IM World Championship St. George - 112 mile bike recap

 

112 mile bike (~7200 feet elevation gain)
Marni - 5:45.38, 2nd fastest AG time
Karel - 5:28.50, 19th AG

GEAR
Bikes: Ventum 
Karel – Lightweight autobahn disc, Alto CT 58 front, Bont 0H+ cycling shoes. Crank 165 (54/39 chainrings), Rudy Project Nytron road aero helmet.
Marni – Boyd 60/90 tubeless with Schwalbe Pro one TT tires. Crank: 155 (53/39 chainrings), Endura D2Z Helmet Aeroswitch, Bont Riot TR+ tri shoes.

NUTRITION:
Karel – Started with: 1 bottle + 1.5 liters worth, each with NeverSecond C90 (360 calories). Picked up at special needs: 1.5 liters in a Smart Water Bottle of NBS Strawberry Lemonade Carbo-hydration (~400 calories for hydration system) and a bottle of NBS. Consumed 1 Supra bar (nibbled throughout). Water at each aid station for sipping and cooling.
Total calories: ~1900
Total hydration: 152 ounces + water from aid stations

Marni – Started with 1.2 liters + 2 bottles worth, each with Skratch Superfuel Raspberry (400 calories). Picked up at special needs: 1.2 liters in a Smart Water Bottle of Skratch Superfuel Raspberry (600 calories) for hydration system and a bottle of Skratch Superfuel for front aero bottle and a bottle of 200 calories NBS Carbohydration lemon for rear bottle (last bottle).
Total calories: ~2600
Total hydration: 184 ounces + water from aid stations

When I started the bike, I felt pretty good. The nerves went away once I started swimming and the familiarity of racing an Ironman started to come back. Having experience on this course helped as I knew what the conditions (hot and dry air and windy) and terrain (long climbs) would be like.

I stayed pretty conservative starting out as I wanted to arrive to the Veyo loop (after mile 56) feeling strong. I really liked how the course was broken down as I could focus on one segment at a time. I hit lap on my computer for each specific segment on the course, even though I was not focusing on any metrics. It just helped me focus on staying in the moment and feeling out each effort for each segment and checking in with my metrics as needed. My fueling strategy was pretty simple - take ~6 gulps from my hydration system every ~10-15 minutes and grab water from all aid stations to use for cooling/sipping.

Although we do a lot of punchy climbs where we live, my strength is the steady climbs. We have a lot of 20-40+ min steady climbs where we live and those are the type of climbs where I can just settle into a rhythm. For St. George, the longer climbs were very similar to what I train on outside in Greenville and what best suits my riding style as I can sit and get out of the saddle. I don’t feel as strong in the aero position.

My descending and bike handling skills have really improved over the past few years but more so, over the past few months thanks to mountain biking and gravel biking. The first half of the bike wasn’t too windy although it started to pick up as I got closer to Sand Hallow. Overall, the course isn't technical but the wind requires good bike handling skills. 

Because I was lapping my computer, I didn’t know what my time was throughout the ride. Because I didn't want to make assumptions if I was having a "good or bad" race on the bike, I just focused on one segment at a time. I feel like I did a really good pacing the first half as the miles went by really quickly.

It started to get really warm around mile 30-35 and I could feel myself getting hotter. This was my big focus for the race - to ride strong but not overdo it on the bike. 

Every now and then on the course, I would do a check-in with myself:
Am I peeing? Yep - hydrated.
How do my legs feel? Strong - fueled.
Am I staying relaxed in my upper body?
How is my mindset?

I kept checking yes each time I checked in.
The only thing that was concerning (but not alarming) was that I felt tired/sleepy a few times but I didn’t let this worry me – I was just hot because it was nearing 80 degrees and it was sunny. Plus, I did wake up at 3am and I was riding my bike for 112 miles in 80+ degree desert heat (thus being a little tired at times).

I made sure to drench myself with water at each aid station – even though the water would rapidly dry within a few minutes. My sports bra was holding on to a little water which helped me keep my chest cool. Karel and I both wore the lightest helmets we had as we didn’t want the extra weight (or heat) of a heavy and ventless aero helmet affecting our head for this difficult course.

