks at a time. He didn't run for 3 weeks in March and his longest run was 13 miles in April. However, the resiliency, endurance, efficiency and fitness that he has established over many years was there on race day and he felt really good on the run. He didn’t feel fast but he felt strong and durable. He also didn’t have any low moments like “why in the heck am I doing this?" which tends to pop up a few times in most Ironman events we do. I saw Karel twice and he gave me a cheer both times. Karel also included walks (reset breaks) in his run (19 of them) to either refill his flasks with water (he would pour the packet of sport drink in his flask as he was running and then stop to refill at the aid station) or he would walk when he felt like he needed a reset.
Here's the file of Karel's run.
I saw a lot of other familiar faces out there which really kept my energy levels up. I held on to ice from each aid station (stuffed it down my sports bra as well) and my cooling towel really helped to keep me wet. I could squeeze the towel anytime and I instantly felt refreshed (until I dried off due to the 90 degree dry heat). I new that the heat would be the big factor so I kept the nutrition coming in (in small amounts at each aid station) and then a sip from my flasks as needed as well. I didn't feel that more nutrition would help me run any faster but instead, I needed to keep my blood sugar up to keep my brain communicating with my muscles. I also knew that more nutrition would not stop the hurt (fatigue) in my legs. I have never cramped in a race or training session and I am not a big sweater (or a salty sweater) so I wasn't overly concerned about sodium - however I did have a vial of salt in my hydration pack incase I needed a lick of it. I relied on my flasks (sport drink) in my hydration belt for those instant low moments when I feel my blood sugar dropping but otherwise. It's nice knowing that I can drink when I want to drink. It's also easy to sip my flasks on downhills. I always washed down coke or my sport drink with water when I was at the aid stations. I felt like every time I drank (coke, water, sport drink), it was digesting easily in my gut and my gut was still working well. This was a great sign that my body was functioning well. I didn't have any GI issues or serious low moments. I was passed by several girls but I didn’t let it affect my race or get in my head. I was focused on me and what I needed to do to safely and successfully get to the finish line. Although I was feeling the effects of the day, my body continued to work for me from start to finish. I never had the familiar IM run feeling of wondering if my next step would be my last step from extreme soreness, fatigue and depletion.
As I was nearing the final big hill, I gave myself permission to walk it but my legs were feeling somewhat good so I shuffled my way up. It was windy throughout the run which made some of the inclines feel a bit harder. I saw a girl in my age group - Kristen - running really well as we passed each other on one of the out and backs so I anticipated that she would be passing me soon. I never gave up on myself (even though I wasn't sure where I was in my age group) as I know anything can happen in the last 6-10 miles of the marathon in an Ironman. She passed me on the path back to Diagonal and shortly after I see Tim Don (professional triathlete and Zwift Coach) on the side and he tells me “You are 5th age group, you are doing great.” I couldn’t believe it. 5th place???!!
I kinda thought I was near the top of my age group but had no idea that I had a chance to be on the podium (for the first time) at the Ironman World Championship. At this point (mile 23), I stopped my walk breaks and just committed to giving it my everything to the finish line. I was so worried that I was going to be passed and be knocked off the podium so when I made the last turn on the looooong out and back (almost a mile) before the finish line, I finally got a look to see who was behind me and I was relieved that I didn’t see any females. I still pressed on to the finish and smiled with joy (and relief) when I reached that finish line. There's something special about an Ironman finish line - no matter what you went through during the event, the finish line makes it all worth it.
26.2 mile run (~1500 feet elevation gain) Marni: 3:57.17, 5th AG Karel: 3:20.35, 11th AG
Total time: Marni: 10:53.16 Karel: 9:58.48
I collapsed into the arms of a volunteer (it felt so good to stop moving) and Karel was there at the finish waiting for me. He walked over to me and told me that I was 5th in my age group. I couldn’t believe it (I had to check the tracker at least a dozen times in the evening just to make sure it wasn't a mistake). A day when I had no expectations and I went into the race with my most unconventional training for an Ironman. Wow - I was 5th in my age group.
The volunteers were exceptional and the community really welcomed us with excitement and hospitality. There are certain courses that suit my physiology (I like hard courses with tough weather conditions) and this one certainly suited my strengths with the hills and elements. But I learned during this race that this race also suited my psychology. I need a lot of stimulation when I race. I am not an athlete with a mindset that likes to just settle into one rhythm and be alone out there. I love being out in nature – seeing the incredible landscapes. I love when the race day elements give me an edge and I can be strong, skilled and smart (not "fast"). I love seeing farm animals when I ride. I need to see people walking their dogs so I can smile at every dog. These are the things that help me race at my best.
Kona may have suited my physiology, but it didn’t suit my psychology. St. George was the perfect Ironman course for me. I loved every mile of it.
After the race, Karel and I shared stories from our day while snacking on some salty french fries. We didn't leave right away because Karel had his typical bout of post-race nausea that happens to him after every Ironman. Since it was almost an hour after he finished and then I finished, I think all sitting and standing got to him. Medical came over to him and told him that he "looks ok - I've seen worse today." Truthfully, the area after the finish line was interesting - I've never seen so many athletes vomiting after a race. I was sore and exhausted but overall, I felt ok and didn't have any issues. I was able to pee after the race (a good sign of hydration) and had a somewhat good appetite. I changed into my post race clothes in the port-o-potty and then as we were heading back home, Karel decided that he needed a sub from Jimmy Johns.
The night of an Ironman is always rough. We slept about 3 hours (~11pm - 2pm) and then we had another two hours of tossing and turning before we finally got up. We started to watch the coverage of the race from Ironman Now which was good entertainment for us and our post race insomnia.
After cleaning up our mess of race day gear in the garage, we went to the local pool to sit in the hot tub with our friends Sara and Lisa. Thankfully no major post race chaffing! IYKYK.
We said good bye to our Czech roommates and then we drove to the town for the awards ceremony.
It was such an honor to stand on the Ironman World Championship podium in my new age group (40-44). I'm still in denial that I will be turning 40 at the end of the month but I'm incredibly grateful for what my body has allowed me to do over the past 16 years in endurance sports.
In Kona for the World Championship, the top 5 athletes on the podium receive an Umeke - which is the Hawaiian word for bowl. For the St. George edition, we received a handmade glass bowl. Thankfully it returned home with us in one piece!
For the next day in a half (Mon afternoon and Tues), we were in need of some good sleep but we also wanted to move our body to help shake out some of the race soreness. With a lap pool in our community, a swim was on my mind on Monday morning. And to our surprise, the Ironman World Champion - Daniela Ryf was there swimming! We talked with her for a brief minute and she told us "it's not about the wins but the process." The words of a 10x World Championship winner could not be more true!
Thank you for the support and for reading my blogs. I hope you gained some valuable information or at least, a bit of motivation or inspiration for your next adventure. Don't forget to thank your body for being awesome.
GEAR Wetsuit Marni - Women's maverick X2 (older model) Wetsuit Karel - Men's maverick MX wetsuit (max buoyancy) w/ Xterra Booties (worn under the wetsuit legs and covering the feet).
Goggles Marni – Roka F2 Goggles Karel – Michael Phelps Xceed
I ran into the water alongside several other ladies. I took a few strokes, settled into my rhythm and the water felt perfect. I was told it was 64 degrees (I’m thinking it was more like 62) but I never felt cold. Endorphins always warm me up! Before I knew it, I breathed to my right and then to my left and quickly realized I was swimming by myself.
It was a strange feeling knowing that I was leading my wave – which also meant I was leading the race for the women. I enjoyed this special first-time moment. I had a lot of male athletes to swim through so this required a bit extra sighting and navigating to get through the swimmers in the previous male waves.
I liked how the course was set up and there were plenty of buoys for sighting. We swam out to a far buoy, hung a right and then had the long stretch out and back before heading back to the shore. I was able to settle into a good rhythm throughout, although sometimes it got a bit choppy and I had to change up my stroke to time it with the chop. On the long stretch back, the sun was to my right so I had to only breathe to the left which affected my rhythm. In open water I prefer to breathe to my right side but I often change up sides.
As I finished the swim, I had no idea my swim time. I felt like the swim went by pretty quickly and I was expecting around an hour. I didn't care too much about my swim time as I was leading the IM World Championship as the first female out of the water. It was a great start to the day!
Karel felt really good in the water. He loves his new Roka max buoyancy wetsuit. It feels a bit tight in the shoulders but he likes how he stays so buoyant when he he swims and sights. Karel has had a rough relationship with swimming since he broke his hand last year but for some reason, swimming in St. George felt really good for him. He took a glance at his watch (which he knows not to do as it messes with the head) and he saw the number 9. He was bummed that he swam 1:09 because he thought he was swimming really well passing so many people. Well later on he learned that he swam 1:00 and nine seconds! Just a good reminder to not look at your watch and make assumptions after the swim. That is why I don’t swim with a watch on race day 😊
After I exited the water, I ran up the concrete boat ramp and quickly on the carpet to the female bags in the changing tent. I was weaving in and out of the guys as we were all heading to the changing tents. I was the first one in the female tent so I had the volunteers all to myself. They were so helpful. Even though my bag was closest to the entrance of the ladies changing tent, I grabbed my bag and ran all the way to the last chair so that when I was done, I didn't have to run through any traffic of other ladies in the tent. The lady asked if she could help me with anything and I responded no but she offered to pack up my wetsuit, cap and goggles into my bag as I was putting on my cycling gear. I quickly put on my compression socks (I took off my timing chip and held the chip in my mouth so I wouldn’t forget to put it back on). I put on my helmet, stuffed a Supra bar and bag of Gu chews in my back jersey pocket and then placed a bag of Gu aminos in the pocket on my shorts. As I was finishing up, I noticed a few more ladies in the tent.
I thanked the volunteers for helping me pack my bag, I grabbed my shoes and my bag (with my wetsuit, cap and goggles in it) and handed the bag to a volunteer on the outside of the tent. Because of where my bike was racked and how far I needed to run with my bike to exit the transition area, I ran in my socks to my bike and ran my bike to just before the transition exit before putting on my tri shoes (I don’t do a flying mount and didn’t want to run the entire transition in my tri shoes). I have learned that this is the "fastest" way for me to transition. I got to the far end of the barricaded after the mount line, got on my bike, started my Garmin bike computer and off I went for an adventure of a ride.
Karel’s transition was a bit slow for him as the transition was packed with guys when he got in there. He wanted to do a flying mount but his hips have been giving him issues and he was worried he would hurt himself trying to jump on his bike. He put on his shoes in the changing tent and ran to get his bike and then mounted his bike at the mount line. He felt good after the swim.
On Thursday morning, we headed back to the lake for another opportunity to get more comfortable in the cold water. Whereas the water temp was around 58 degrees on Wednesday, it “warmed” up to 60 degrees on Thursday. We arrived around 8am and there was a line to get in the water (pick up a timing chip before entering) but it moved pretty quickly. I wanted to try swimming without my booties (I wore them on Wed) to see if I could tolerate the cold water on my feet. I feel better swimming without the booties but I also wanted to feel comfortable. Karel opted to wear his booties as his feet do not do well in cold water. It took me several minutes to get in as it felt like my feet were being chopped off from the cold water but eventually I just committed and started swimming. Although my face, feet and hands felt very cold to start, I felt more comfortable after around 300 yards. I swam two loops of the modified swim course (~900 yards per loop) and not only did I swim faster without the booties (1:25/100 yards on Thurs vs. 1:29/100 yards on Wed) but I also felt really good in the water. I also wore my one piece tri suit but wore it down at my waist instead of over my shoulders and I felt so much better with my shoulder mobility in the wetsuit with the kit down. I made the decision that I wouldn’t wear booties on race day and I would wear my one piece kit half way down for the swim under my wetsuit. Karel decided he would wear his on race day. After the 26 min, ~1800 yard swim, we changed into our bike gear and went for a 57 min/18 mile ride on the out and back section (to Warner Valley road) by the lake. This was the last part of the entire course that we hadn’t previewed yet so when we were done, it was nice to know that we had ridden every part of the bike course (factoring in the 3-4 times we have raced the 70.3 in the past few years).
Throughout the week, I wasn’t feeling all that great. My energy level was a bit low, I was feeling bloated and I was really tired. My period was a few days late which was unusual since it is pretty routine every 25-26 days. On Thursday early evening, my period came. On one hand I was relieved but on the other hand, I knew that Friday would be rough.
On Friday morning, I woke up with cramps. For the rest of the day, I was miserable. It felt like a little alien was inside me, grabbing my intestines and twisting them around (that’s what I like to tell Karel every month 😊 ). The cramps would come and go and when they were on, it was rough. I went out for my warm-up spin and the exercise certainly helped. I then went for a short run. Around my menstrual cycle, I have the typical PMS symptoms but I have to be extra careful with running. My SI joint gets out of whack, my body feels all gumby and I really struggle with running. Normally I wouldn’t run on the first day of my period but I knew I needed to get in a light jog – it went ok.
After my 60-minute bike/run workout, I had a Skratch recovery drink w/ milk and a decent breakfast. Prior to the workout I had a bagel + PB, granola and syrup.
We packed up our transition bags and then headed downtown to drop off our run bags in T2 and then went to the lake to drop off our bike bag and bike in T1. We stayed in Washington, which is about ½ way from downtown and the lake. The downtown area was all dressed up, ready for the race. It was neat to see how it all came together. The transition area was inside a big tent which was cool to see. Karel and I did not fill our running flasks with water but instead, filled them with powder knowing that they would sit out all night and we could fill them up with cold water before we started the run on Saturday.
The experience dropping off our bikes at the lake was pretty uneventful. It was a bit anticlimactic compared to the experience in Kona but it was still exciting knowing that we only had one more sleep until the race. The more I was moving, the better my body felt but I still felt pretty crappy. I knew that I needed to eat to fuel my body and although I didn’t feel the best, I needed to fuel for my tomorrow effort and not think about how I felt today.
After we dropped off everything, we made a quick stop at Walmart to pick up a few things (ex. soup) and then headed back to our Airbnb. I snacked on pretzels in the car and sipped on Skratch. I had two cups of peppermint tea (which seemed to help my tummy) and ate tomato soup w/ rice, a bagel w/ peanut butter and jam, a yogurt, a large sweet potato and granola. Considering how I felt, I was happy with how I fueled on Friday. Instead of using pre-load for extra sodium, I just added ¼ tsp salt to water and had a glass of “salt water” in the evening. I haven’t had the best experience with pre-loading with sodium before a race (it makes me feel weird) so I just salted my food and sipped on a sport drink throughout the day – and finished with my salty water.
Around 6pm, we started to wind down for the evening. I could feel the nerves in my belly (or maybe it was cramps – not sure 😉 Karel was not nervous and I really liked his calm energy. I always get nervous for the first race of the season and with this being an Ironman, I had double the nerves. You’d think after 17 Ironman’s I wouldn’t get so nervous but I still get the nerves about what the day will bring me for 140.6 miles.
I watched the run and bike course videos a few times before bed to visualize the course and aid stations. I watched some funny shows on Netflix and by 7:30pm we were falling asleep. I slept ok for most of the night but then I tossed and turned for at least an hour before the alarm went off at 3:10am. It’s Race day!
RACE DAY I took my time getting out of bed (due to my past experience with race morning fainting) and I made my coffee and ate a cinnamon raisin bagel w/ peanut butter, syrup and granola. I also made 2 eggs (1 white+1 whole) as this was something that I did before a mountain bike race in late March and I liked how it made me feel before and during the race. I also had a glass of salty water. After I ate I put on my race kit and then around 3:45am, I went for a quick jog around the complex. That got my system going before we left around 4:15am to catch the shuttle downtown. We grabbed our pre-made bottles from the fridge (we opted not to freeze them as we didn’t think it would make much difference with the heat). We had a house full of Czech’s racing and spectating so it was nice to have someone drop us off downtown so that we didn’t have to stress about parking.
We arrived downtown around 4:40am which was right around my scheduled shuttle time of 4:45-4:55am. Since Karel was in the wave ahead of me, his shuttle time was around my time so it worked out perfect.
I wore my headphones on the shuttle for the ~30 min drive to the lake and listened to the recent episode of the Pro Tri News Podcast. It helped ease some of my nerves. I was a bit tired and looked forward to the extra time that we had in the transition area before our start (we arrived 2 hours before our wave start). It felt a bit warm in the morning so I didn’t wear a long sleeve shirt or jacket but when we got to the lake, it felt a bit cool so I grabbed a towel that Karel had in his morning clothes bag to wrap around my shoulders (I had a tank on over my sports bra. I wore my one piece trisuit but kept the top down for the swim).
I put my front and rear water bottles on my bike and filled up the hydration system (1.2 liters) with a big Smart Water bottle of my sport drink. I placed my computer on the bike, checked the brakes and wheels and waited for Karel to pump up my tires. Karel bought a cordless air compressor which makes it easy to pump up our tires and have the correct air pressure in them. It’s also compact enough to put in our morning clothes bag (unlike a regular pump). Karel attached a disc wheel adapter to it so it would be easy to pump up his disc wheel as well as my wheels.
After we got everything done at our bikes, we made a potty stop and then spent the next hour (from 6-6:45am) laying down by the barricades and resting our eyes. I had a nice nap – not deep sleep but enough to feel rested and ready to go. It also gave me time to get my butterflies into formation. Around 6:45am, Karel started to put on his wetsuit, apply AMP on his arms and legs, slather on the body glide and put on his cap and goggles. I gave him a kiss and a hug and then he went off to get in his corral with his wave. Around 7am, I started to get myself ready in my wetsuit. I dropped off my morning clothes bag (filled with clothing for post race and my morning running shoes) and lined up with my wave. It was strange lining up in the 40-44 age group for the first time (I’m still 39 but I have to race my age for this year). I had a water bottle filled with skratch to sip on over the next 30 minutes and a bag of honey stinger chews to nibble on (I had a few of them). I also had a plain bottle of water to pour down my wetsuit to get some water inside before I got into the water to ensure that the wetsuit didn’t feel to tight on my chest.