I’ve done a lot of challenging courses (Placid, Wisconsin, Whistler, Austria) and this ranks at the top of the list due to where the big climbs occur – in the back half. But I would say that the nature of this course, with the longer climbs (no punchy short climbs) minimized spikes in the HR as you could settle into a rhythm on the hills and then take advantage of the downhill without needing to recover from a punchy effort. Although this course wasn't flat, there were plenty of long segments to stay in aero. I felt the best when I could get into a rhythm on the climbs and then take advantage of the downhills.

Although I didn't have any expectations for this race, I  wanted to deliver my best result on the day. To do that, I resisted the urge to go with other girls as they passed me. There were times when I would catch back up to someone on an uphill or downhill but the steady state efforts were challenging for me as I didn't have the power like the other girls. And I was ok with that.

I enjoyed the kudos from the other guys on the course who were telling me that I was the 1st, 2nd or 3rd female on the course. The overall energy was really positive and the community really came out to support all of the athletes. Seeing that this bike course covers four different towns in and around St. George, there was a lot that went into this race with volunteers, police, medical and community support. I felt very safe and supported on the course. 

I made a quick stop at special needs and it felt nice to get off my bike and do a quick stretch. I was looking forward to the stop as a quick reset. My stop was less than 60 seconds but it felt so good. A volunteer called out my number and before I rolled up to my row of bib numbers, a volunteer was standing there with my bag. I grabbed my Smart Water Bottle to fill up my hydration system and placed the other two bottles in my front and rear cages.

Karel also stopped at special needs and applied Amp to his legs (he did this in past mountain bike races and it really helped his legs from feeling sore/tight). We always look forward to the special needs stop as it is a nice opportunity to shake off the first half of the bike and refresh for the next half. Plus, since we use our own nutrition, it allows us to be self-sufficient for the entire bike. 

Since we rode Veyo loop on Tuesday, it felt familiar. I couldn't believe how quickly the miles were ticking by. This was a good sign that I was pacing well as my mind was in a good place - I wanted to be on my bike. I was actually thinking as I was swimming "I can't wait to ride my bike on this course!"

After special needs, I told myself “just 20 miles until the descend.” I had a few more ladies passing me in the Veyo loop but I was racing my own race. I stayed focused on taking care of myself. Because I was checking off all the things on my list (peeing, mindset, legs, etc.), my biggest limiter was the heat – I was feeling really hot. I do love the heat but with this being my first race of the season, I knew my body wasn't ready for the hot dry temps. According to my Garmin, the majority of the ride was in the 90's. 

I needed to be careful to not overdo it on the “wall” and in Snow Canyon. The wall wasn't a tough climb (a little more than 1/2 mile and a gain of around 250 feet) but at almost 4 hours into the ride, it felt steeper than what it was. 

In studying the wind direction before the race, I knew that we wouldn't be impacted by the wind in the Veyo loop but that we would have some cross and headwind on the descend. After the "wall" there was still 6.5 miles of gradual climbing until the descend.

Once I got to mile 80, I started the long 11 mile descend – which didn’t really feel like a descend as I had to work with the wind. It took me 25 minutes (27.6 mph average) to cover this descend. I am always a bit nervous in the wind but I’m happy to report that I felt really confident and relaxed descending. I made sure to double drench myself before the Snow Canyon climb. I had planned to keep a bottle of water in my empty cage on my bike but I was worried it would fall out and I would get a penalty for littering. I regret not keeping a bottle of water on my bike as I wasn't staying wet from aid station to aid station. Just before Snow Canyon (mile 97) I had finished all of my Skratch drink so I sipped on my last bottle which was NBS (higher sodium and less calories/carbs) over the last 14 miles (~47 minutes). The wind was not too bad in Snow Canyon which made it a bit “easier” to climb the almost 5 miles (~26 minutes). Snow Canyon is absolutely stunning and even though the fatigue was starting to really set in, I kept reminding myself how lucky I am to be on my bike in this race.   