My wave was the first female wave of the race. There was supposed to be a 15 min gap between the last male wave (Karel’s wave) and the first female wave (my wave) but they moved it up to get everyone in the water sooner. I lined myself up toward the front of the wave. The time passed by really quickly and before I knew it, we were lining up by the water, ready to get the race started.
We lined up in a row of 10, each in our own spot with a volunteer in front of us. When we heard a beep, it was time to get into the water.
Three years ago, Karel registered for 2020 Ironman St. George (May). When the race got cancelled due to the pandemic, he transferred his entry to 2021 IM Coeur d'Alene. When he broke his hand mountain biking in May 2021, he was able to transfer his entry back to 2022 Ironman St. George (May). When it was announced that the 2022 Ironman St. George event would be the '2021' Ironman World Championship event, Karel was automatically entered into the World Championship event as a registered IM St. George athlete.
After finishing my 5th Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2019, I wasn't mentally ready to commit to preparing for a May Ironman. Instead, I was happy to support Karel on the sidelines in St. George. In July of 2021, I won my age group at IM Lake Placid. I let my slot roll down for the 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kona as I no longer have ambitions to race there. I'm honored and satisfied with my 5 Ironman World Championship finishes on that island.
Fast forward to January 2022, when the course was announced for the Ironman World Championship in St. George, I took a look at the course and elevation on the bike and run and immediately wanted to participate in the race. Not because it was a World Championship event but because I love challenging and tough courses - and I love racing in St. George. After feeling a bit of FOMO that I didn't register for the event when it was open to general entries, a few weeks later Ironman sent out emails to All World Athletes for the opportunity to register and participate in the Ironman World Championship in St. George. With this being the first World Championship outside of Hawaii - and during the unpredictable circumstances after the pandemic - the added entries were a way to help add more participants to this unique event situation. I quickly chatted with Karel and without hesitation, I paid for my entry and registered for the event.
The past few years have been interesting for us. As experienced and accomplished long distance triathletes, the pandemic served as a page change for a new chapter in our life. With our normal triathlon training and racing routine disrupted, we saw this as a special opportunity to try different things. Thanks to triathlon being three sports, we took advantage of our swim, bike and run fitness (and experience) and jumped into different swim, bike and run events. This change provided us with new motivation and excitement for training but more so, it taught us that we are healthier and happier when we pursue different challenges and adventures - specifically outside in nature.
With Karel enjoying mountain biking, gravel biking and Xterra racing, he didn't want to stop having fun with these different sports (and races) just because he had an Ironman on his schedule. For myself, having registered for the event in February, I didn't feel the pressure of this event looming over me for several months. With a tremendous amount of experience, resiliency and success in long distance triathlon, Karel and I decided that we would take a different approach to preparing for this event. We didn't want to give up the recent sports that brought us great joy so we found a way to incorporate them into our structured triathlon training.
For myself, I did a lot of trail running, group road biking and mountain biking. I love to swim, especially with others. I spent time on the bike trainer (tri bike) every week but focused on more high intensity and/or steady state workouts. I never spent more than 2 consecutive hours on the trainer over the winter/spring. Instead of spending long hours inside (or outside) on the tri bike, I spent a lot of hours outside biking on different types of bikes. And with being new to mountain biking, every ride gave me a nice mix of intensity, endurance and skill work. My bike handling skills have never been better. Because our terrain is very hilly and challenging, I focused more on strength-based sessions instead of trying to get faster with speed work. I never established training zones (no power test) and I haven't worn a heart rate monitor since last September. Every workout was by feel (perceived effort). I use sport nutrition in every workout and I ate before every workout - those are non-negotiable for me. I ate more calories in my daily diet than I've ever eaten before. I did a lot of mobility work and strength training. Most of my runs were brick runs. I gave myself new workouts like run/bike/run or bike/run/bike/run. I kept myself healthy and injury free for over 3 years and that meant 3 years of consistent training. I did several 2 hour runs (most including trail running) and my longest bike rides were around 4-5 hours (with 2 of my longest rides on the mountain bike - 5+ hours). As I got closer to the event (last three weeks), my workouts became more "race specific" and I really focused on perfecting my fueling strategies for bike and run. I've been coaching myself for the past few years and I give myself workouts that target my strengths and my weaknesses.
For Karel and myself, we were excited to see how this different training approach would pay off at the Ironman World Championship in St. George. To be honest, we both felt extremely fit, strong and healthy - even if our training was very unconventional. We didn't feel any pressure to perform at this Ironman and we didn't feel like we needed to change our training to deliver a 'World Championship' worthy performance.
Having said this, we trained a lot (swim/bike/run) but it just looked very different than what we did in the past. More than anything, we were having fun, enjoying the process of training and always focusing on the little details to keep us healthy. We never let the stress or pressure of the Ironman get to us. I believe this helped us stay healthy in mind and body. We never felt burnt out and it was nice to have something different to look forward to each week with the incorporation of trail running, mountain biking and more high-intensity swim/bike/run workouts. I gave myself some challenging sessions and I really enjoyed doing new things and testing my body in different ways. It was refreshing to have a different approach for my 18th Ironman (Karel's15th) and we both trusted our training that we would be prepared to race for 140.6 miles.
I've achieved a lot in the sport of triathlon over the past 16 years. Participating in the Ironman World Championship in St. George was not about needing to prove something but to enjoy the adventure with my body and mind. Going into the event, I knew that my training needed to reflect this mindset shift. The sport of triathlon is very important to us but our results do not define who we are as humans. I had no expectations and I was there for the experience. But to stay competitive, we can't keep doing the same things over and over.
I've always been one to challenge the "norm." I challenge the ideal body type, I challenge the normal Ironman training preparation and I challenge the ways that triathletes fuel for long distance triathlon. Endurance and resiliency takes time to build. It's not acquired over a few months but many years. And when you do build that strong endurance foundation, adding to it won't necessarily make you a better athlete. If anything, it can bring on injury, health issues, a plateau in fitness and burnout. The more experienced you get, the more you need to find ways to change things up - recognizing that getting faster can't be the primary focus. You have to start doing things smarter - like nutrition, mobility, sleep, movement efficiency, fueling, technique and bike handling skills.
My self-identity does not revolve around triathlon. I am a triathlete but I don't want to be remembered for my wins. I want to inspire others by my 'health first, performance second' approach to training and racing. I want to show other athletes that there is not one right way to train and race. When it comes to training, you have to work with your body, your lifestyle and your current fitness. You have to find joy in the process and not obsess over an outcome.
Far too many athletes put too much energy and focus into the "long" workout miles, forgetting that the Ironman is a strength-based sport requiring exceptional health and good application of sport nutrition/fueling/hydration. You have to be strong, you need to know how to take care of your body under massive fatigue/intense weather conditions/challenging terrain and you have to be able to endure a lot (in mind and body). You also need to know how to listen to your body, make quick decisions and not overreact. You don't achieve this from checking off the long training sessions on the weekends but through years of consistent quality training and from a lot of racing experience. You'll never be able to go through the same motions and emotions in training as you do on race day.
Training for an Ironman is not easy. It requires a lot of time, energy and focus. But it doesn't have to be all-consuming, destroy your health and negatively impact your life. A smart approach to training ensures that you are prepared for the race - not just physically but mentally, skill-wise, terrain management and nutritionally. Don't assume that there is only one way to train for a long distance triathlon - there are many different paths to take and what works best for someone else may not work well for you. And if you are experienced, don't burn yourself out by doing the same training year after year.
Karel and I are very proud of our performances at the St. George Ironman World Championship event. We took a different approach and it paid off. We both felt strong and healthy all day and most importantly, we had fun, we enjoyed the suffering and we gave our best effort on the day.
After a good night of sleep on Monday, we had a good breakfast and got caught up on some work before loading up the rental SUV with our bikes and gear. We are staying in Washington (half way between downtown, where T2 and the finish is and Sand Hollow Lake, where the swim and T1 is) which makes it easy to get to various places on the course. We drove to Royal Oaks Park (on the run course) to start our ride. We like to do one last "longer" ride on race week to remind the body what it is preparing for and to keep the body in a routine. Although we are very familiar with the 70.3 bike course, the "Veyo" loop is new to us for this Ironman World Championship course. Karel had the course downloaded in his Garmin although the course was well-marked with tape arrows on the pavement. It was very windy to start our ride and we had NW winds for the majority of the loop - which made for a long ride. However, the scenery was incredible and the roads were quiet and peaceful.
We stopped several times for pictures/videos and we were even greeted by a few wild cows along the way. Over 31 miles, we accumulated around 2100 feet of elevation and it took us a little over 2 hours (14.6 mph). There were a few steeper climbs but nothing too long. When we got to the "wall" we made the switchback turn and finally had some tailwind. I didn't find anything difficult on this loop but the wind will bring the challenge to this course - and the fact that we start this loop around mile 50 of the 112 mile ride (and then finish the ride at mile 100 with a 4-mile climb up Snow Canyon).
The weather was on the cooler side so I rode with gloves and arm warmers. I took off my gloves a few times but the air was crisp and I didn't want to get cold. It was in the mid 50's when we started and we finished in the mid 60's.
The next ten miles were faaaaaaast. 10 miles of descending and I averaged almost 32mph and a max speed of almost 46. Thankfully the wind was at our back for most of it so no gust crosswinds. Karel averaged 34 mph and had a max speed of almost 51mph! And he was passed by professional athlete Sam Long on the downhill - and Karel couldn't even keep up (he tried :)
After our ride, we put on our run gear and headed on to the run course (it was marked) for a short run off the bike. The run course is either up or down (except the out and back section in town after the first loop and before the finish) and it includes a lot of neighborhood and paved trail running - which I really like. We made a quick stop at the Kneaders bakery and then headed back to our condo.
Later in the afternoon, we checked in for the race (around 3pm) and walked around the expo.
Because our last swim was on Friday, we needed to get into the water. Luckily, we have an outdoor 25-yard lap pool at our condo which makes it super convenient to get in a swim workout anytime (one of the main reasons why I selected this location for the 70.3 WC and this event). After our warm-up we did two main sets. It was nice to be in the warm water and finish off a good day of training.
This morning was our first time at the lake since arriving to St. George for this trip. The water was a brisk 59 degrees. We both opted to wear our Xterra neoprene booties to keep our feet comfortable in the cold water. My face and hands were really cold to start but after a few minutes of swimming, I forget about them and found myself warming up under my Roka Wetsuit. We swam two loops of the "practice" course for a total of 28 minutes 1900 yards of swimming. I was pretty cold when we got out of the water and it took a little time for me to stop shivering. This always happens when I do the practice swim at St. George but with the rush of endorphins on race day, I never feel cold.
After the swim we did a run around the park. We each did our own thing. Karel is undecided which shoes he wants to wear on race day so he broke up his run into different out and back segments to try on both sets of shoes to decide what to wear - he's still undecided :) I finally warmed up during the run (even though the air temp was in the 60's) which made for an enjoyable run. We ran into our friends Meg and Kelly Fillnow which was great to see some familiar faces.
After the run, we headed back to our condo to be reunited with some of Karel's Czech friends (who are staying with us). Tomorrow we plan to do another open water swim followed by a bike on the start of the bike course in the Hurricane area.
I have never had an easy Ironman race. I've wanted to quit every Ironman that I have completed. But through it all, I've crossed every Ironman that I've started. That's 16 140.6 mile events of my mind battling with my body.
Triathletes spend many months - if not years - preparing for a 140.6 mile event. You learn a lot about yourself when training for a long-distance triathlon. But the most learning happens on race day....often when you are so close to giving up.
As an endurance athlete, being fit gets you to the start line. Knowing how to battle when you are close to failure is what gets you to the finish line.
Here are a few tips to help you keep going when the going gets hard:
You are not suffering alone. If it's hard for you, it's hard for others. If others can handle it, so can you.
Tough times don't last. For every low moment, there's a high moment around the corner.
Remove the pressure to achieve a certain outcome. Let go of any goal paces/watts and don't worry about your final results.
Take it one mile (or destination point) at a time. Make deals with yourself to keep yourself moving forward.
Don't give up, be smarter. Remove emotion (or judgement) from the situation.
Work through the problem with skill and focus.
Repeat a mantra in your head. A few of mine: Never quit on an uphill. You didn't come this far to only get this far. It's not supposed to be easy. You trained to feel this way.
If your health is compromised or you could endanger your well-being by continuing, the right decision is to stop. It takes great courage and strength to stop when it's the right thing to do.
After nearly a day of flying, it's a relief to finally get outside and smell the salty, flowery Kona air. There's something indescribable about the feeling of stepping out of the last airplane of the journey, knowing that you have arrived to your final destination - the venue of the Ironman World Championship.
The Ironman World Championship is an incredible spectacle of an event. No matter if you are a participant, volunteer or spectator, it's worth the trip to the big island to experience all that is Ironman Kona. From all of the race week events to the massive expo to swimming in a clear, blue fish tank, the event itself is simply the icing on the cake. For seven years, the Ironman World Championship race week has always made for a memorable and inspiring experience for me.
But let's not beat around the bush. If you are participating in the Ironman World Championship, it can get rather expensive.
According to a past article, the average income of an Ironman triathlete is $247,000. Well, I can assure you that our household (and that of many other long distance triathletes) does not make that kind of money. Being a long-distance triathlete (or a triathlete training for any distance) is not inexpensive but it does provide many fulfilling opportunities and experiences that make the costs all worth it.
Here are the typical expenses for an athlete at the Ironman World Championship:
Ironman Kona entry fee (after qualifying): ~$1000+ (per person)
Flight: ~$1000 (per person)
Airport parking: ~$120-$150
Bike fees: ~$150 (per bike, one way)
Rental car: ~$600-$800
Food: ~$400+
Lodging: ~$200-$220 per night (Airbnb)
Extra (ex. massage, merch, last minute items like CO2, nutrition, etc.): ~$300+ Total - $😮$
(this does not include sight-seeing activities and some of the above amounts account for at least a 7-10 day stay).
A lot goes into traveling to an island that is holding a World Championship event. To make Kona affordable and enjoyable, I have a few suggestions that I've learned after seven years of being a participant (or spectator) at Ironman Kona:
Plan in advance - Make reservations as far out as possible. Lodging and rental cars can be reserved at least 10-12 months out. Plus, the sooner out you reserve your lodging, the more options you will have (note: many athletes stay in the same condos/houses year after year so that is why many places are booked the day after the previous IM Kona). Make sure your condo/house has AC - many do not! I always look at the reviews and confirm with the owner of the airbnb/vrbo.
Flight considerations - Review your flight bike policies and consider layovers of at least 2 hours (so that your bike can move from one plane to the next). Try to minimize layovers to help with the shuttling of your bike. As a note, Hawaii airlines does not allow soft bike cases. When booking your flight home from Kona, you will likely have an overnight flight. Consider a seat that will allow you to (somewhat) rest with an exhausted body.
Bring as much with you - Shopping on an island is expensive. Some athletes ship heavy items to the island. Consider the costs of paying for an extra piece of luggage to bring items with you so that you don't need to panic shop when you get to the island. Not only is shopping on an island a bit expensive but if there's something that you need for your trip/race, there's a good chance other athletes need it as well (and that item may be in short supply).
Where to pay extra - Although I try to make our trip as "affordable" as possible, there are a few splurge items. For example, we like to be within walking distance of the race start. I account for this when looking for lodging (we typically stay at the Kona Plaza). I also like to pay extra for extra leg room on the plan (especially for Karel - we often don't sit together so that he can be near the front of economy with plenty of leg room and I sit in an aisle a few rows back). We do not eat out much on the island except Karel loves the Poke bowls and we both love the Acai bowls. I do encourage that you arrive at least seven days out. Participating in the 2.4 mile Ho'ala Ironman training swim (which is open to anyone, be sure to register at least a month out as the event does fill up and there is no race day registration) on the Saturday before the event (one week out) is absolutely worth it. Plus, it's good to give yourself time to become one with the island, get to know the course and acclimate. You could go without a rental car but I think it's worth having one for grocery shopping and to train on the bike course a bit further north of the island (the first 7 miles of the bike course are between the airport and Kailua-Kona, which can get very busy with cars).
Where to watch your money - Many athletes spontaneous spend on the latest and greatest. Some of this is feeling vulnerable to buying "speed" (ex. upgrading your bike for $1500+ on the two days before the event) whereas it's easy to overspend out of worry or fear (ex. a new helmet, new shoes, etc.). My advice is to only spend on items that answer yes to these questions: Will it make your race more enjoyable? Will it make your race safer? The Ironman World Championship is still an Ironman. A lot can happen over 140.6 miles. And the island can be unpredictable. Because of this, spending money on items that you think will make you faster is not worth it. Instead, if a race kit or helmet will make you feel cooler in the hotter than hot conditions, that can make you race more enjoyable. If spending money on a new pair of goggles will help you swim better without worry of your goggles fogging up, it's worth it. If using super deep wheels because so and so said that you will go faster, will you enjoy riding those wheels in gusty, trade winds? Purchasing a hydration belt so that you can carry your own nutrition with you can certainly make your race safer for your body.
Make smart investments - It doesn't matter what level athlete you are. If you are training for an Ironman distance event, you are undergoing an amazing human feat. Participating in a 140.6 mile event should be taken very seriously. Therefore, I encourage you to make smart investments with your money. Investing in a sport dietitian, massage therapist/PT, sport psychologist, bike fit and coach will be worth your while. Having someone help you in your journey will allow you to better do what you love to do - swim, bike and run. Plus, with so much going into a one day event, investing into the areas that will help you feel more confident and prepared on race day will make for a more enjoyable (and safer) race day experience. The latest wearable gadget with a dozen different settings to help you monitor your health is worth nothing if you lack an understanding of how to fuel and hydrate your body before and during a 140.6 mile event.
If you have any questions regarding traveling to Kona, Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship (as spectator, volunteer or participant) or racing the event, I'd be happy to help you out. Feel free to send me an email: Marni@trimarnicoach.com
Today would have been the start of the Ironman World Championship race week. If you've ever been to Kona at this time of year, it's an incredibly special and inspiring week. Although Karel and I were not planning to race this year, we had a few Trimarnis on the start list. Although it's sad to know that their IM Kona dreams are now on hold, we know the wait will be worth it and they will get their Ironman Kona experience and a one-of-a-kind finish line feeling.