Once I made the right hand turn to head back down the descend, the wind was picking up a bit more. Since I had just descended on this road, I felt confident that I could handle the wind and still ride strong to town. It was a fast 9ish mile/26.9 mph average to the transition area. 

As I was descending, the negative thoughts started to creep into my mind. Since my strengths are swim/bike, I started to question how I would run off the bike (something I do in every Ironman). But once I started to see the pro athletes and male age groupers on the course as I was getting closer to the transition area I told myself “well if they can do it, I can do it.”

Karel, surprisingly, felt good on his tri bike. He has struggled with hip and back issues for several years and he can't spend a lot of time on the tri bike because of those issues. But he made some recent adjustments to his fit and spent a lot more time on the mountain bike, gravel bike and road bike. I think all the different biking (different position and riding style) transferred over well for him as he felt strong all day. He doesn't love the tri bike but it does allow him to do triathlons - which he enjoys. He knows he won’t be fast on the tri bike as he doesn’t put in the time in the aero position but he knew he could use his skills on this course and he trusted his experience and endurance. Like myself, he really enjoyed this challenging course and how the miles went by so quickly due to so many different parts to focus on.

As I removed my feet from my shoes, I dismounted my bike and gave my bike to a volunteer. My legs felt pretty good getting off the bike (In Placid last July, my legs did not feel good!). I sat down in the changing tent and I had two nice volunteers helping me out. I asked them to put ice water in my flasks (filled with powder only) which saved me some time as I put on my shoes, hydration band and cooling towel. I grabbed my hat, sunglasses and watch and made my way out of the changing tent (walking). I went to the port-o-potty as I like to empty myself before I start running the marathon and the potties in the transition area are never busy when I am there (they get much more busy on the course). I put on my hat, sunglasses and watch in the port-o-potty and kinda enjoyed briefly sitting down. My T2 was a bit long (5:02 for me, 3:30 for Karel) because of the stop but it was worth it to not have to worry about needing the bathroom on the course.  There was an aid station immediately next to the changing tent so I dumped water on my cooling towel and had a few sips as I was making my way out of the transition area. Unlike T1, this transition area was rather small and easy to get in and out.

Usually when I start running in an Ironman, there's a quick thought of "oh this will be a hard run" because my legs are tired. But oddly, that thought didn't go through my mind. It was as if my legs were ready to run and my mind was ready (and willing) to power them over 26.2 miles. 

Run race report coming soon......

IM Lake Placid RR - 112 mile bike + T2

As I made my way through town, my first focus was to safely get out of town. The first few miles are a bit technical and with the wet roads and rain, I didn’t want my day to be over in the first few miles of the bike. Once I made my way to the first big climb passed the ski jumps, I felt like I could start settling into a good routine. 

The few miles before the Keene decent are very challenging as there are a few climbs that seem to roll but you never get enough momentum on the back of one hill to carry it to the next hill. So it really is a steady climb over several hills that makes it feel like one long climb. I enjoyed the out and back section into the Olympic cross country ski area as it was nice to break things up and see the other athletes in the other direction.

I found myself around a few female professionals and only noticed a few age group riders ahead of me. I knew there was a lot left in the ride/race so I just focused on riding my own race but also using those around me for motivation. There was a female official passing me several times throughout the race – officiating in front of me and behind me so I saw her often throughout the race. Even though I use the other riders for motivation, I made sure to draft legally and to not get too close on the wheel ahead of me. This only applied to the section from Keene to Jay as I spent much of the rest of the first loop by myself.

I made sure to keep up with my nutrition, which is the same that I have practiced in my last few long brick workouts. I recently changed things up starting with the Skratch hyperhydration to front load calories a bit at the start of the ride. Although I didn’t need any Tums, I found myself getting a bit sleepy on the first loop so I was glad that I had the Gu Aminos to give my brain a bit of a boost. Although the light rain was nice to keep me comfortable, the sun came out and it really warmed up. I made not of a the beautiful sun rising from the clouds as I was making my way down the Keene decent. It made me feel like I was in a training ride as the beauty around me was just taking my breath away.