Around this time in October, I've spent seven of the last 13 years on the big island of Kona, Hawaii. Five of those years as an IM Kona athlete (2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019) and two of those years as a spectator for Karel (2016 and 2018). We have been privileged to call Kona our second home for so many years for at least a week in early October.
In honor of this week being IM Kona "race week" I will share a few of the lessons I've learned as an Ironman World Championship participant (and spectator). I'll start with a very important topic and one that I am extremely passionate about.....body image.
BODY IMAGE
I believe in setting a good example for my athletes by always embracing and encouraging a healthy relationship with food and the body. Karel and I do not follow any extreme styles of eating, we don't restrict food/fuel in an effort to change body composition and we do not manipulate our diet in an effort to change our body image for a race (ex. race weight). Food is our fuel and our nourishment and we firmly believe that when the body is well fueled and well nourished, it's healthy. And a healthy body performs well.
Sadly, we live in a society (and within a triathlon sport bubble) that involves competitive leanness. Rather than taking great care of the incredible vehicle (your body) that gets you from the start to the finish line, many athletes fall victim to chasing a specific weight or body fat percentage, assuming that leanness is a criteria for race day success.
Truth be told, in the sport of triathlon, specifically in the Ironman World Championship, the winner across the finish line is not always the leanest athlete. There is no consistent, conclusive evidence that "leanness" directly correlates with Ironman race day readiness. As a 16x Ironman finisher, I can confidently tell you that there are so many variables that can affect the body over 140.6 miles.
Your body image does not make you mentally stronger on race day.
Your body image does not make you immune to needing sport nutrition on race day.
Your body image does not mean that you won't fatigue or have low moments on race day.
Your body image does not mean that you won't have an equipment related issue on race day.
Your body image does not mean that you will have endless energy on race day.
On race week, you should find your relationship with your body at its strongest. You should be thanking every part of your body every for what it's about to let you do. You receive no athletic benefit in bashing your body, restricting carbohydrates/calories, dehydrating yourself, feeling shame for your body, wishing for a different body image or feeling intense pressure to quickly weigh less.
Manipulating your diet (or taper regime) on race week in an effort to quickly attempt to change your body composition will only put you at risk for a race performance far below your athletic potential. As it relates to comparing your body to the body of another athlete, never let the body image of another athlete make you to believe that your body isn't ready or good enough for a great race day performance.
Having a great relationship with your body not only builds your confidence for race day but it also enables you to make good eating and fueling choices on race week, which will help you arrive to your start line fresh, fueled and mentally ready to race.
It's normal to feel a little heavier than normal on race week when you are properly fueling and hydrating your body for race day. You may even feel a little uncomfortable at times because of taper and this is ok. I always remind myself that when my body feels a little heavy, it means that I am fully ready for the race.
It's normal to look a little different in the mirror when your body is rejuvinating and repairing itself during taper. Remind yourself that what you look like doesn't determine how your body will perform on race day. Far too many athletes arrive to Kona looking extremely lean and fit but unhealthy and nutritionally unprepared for the necessary fuel/hydration that is required to get the body to the finish line.
Healthy and strong look different on every body. Be proud of your body and how far it has taken you in your training journey. Direct your energy beyond a look and instead, focus on the amazing upcoming race day adventure that you will take your body on.
Fuel and eat for performance and not for an image. Be honest with yourself - what is it that you want your body to do on race day? Do you want to look strong and fast or do you want your body to be strong and fast?
When you arrive to a race with plans, hopes and dreams of performing well with your body, don't sabotage your performance by letting your appearance get the best of you.
Replace the negative self-talk and self-criticism with meaningful statements that reflect a positive appreciation for your amazing body.
With so much happening before, during and after the Ironman World Championship, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos from our time on the big island. In no particular order.......
Enjoying the island fruit.
I did it! Volunteer - don't let me fall over!
First dip in the ocean since arriving.
Getting reunited with the Queen K.
Running in the energy lab.
Yum...gelato.
Will swim for ice cream.
If our thoughts had emojis.
Evening sunset walk.
Never too much pre-race ice cream.
Another big cruise ship coming to town.
My happy place...swimming.
"Sandy" the local turtle ;)
White sands beach. Salt water therapy.
White Sands Beach.
View from our condo.
More time on the Queen K.
Running with friends.
Enjoying time with Ericka.
Cheers - pre-race non-alcoholic beer.
Teammies in Kona.
Paparazzi.
More gelato. Hey, it's hot in Kona!
Getting checked in for the race.
All checked in!
Hey, there we are!
Expo exploring.
Parade of Nations - Czech!
The real Iron Man??
Bike check in!
Sara - all ready to go!
Pre-race smiles with Livingston (from Levelen).
Post race Czech athletes pic.
Post-race discussion with our athletes...over ice cream.
Visiting the Hilo zoo on the other side of the island.
First off, thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Karel and I are incredibly grateful for this incredible opportunity to participate together in the 2019 IM World Championship. We will also be sharing the course with three of our coached athletes. Your virtual high fives and kind words will help us get to the finish line so keep the cheers coming. If you are planning to watch the race, here's a link on how to watch the Ironman World Championship. There will be 20 hours of coverage on Facebook (Ironman Now), beginning at 10:30am EST (4:30am Hawaii Time). You can also track via the Ironman Tracker App or online.
Thursday was a low key day of training. We have been trying to sleep as long as we need (~9 hours) so we are never rushed to get up and train in the morning. We started off with a quick 20 minute swim in the ocean around the time of the end of the underpants run. The pier/swim start was packed with athletes so it was a bit chaotic swimming out into the ocean. There were also some swells and the current was strong. After the swim, we were planning a bike ride but then it started to rain. We sat around in our cycling gear for a good hour until we decided to postpone our ride until the afternoon. Since it was cloudy out, we went down to the expo to chat with our friends at Ventum. Although the sun wasn't out, it was extremely humid and hot. Once the roads dried, we went out on our bikes for a 45 minute spin. We headed up Kuakini and then took a side street to Ali'i drive and then biked the old and new run course in town. After the ride, we picked up pizza from Lava Java (my typical pre-race ritual) and yummed while watching Breakfast with Bob interviews. Around 3pm, our athlete Roman came over so that Karel could give him a course talk in Czech before our other athletes arrived at 4pm for the English version. With a combined 9 times of racing IM Kona, Karel and I have learned a lot over the years.
Around 6pm we made our way to the King K hotel for the athlete opening banquet. The athlete briefing didn't start until 830pm (which has been our bedtime) so it was a bit of a late evening for us.
We made sure to sleep in as late as possible on Friday so it was nice to get up just before 7am. We took our time in the morning and eventually started our workouts. I did a quick swim and run and Karel went to the energy lab for a bike/run.
I was super excited to finish my workout as a giant cinnamon roll from Lava Java was calling my name. Yum yum!!
As for the rest of today, we packed up our gear bags and we will be heading down to the excitement of checking in our bikes and gear bags - which is quite the spectacle.
We are both feeling healthy, fit and strong. We are thankful for our coach Cait Snow for her continued support, encouragement and coaching wisdom and experience. Also a big thanks to the Trimarni affiliates and supporters.
With the weather looking to be hot and very windy, we will utilize our "race smarts" and try to put together the best performance possible on the day. Thanks again for following us along to the start line.....see ya at the finish line!
Karel and I live together, train together and work together. But when it comes to racing, we both have a different strategy for feeling "race ready" in the 24 hours before a big event. Whereas I like to talk, watch funny videos/shows on the computer, laugh and socialize, Karel likes to hibernate with techno music, visualizing his race. Respecting Karel's pre-race rituals, I planned a long ride on Friday so that Karel could have time to himself, doing whatever he needed to do to relax without any distractions.
As for my ride, I biked the course! Well, all but 6 miles in town.
Whereas I've had an unfriendly relationship with this bike course for each of the four times that I have raced in the Ironman World Championship (2007, 2011, 2013, 2015), I wanted to cover the course (to Hawi and back) all by myself.
And wow, the roads were rather empty from athletes! Although I did see a handful of athletes scattered over the Queen K and a few in Hawi, most (if not all) were not IM Kona racers.
Since riding 100+ miles is a rarity for me and Karel (a combo of where we live and we do more higher intensity training versus long aerobic miles), I also looked forward to sharing 5+ hours with my body and mind. If I've learned anything about the IM Kona bike course it's that the weather is very unpredictable and you have to be physically fit but very mentally strong.
To keep the ride structured instead of just going for a 100+ mile ride, I used the first 8 miles to the airport as a warm-up and then started my main set for the rest of the ride. I went 20 minutes "on" at Ironman effort followed by a 5 minute EZ spin. I continued this for the remainder of my ride (4+ hours), all the way back to town.
The winds were not howling but it was hotter than hot. I felt like I was riding in a sauna - and this was even with a 7am start to my ride.
I went through 8 bottles during my ride (5 with calories, 2 with "electrolytes" and 1 with plain water to use for cooling my head. I had a stop in Hawi at the gas station to refill my bottles.
While a year is a long time away, I am getting more and more excited to return back to the Big Island in 2019 for the Ironman World Championship - as a participant. Whereas I turned down my slot last year at IM CHOO, I'm really glad that I took my slot at IMWI last month as I feel much more confident with my open water swimming abilities, my riding skills and my running form. This was a great season for me (training and racing) and I hope to build off this season....after I take a well deserved short off-season break near the end of the month. Next up I have the Hincapie Gran Fondo next Saturday.
Maui off in the distance.
While I didn't have any lows during the ride (this may have been because I didn't have to run a marathon off the bike), there were a few times when I found myself getting lazy with my pedal stroke. Having the set of 20 minutes ON and 5 minutes OFF helped as I could stay focus and then look forward to a little reset.
Aside from the cars/trucks on the road, the shoulder was pretty empty compared to the last few days. As someone who enjoys courses with lots of spectators (and loos), I also feel this ride was very valuable for me to be alone for so long with my own thoughts.
Stats from the ride:
Total ride time: 5:28.59
Total distance: 106 miles
Average speed: 19.4
Elevation gain: 3635
Normalized power: 143 watts
Average HR: 120
Average temp: 82 (Max temp 97!)
After I returned home, I wanted to see how my legs felt so I went for a quick 16 min run (1 mile out, 30 sec walk, 1 mile back) along Kuakini. I kept the pace comfortable and as usual, I wore my hydration belt. I was glad I had it for it was toasty! After cleaning up and eating, it wasn't too long later that Karel, his mom and I went down to bike check-in. Karel's slot for checking in his bike was 2:30-6pm so he waited until around 4pm to check in his bike. It was a very cloudy afternoon and as I write this now (7pm) it is pouring outside. Tomorrow should be an interesting day with the weather!
As a spectator and fan of the sport, I really love this part of the Ironman World Championship. There are crowds of people, you can feel the nervous energy of the athletes and you can sense the excitement of dropping off the bike and gear bags with only one sleep to go until race day.
The finish line arch and stage are coming together. It won't be too long until we get to witness the relief and joy by the athletes as they cross the most incredible finish line in the sport.
As for the bike/gear bag check in procedure, first athletes will go under an arch (athletes only) and it's a big show for spectators and athletes. There's music, announcers and tons of volunteers. There are literally people just watching for hours as athletes check in their bikes.
Once you enter the athlete-only area, there are a few booths where athletes with their respective bike gear/equipment will get some swag from the companies. For example, Karel got a Shimano hat because he has Shimano on his bike. It's a cool way for companies to say thank you to their customers.
And then there are the counters. There are a good two dozen plus people counting all the bike specs to determine how many athletes have certain brands on their bike. These counters look at everything from bike components, wheel brands, saddle brands, power meters and so much more. The final tally typically circulates the internet a few days after IM Kona on various triathlon websites.
Next up, athletes get their picture taken. Well, actually the bike gets a photo. I believe this is for security reasons but there could be other reasons as well.
Next is another wait in line before finally entering the transition area.
With so many volunteers, from all of the world, it's really neat to see how many people come here just to help out with the event.
The volunteer takes the gear bag and then the athlete walks to the gear bags to drop off the bags (Blue = Bike, Red = Run) and then place the bike in the floor rack. The helmet must go on the bike and cycling shoes can go inside the Bike bag or on the bike. Nothing can be on the floor next to the bike. The gear bags are also clear for security reasons.
The transition area on the pier is huge. With 2500 athletes, everyone has to cover the same route to enter and leave the transition area for swim to bike and bike to run.
After Karel was finished checking in his stuff, he did a quick video with Czech TV before heading back to the condo. The rest of the evening was "feet up, eat up."
One more sleep and this is where it's all going to start (and finish) tomorrow morning!
To follow the race, check out Ironman.com, Ironman Now on Facebook and the Ironman Tracker App.
Karel is bib number 1322 (40-44 AG).
I'll also be sharing pictures/updates on my Trimarni Facebook page tomorrow as often as I can.
At Trimarni, we believe in setting a good example for our athletes by encouraging a healthy relationship with food and the body. Karel and I do not follow any extreme styles of eating, we don't restrict food/fuel in an effort to change body composition and we do not manipulate our diet in an effort to change our body image. Food is our fuel and our nourishment and we firmly believe that when the body is well fueled and well nourished, it's healthy. And a healthy body can perform far better than a body that may look fit but is not receiving the necessary nutrients and energy to perform.
Sadly, we live in a society and within a sport bubble that involves competitive leanness. Rather than seeing the body as the vehicle that gets you from the start to the finish line, many athletes are spending an entire season racing for a specific appearance/body fat percentage, assuming that leanness is a criteria for race day success.
Truth be told, in the sport of triathlon, specifically in the Ironman World Championship, the winner across the finish line is not always the leanest athlete. We still have inconclusive evidence that "leanness" directly correlates to athletic readiness and ability to performance in an Ironman, specifically because there are so many variables that can affect the body over 140.6 miles. Your body image does not make you mentally stronger on race day. Your body image does not make you immune to needing sport nutrition on race day. Your body image does not mean that you won't fatigue or have low moments on race day. Your body image does not mean that you won't have an equipment related issue on race day. Your body image does not mean that you will have endless energy on race day. So why do so many athletes focus on apperance over performance? You can't do much on race day with an underfueled/unhealthy body.
As an athlete, your closest relationship in life will be to your body. Your body lets you do so much on a daily basis but you can never take for granted what your body lets you do on race day.
On IM Kona race week, you should find your relationship with your body at its strongest. You should be thanking every part of your body every for what it's about to let you do on Saturday. You receive no athletic benefit in bashing your body, restricting carbohydrates, dehydrating yourself, wishing for a different body image or feeling intense pressure to quickly weigh less. Manipulating your diet on race week in an effort to change your body composition will only put you at risk for a race performance far below your athletic potential.
Due to self-comparison and excessive media exposure that glorifies lean and toned athletic bodies in Kona, you may find yourself constantly criticizing your appearance, assuming that if only you could have dropped a few more lbs or reached your "race weight" then you would be able to perform better on race day. When you surround yourself with the best Ironman athletes from around the world, every athlete is fit. You don't arrive to a World Championship event without a strong committment to your training. But I can tell you that many of the athletes at the start line are not healthy. While an athlete may look fit based on his/her body image, come race day, your body image does not determine race day readiness. Don't let the body image of another athlete cause you to believe that your body isn't ready or good enough for race day.
Having a great relationship with your body not only builds your confidence for race day but it also enables you to make good eating and fueling choices on race week, which will help you arrive to your Ironman World Championship start line fresh, fueled and hungry to race. If you are constantly feeling bothered by your body composition, there's a good chance that you are spending more energy on how your body looks instead of what it can do on race day. It's normal to feel a little heavier than normal on race week when you are properly fueling and hydrating your body for race day. You may even feel a little uncomfortable at times and this is ok. I always remind myself that when my body feels a little heavy, it means that I am fully loaded with fuel for race day. It's normal to look a little different in the mirror when your body is rejuvinating and repairing itself during taper. Remind yourself that what you look like doesn't determine how your body will perform on race day. Far too many athletes arrive to Kona looking extremely lean and fit but unhealthy and nutritionally unprepared for the necessary fuel/hydration that is required to get the body to the finish line.
Healthy and strong look different on every body. Be proud of your body and how far it has gotten you in your Ironman journey. Direct your energy beyond a look and instead, focus on the amazing adventure that you will go on with your body on race day.
Fuel and eat for performance and not for an image. Be honest with yourself - what is it that you want your body to do on race day? Do you want to look strong and fast or do you want your body to be strong and fast? If you went to Kona with plans, hopes and dreams of performing well with your body, don't sabotage your performance by letting your appearance get the best of you. Replace the negative self-talk and self-criticism with meaningful statements that reflect a positive appreciation for your amazing body.
It's a no brainer that mental training can help to boost your race day performance.
Whereas the atmosphere at an Ironman event can be exciting, the big island of Kona is unlike any other Ironman event on race week. There are countless events, meet-and-greets and other activities to entertain athletes and with all of the excitement of race week, it can be difficult to tune out distractions, reduce anxiety and stress and maintain great focus for race day.
It's very normal and typical for Ironman athletes to experience a heightened sense of self-doubt, worry and fear on race week. Whereas there's a lot to consider when racing for 140.6 miles, Kona brings unique race day conditions with the wind and heat and the unpredictability of the day can literally suck the energy out of your body before you even have a chance to toe the start line.
But no need to worry.
My good friend and Licensed Clinical Sport Psychologist Gloria Petruzzelli (Dr. G) wrote an excellent article on Ironman.com that will help you increase your mental game on race week so that you can put all that hard training to great use on race day. As I always like to tell myself on race day "Control the body with the mind."
Almost every athlete that competes at the Ironman World Championship has received a spot to the starting line by performing well at a qualifying event. Rarely does an athlete earn a spot to this notable triathlon event on a whim. The triathlete who qualifies for IM Kona typically invests a lot of time, money and energy into the craft of preparing the body and mind for a 140.6 mile event. Thus, it's the commitment, consistency, flexibility and goal-focused mindset in training, along with the understanding of the right gear, nutrition, mental skills, pacing, training and taper that contributes to athletic excellence on race day. This is the winning formula that helps an athlete qualify for the Ironman World Championship.