The Keene decent was fun and I was able to really take advantage of that free speed. The scenery was spectacular but for that descend, I really made sure to stay focused on the riders around me as I didn’t want something silly to happen.

The section from Keene to Jay was fast and fun. But I was ready for some more climbing as my style of riding is not so great in flat time trial positions but instead, climbing and changing up my rhythm with resistance of the climb. Once we turned left out of Jay, it felt good to climb again. Those hills are pretty nasty as you just have to grind through them. I had a few guys cheering me on as I was near the front of the female age group race and ahead of a few female professionals.

Overall I felt pretty good throughout the first loop of the bike. It was good that I had rode the climb from Wilmington into town on Thursday as I knew the tougher sections and where I could get aero and pick up more speed. I found myself getting warm so I carefully grabbed water at most of the aid stations after Keene to sip on and to cool myself. I took in a few Clif chews as I could feel myself needing a bit more calories but I made sure to always wash them down with water to help dilute them.

Once I got up to the papa bear climb (the last of the three climbs), I saw Karel and he gave me an update. He told me that I was winning my age group by a lot and that I was 3^rd overall female amateur. This gave me a great boost as I had no personal goals for the day but just to enjoy the day, have fun and race smart. The quick out and back near town was fun as it gave me a big boost with all the spectators.

Once I made my way into the transition area, I stopped at special needs to retrieve my two pre-filled bottles (One was a Trimarni bottle filled and the other was a Smart Water 1.8 liter bottle that I could pour the nutrition into my hydration system and then toss that bottle). I had tossed my other bottle previously on the course at the aid station. I always stop at special needs but this stop was a little longer than normal because I had to get off my bike, rack my bike, get my special needs bag from a volunteer and then roll my bike back to the mount line and continue on. The minute I spent there was well-utilized as I could continue with my planned nutrition and I took a few seconds to stretch out and reboot before continuing on to the second lap.

I made my way through the school, which had a few fun turns before descending back to Mirror Lake Drive. Another fun ride through the town and then back out on the second loop.

At this point it was much warmer and the wind had really picked up. Similar to Kona, the wind is very unpredictable in Placid. Karel rode the course on Saturday and he had tailwind from Wilmington to town (the 10+ mile climb) but for us, it seemed like there was wind everywhere and it was rarely at our back on the 2^nd loop.

Whereas I felt pretty solid on the first loop, I had a lot more low moments on the 2^nd loop. These are expected and I never know how long they will last so my focus was just doing the best that I could despite how I was feeling. The second loop was a lot more lonely for me, even though I was passing athletes on their first loop. I saw a few Trimarnis on the out and back segments and that really picked up my spirits. My low moments were not causing me to contemplate quitting but instead, it was just a feeling of low energy that would come and go. Again, this is completely normal when racing in an Ironman. I stuck with my nutrition plan and just took in a few extra clif chews than I had planned (and washed down with water) to help give me a little boost. I had a bar with me just in case but I relied solely on my liquid calories (and a few clif ginger chews).

I passed my athlete/friend Alvi after the Keene descent (pic above is when he he flew by me on the descent as I was feeling myself getting knocked all around by the wind so I rode much more cautiously than the first loop) and then I was passed by professional Jeannie Hansen. She was riding super strong and my goal was to try to stay with her as long as I could. Having her in front of me was just the motivation that I needed and I found myself getting out of a low and feeling really strong again. Again, I had the official by me but I knew I wasn’t drafting so it didn’t bother me. I am used to having officials by me on the bike as I am usually near the front of the race after the swim (but always getting chased down on the run 😊).

The last segment from Wilmington to town was brutal. The wind was super gusty and it was mostly headwind. As if that section wasn’t hard enough, the wind made it even more difficult. Plus, with only 10-12 miles left in the race, the body and mind play lots of games with you anyways so there was a lot of mental tricks happening to keep myself focused and to continue to ride my bike the best as I could.