Far too many athletes enter race week in panic mode and begin to change the winning formula. Rituals that once helped an athlete build confidence for race day are replaced with worry, fear and self-doubt. Sure, the Ironman World Championship is a big-deal race but if you think about the distance, it's just another Ironman distance triathlon race. While you should certainly respect the distance and the island, don't abort the approach, method or formula that worked for you in the past. While it's ok to change certain aspects of your gear, nutrition or pacing plan to better manage the course or conditions (ex. ventilated helmet, depth size of your wheel, etc), it's not ok to change your plan because you think you'll be faster, perform better or because you saw that someone else (top age grouper/professional) was doing something similar.
As you enter race week for the Ironman World Championship, don't get distracted by focusing on what everyone else is doing. Be attentive to your own needs and do not make drastic/extreme changes as it relates to what worked for you in the past::
Fueling/hydration plan
Pacing strategy
Taper training
Race morning routine
Sleep regime
Daily diet
Daily rituals
Mental skills
Gear/equipment
Avoid the tendency to change what was familiar to you in an effort to try to gain the competitive edge.
Additionally, any last minute strategies to feel more race ready, like validation workouts to test your speed, watts or fitness, taking anti-inflammatory or other performance-enhancing medications, getting a cortisone shot, relying on ART or other body-manipulating therapies to heal a niggle/injury or trying to manipulate your diet in an effort to change your body composition can be extremely damaging to your health, not to mention your performance.
Sometimes change is good and even on race week, you may find that you need to be smart with your nutrition, gear/equipment and training. You don't need to reinvent yourself on race week in an effort to perform your athletic potential.
Trust your coach. Trust yourself. Trust your training.
Indulging on cheese curds the day after IMWI after placing 6th female amateur/3rd AG (this was an appetizer to my juicy "veggie" burger and salty sweet potato fries).
I was joined by Karel who also enjoyed indulging on a juicy burger with salty regular fries after qualifying for his first IM World Championship after his 3rd IM.
Racing in endurance racing, at any level, requires extreme attention
to every detail. Triathletes and long distance runners are known to be a bit driven, obsessive and
competitive and more often than not, a bit
food-obsessed.
Because achieving perfect race-week and race day nutrition may make the
difference between having a dominating race day performance and struggling to
make it to the finish line (or get out of the port-o-potty), triathletes who
have a healthy relationship with food and the body intuitively understand the
best foods for their body that will ultimately support health and race day
goals.
But oh how circumstances
change after an athlete crosses that finish line!
Pizza, burgers, wings, fries,
beer, donuts and the occasional “healthy” orange slice to cleanse the palate.
It should be known that Karel and I are not strict with our diet and we choose to fuel on many healthy foods but also perhaps, some foods that may be taboo for some endurance athletes (ex. dairy, whole grains, bread). But even though we have no off-limit food list, there is a strong emphasis on nutrient dense foods in our plant-strong diet (even though Karel is not a vegetarian like me, both of our diets are clearly plant-strong as our diet is primarily whole-food based).
So when it comes to indulging, there are so many reasons as to why we (that is all of us endurance athletes) should and deserve to indulge after a hard, long race and not feel guilty about it. I reserve the "need" to indulge for races only....and perhaps the occasional "it just feels right" post long workout occasion.
Here are some reasons why we should all accept and enjoy the post-race indulging experience.
The most obvious reason is
because your body is compensating for the glycogen depletion, dehydration,
brain fatigue and the 7,000+ calories that were burned during let's say, a 140.6 mile,
arduous event. Bottom line, besides the copious amount of gels, sport drinks,
cola and bananas that you consume during a long distance race, the body is famished.
If you have ever found
yourself craving a salty, sweet and/or fatty meal within the 24 hours after
crossing your endurance event finish line, you are not alone in this common
ritual. Beyond the physiological reasons to refill your empty tank, the
post-race food fest often unites exhausted athletes who need to de-stress. Although
the body may be drained and covered in sweat, we all have foods that bring
comfort to the soul. Post race, this is no exception. The Ironman
competition, for example, is far from normal yet the post-race norm is to celebrate a great
feat with some type of comforting indulgence.
It’s likely that you and hundreds
of your fellow competitors may crave similar foods that were recently, not seen
as performance-enhancing in your daily diet. An “off-limit” food list is likely
the first thing that you want to tackle after you cross your long distance finish
line.
Whether you indulge on
sugary food to replace depleted glycogen stores, quench your thirst through
electrolyte-rich fruits and beverages or salivate over calorically dense fatty
options to comfort the body, do not feel bad about your post-race indulging. Regardless if you finish an Ironman or marathon or
celebrate the holidays with your family, indulging feels good and we all
deserve it!
(As for how it feels after you have over-indulged…well, you probably know how
that goes)
Unlike sport nutrition,
there is no clear science to post-race indulgences but from a physiologically
stand-point, a depleted body is not always going to crave “healthy” foods. But
we should also agree that foods that are often “off limit” are very easy to
crave when they are eventually allowed or deserved. And just like hot dogs and
cracker jacks are to baseball games, is very ritualistic and to no surprise,
that many athletes share similar food-related cravings after racing for 3+ or 8+
hours.
So that you do not feel
alone in your post-race indulging, here is my recent IRONMAN.COM article so you can learn what you will find the pros chowing
down on after they cross the Ironman World Championship finish line.
And because I do not call myself a runner, but instead, a triathlete, I am ending my Ironmand World Championship by running 26.2 miles.
As if running a marathon wasn't hard enough, I choose to run 26.2 miles after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. A marathon is certainly never under-valued for the every-day running enthusiast who strives to be a marathon finisher and I can't say it enough that I am so incredibly grateful for what my body allows me to do for a total of 140.6 miles. I realize that I could choose just to be only a swimmer and "only" swim 2.4 miles in the ocean. I could also be only a cyclist and "only" bike 112 miles. Or, I could only be a runner and "only" run a marathon.
But as a competitive athlete, my mind demands more to prove my toughness. I have chosen a multi-sport lifestyle because it not only challenges my body but also my mind. Seven Ironman finish lines ago, I decided I didn't want to settle for single-sport finishing lines. Absolutely nothing wrong with each sport performed alone but I have dedicated year after year to become the best multi-sport athlete I can be.
As an endurance triathlete, I realize that I have a lot on my plate. Oh yes, life is hard enough to manage but on top of that - nutrition, sport nutrition, stretching, strength training, training, racing, sleep. It's a lot to be an athlete, let alone an endurance athlete.
I take my sport, which is a voluntary sport, very seriously.
And what keeps me smiling throughout every race is knowing that I have trained myself to handle the mental demands of race day.
It's easy to sign up for an Ironman but you must have the motivation to train. Your inner drive keeps you going because of a meaningful goal that keeps you moving forward through soreness, bad workouts, injuries and stressful days.
The Ironman demands taking risks and learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable. And success as an Ironman athlete doesn't mean that you have the perfect pacing and nutrition plan but instead, that you are able to stretch your physical and emotional limits. When the body and mind want to give up, shower and lay down on the couch - you have to find a way to silence the screaming in your body so that you can finish what you started.
The Ironman requires that you handle competitive pressure in a good way so that you do not throw away hard work, good coaching and proper planning because you are nervous to see what the body will actually do when you put months of training together, of three sports, only for a one day event.
The Ironman requires that you believe in yourself for no one can move your body for 140.6 miles except for your own mind that controls the body to want it more than it has ever wanted it before.
The Ironman requires you to be an amazing person when it comes to adversity. The Ironman tests you when you are most vulnerable - like three weeks out from a race and you get sick or injured or during a race and you lose your fuel, get a flat tire or your GPS malfunctions. The Ironman tests you when the forecast isn't in your favor. When you feel scared or intimated by things out of your control, the Ironman wants to see how you use experience to adapt to the adversity. The Ironman wants to know if you can avoid making the same mistake twice (i.e. overtraining, poor pacing, etc.) and if you are strong enough to actually accept your mistakes in the first place instead of blaming your own mistakes on the weather or the course.
The Ironman is nothing more than a metaphor of life...although, when you cover 140.6 miles in an Ironman event, you get a big shiny medal and a t-shirt.
What I love about the Ironman, but most importantly as an endurance triathlete, is that I can develop skills during training that I never knew were possible. I can focus on what is important at that moment in time and set goals for myself for the future to keep me waking up every morning to see what I am capable of achieving for that day.
Lastly, the Ironman teaches me the skill of patience. Knowing that you can not cover 140.6 miles by training for a few weeks, the lesson I have learned the most with the Ironman is that hard work feels great. It's not easy and it's not quick and it requires more than just putting in the miles.
The Ironman is a lifestyle and that is what keeps me craving more, year after year. Every time I start a race, I look forward to the opportunity to be with myself all day and to cross the Ironman finishing line knowing that with every race, I am becoming a stronger human being.
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After 112 miles, I was excited to step foot on the ground for the first time in 5 hours and 30 minutes. I stopped my computer on my bike and hit lap on my Garmin 910. I handed my bike to a volunteer and bent over to remove my shoes. I carried my shoes with me through transition which was a long run all the way around the entire pier.
I finally reached my T2 gear bag which contained two gel flasks, my 110% Visor, a clean pair of socks, my bib number + race belt (with safety pins attached), my Brooks Launch running shoes (with lace locks) and a small hand towel and then headed inside the Women's changing tent.
I was very unsuccessful at emptying my bladder fully on the bike so as soon as I put on my shoes, clean socks (kept my compression CEP calf sleeves on) and visor (with the help of a volunteer giving my ice cold water), I went straight to the port-o-potty in the Women's changing tent.
One of my rules with needing to go to the bathroom during races is go the first moment you feel the urge. Do not wait until it gets too late and the transition area is a great place to go as there is a better chance you will find more potties than on the course with athletes.
Completely relieved after I went to the bathroom (I made us of my time by putting on my bib number belt), I stretched out my legs and walked until I left the changing tent until it felt "right" to run. I was in no immediate rush as I knew all was going well - no GI distress, great pacing and if all goes well, a very exciting PR.
After leaving transition area, I was mobbed by spectators. Of course, everyone was behind the barricades but they gave me so much amazing energy. I saw a few friends in the crowd (Lane Vogel and Lacey - thank you!) and made my way a bit up Palani, to the right and then down Hualani to veer left on to the notorious Alli drive.
I had mentally and physically prepared myself for this run. I completed the 3 x 2 hour runs which were all off the bike (1-2 hour bikes) and felt much stronger than in Placid 14 weeks ago. Also, I was reminded by a good friend of mine and a phenomenal top triathlete that when you become stronger on the bike, running is much easier off the bike. My power had improved 10 watts in 14 weeks which for me, is huge on the bike but most of all, my body was healthy and 90 days of no running meant lots of hip work to bring me to Kona with a strong body.
The run course is exciting and beautiful....until you step foot on the Queen K hwy around mile 10.
So to soak up all the excitement, I could not wait to see Gloria outside of our condo, just 2.7 miles down the road. It was the highlight of my day as I knew she would be cheering for me and I just hoped she had a message for me from Karel and my parents.
I'm not going to sugar-coat the run but the first few miles took a while to pass. I was feeling good in my body but it was just an overwhelming amount of energy to hold on to that I struggled to get my rhythm. I needed to go to the bathroom (nothing was distressing my GI system, I just needed to go and the body was telling me to do so) so I went to a potty and it was being occupied. This was just after I saw Gloria so I am thinking around mile 4 or so, just about 1.5 miles before the turn around. I stood outside the potty for what felt like forever but it was only about 30 sec or so until I decided to continue on to the next potty. Ah - relief.
I stuck with my plan of mostly going by RPE with a goal pace of around 8:30, if I ran faster, I would walk until I reached my goal pace. If I was slowing down a bit on the inclines, I would accept that time as I knew a decline was coming and I would still walk 20-30 seconds. I started walking at mile 2 and mentally stimulating, the mile markers were not at each aid station! This made things feel so much better as I walked the aid stations which meant I was walking just after each mile marker. It's odd but when you are running a marathon, something has to keep the mind occupied and I like to do math.
I was monitoring my current pace and average pace for the entire run. This was very helpful for me because I noticed that even with the walking (just like in training) I was not losing a lot of time all at once. I would gradually see my average pace go down but I was hoping for a 3:40-3:50 marathon and I had plenty of room to achieve that. I trusted myself and nutrition with my flasks and occasion coke + ice from the volunteers when needed. I had paced myself on the bike and as long as I was keeping myself cool with ice cold sponges and ice down my bra top, all would be in my favor. Just one step at a time.
After the turn around, I felt accomplished. I mentally broke down this run into sections. Get to first turn around. Get to Palani. Climb Palani. Run the 4 miles on Queen K hwy to energy lab. Run the 2 miles to turn around in energy lab. Run 2 miles back up the false flat in energy lab. Reach mile 20 on Queen K Hwy. Reach mile 24 and know you only have 2 more miles to go. If Campy can run 2 miles, you can run two miles. Reach mile 25 knowing you are almost home. Soak in the last 1 mile - you do it!
The way back on Alli drive felt harder than the beginning but it was nothing that I couldn't handle. I just couldn't find my groove and with my experience in IM racing, I knew it would come.
Nearing mile 8, I started to feel really good. Perhaps because I was approaching town and the cheers were coming or maybe it was because I had passed Gloria again and received instant energy from her. Whatever it was, as I made my two climbs out of town and toward the Queen K (I couldn't WAIT to walk at the aid station on Palani but it was near the top and seemed to take forever as I shuffled my way up), I really looked forward to the Queen K hwy.
With 2007 being injured in Kona, 2011 having GI issues...2013 Kona was the year that I would run happy.
There were only two spectator-allowed areas on the Queen K hwy and they both occurred within the first 2 miles on Queen K hwy. So beyond mile 12 or so, it was quite - aside from the occasion athlete throwing up, peeing/pooping in the pushes and what looked to be many cramping and bonking bodies struggling between each aid station.
But, then there were the success stories. Seeing the pros, my friends (go KATIE THOMAS!) and so many other athletes who were racing in the Kona for the first time. My own nutrition athletes (Christine, Fran and Nicole) and many friends who I have met along the way.
I tried to get my mind to a happy place - like I was running in my neighborhood, on a Sunday with pancakes waiting for me at home. I kept trying over and over to "feel" like that but I couldn't get myself there. My mind new I was in Kona...so did my body. I was hot, getting tired and using all my strength to get to each aid station. My goal was to slow down the least amount possible and I knew those last 3 miles would make or break my race. I did not walk between any aid station (aside from two potty stops on the course + transition. No GI issues, just nature calling and a sign that my body was functioning beyond normal for an Ironman) and unlike my past 6 Ironmans, I consciously paid attention to my overall time.
As I was nearing the energy lab, I was not scared. I knew what to expect. Never on the course did I feel overheated and I used the energy lab as a place to relax - as much as possible. I was not concerned with my pace from miles 16-20 and I just kept telling myself "keep moving forward. You will get there. You will get there." Sometimes I said it out loud "You are going to get there and you will PR."
I even told other people I was going to PR. I needed to verbally say it out loud as I knew I could easily surrender to the voices, the pain and the fatigue at any moment. I new my aid station stops were getting longer but between them I was running strong 8:05-8:30 min/miles. I knew I could keep this up, I just needed help to get there. I saw a friend that I met in Kona, Sherry Anne and she offered great help. She looked strong running and as we walked through the aid stations together, we exchanged supportive words. I watched her running form and tried to emulate it - that really helped.
A girl from Australia who was playing cat and mouse on the bike, run up to me on the run. Kristy helped me have the race of my life.
Mile 22 of an Ironman is an odd place. Feeling so close yet 30+ minutes of running feels like forever.
Kristy and I chatted, talked about how many IM's we have done, what we do, where we are from. I wasn't able to chat in full sentences but enough to make mile 22 go by as quick as to be expected in an Ironman. I asked Kristy about her day and she asked about mine. I told her I was going to have a big PR today as long as I keep moving forward.
I asked her to help me get to mile 24. She pushed me like I've never been pushed. It wasn't the type of lactic acid push as if I was running a 5K but instead, making me run a pace that felt uncomfortable and it was risky. But it worked. I was picking up the pace, even if I didn't have to but it was enough to give me confidence that I could finish this race stronger than I have ever raced before.
I told Kristy at mile 24 that I needed to hold back a bit but thanked her for the push. She ran ahead but I ended up catching back up at the last aid station on Palani. I no longer walked but instead sprinted down Palani. I told her I needed to go under 10:40 because that was my goal. She cheered for me. I saw my friend and pro triathlete Haley Chura, she cheered for me.
It was all becoming real. All I needed was mile marker 24 as confirmation that I was finishing this race in a PR. Checking my watch, my initial goal of 10:35 was slightly out of sight so sub 10:40 was driving me for the last 25 miles.
My cheeks hurt so bad because I was smiling so big. It felt much better to hurt in my face than in my aching quads.
But all around - I felt good. I never felt a low and I reminded myself of that. I tried to reflect as much as possible in 1 mile as I could - on the past two IM finishes in Kona, the past 6 Ironman finishes, going into IM Lake Placid (with what I felt was unpredictable run fitness to say the least) with Karel about to do his first IM and then me shockingly Kona qualifying and having a 10 min PR. I thought about the obstacles that I have faced in the past year, the struggles in life and a few happy moments that came to mind. I was so lucky to have Gloria there with me and so many fans cheering from afar. I missed my parents and wished they could have been there but I knew they were watching me all day. I thought about Campy who always thinks I am a winner and I thought about Karel who believed that I could have the day I was having.
I had so much support on the course from Gloria, friends and friends from afar and then came the finish line.
There it was. The finish line chute.
The shortest part of the race that is looked forward to the most.
I was beyond excited about how the day went but one thing I didn't expect was happening...
My legs did not feel fresh.
Aren't legs suppose to all of a sudden feel fresh in the finishing line chute?
Doesn't everyone look great crossing that finish line?
Oh, with every stroke, pedal and foot strike. It was time.
I ran up the finishing line and my body was officially done.
PR - CHECK.
10:37:10
6 minute PR from IM Lake Placid.
PR Kona Swim
PR Kona Bike
PR Kona Run: 3:51:14 (8:49 min/mile - with planned walking miles 2-24)
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