I do not chase any metrics when I race but I have a good idea of what I want an effort to feel like for each respective race I do. This past year has included group rides, a gravel race, 70.3 distance races and time trials. All of which have given me a lot of different scenarios to judge my effort, which helps me in long distance racing. I took some risks and biked pretty strong for all 112 miles but I also have a lot of trust in my abilities that even if I bike hard, I know I can find my running legs. Although I may not be fast on the run, I have confidence in my ability to be good at not slowing down (too much) on the run.

I did have metrics on my screen to check-in with every now and then. I used lap time (and hit lap at each segment), current cadence, lap speed, normalized lap power and 10sec power on my screen. I never knew my total time until I stopped my computer in the transition area. When I saw 5:38, I knew it was a hard bike and that it would impact the run times. So any previous running goals were out the window as my new focus was to find my running legs and to never stop caring and to be competitive on the marathon run. When I saw Karel one last time on the bike, he told me that I was winning my age group by over 20 minutes and that I was holding a solid third overall amateur female. I was really holding on to that third place overall amateur slot and it gave me a good boost before I made my way into the transition area.

I was planning to do a flying dismount but with the wet grass in transition area and just being tired from a really challenging 112 mile bike ride, I unclipped and ran my bike through the grass. After a few steps, I regretted that decision and it was really hard to run in my shoes. I eventually started walking as I was just plain tired. When I got to my spot in the transition area, I sat down and had a brief moment of “how in the heck am I going to run a marathon!?!” but I pushed that aside as I put on my running shoes. I had an extra pair of clean/dry socks in my bag but I opted to keep my socks on from the bike. Again, I probably should have changed them after doing a flying dismount and running in my cycling socks.

I always like to go to the bathroom and empty myself as much as possible before the run so I took off my jersey, I grabbed my hat, hydration belt and flasks, sunglasses, watch and cooling towel, and went into the port-o-potty. I know I spent too long in the transition area relative to the other competitors that I was racing against but I needed that extra time to mentally put myself into a place where I would stay committed for the entire run. I felt so much better after I went to the bathroom and much cooler once I took off my jersey. I was happy that I stuck with my plan to just wear my sports bra and use my cooling towel as I have done it in my previous two races and it really makes me feel good to have that cooling towel on my neck and to only wear the sports bra. I am much more comfortable wearing a sports bra when I run.

I saw an unopened plastic water bottle on a table in the transition area so I grabbed it as I was walking out and drenched my cooling towel, had a few sips and poured the rest on my head. Oh that was so refreshing. Once I started running, my legs responded really well and I told myself “all you have left is to run a marathon.”

Stats from my bike computer: 

First loop:
Transition to Keene – 17.7 miles, 46.17 min, 161 NP, 22.9 mph average
Keene to Jay – 9.81 miles, 25:37 min, 152 NP, 23.0 mph
Jay to Wilmington – 14.6 miles, 44:33 min, 162W, 19.7 mph
Wilmington to transition – 13.9 miles, 48:13 min, 171W, 17.3 mph
First 56 miles: 2:44, 163 NP, 20.4 mph, ~2600 feet elevation gain, 87 rpm average, max speed 48.1 mph

Nutrition consumed:
-Between the aerobars bottle: 400 calories Skratch Hyperhydration (consumed in first ~75 minutes)
-Hydration system (1.2 liters/40 ounces, 4 scoops INFINIT Trimarni Base Endurance formula Strawberry Lemonade mixed in 1.2 liters of water). Consumed ~10-15 minutes (3-5 gulps) over the rest of the loop.
-Water from most of the aid stations for sipping/cooling.
-2 Clif Ginger chews (washed down with water)
-~7 Gu Aminos

Second loop:
Transition to Keene – 18.0 miles, 49:39 min, 150 NP, 21.7 mph average
Keene to Jay – 9.59 miles, 23:16 min, 157 NP, 24.7 mph
Jay to Wilmington – 15 miles, 47:12 min, 156W, 19.1 mph
Wilmington to transition – 13.6 miles, 53:55 min, 149W, 15.2 mph
Last 56.2 miles: 2:53, 153 NP, 19.4 mph, ~2500 feet elevation gain, 83 rpm average, max speed 41.6 mph

Nutrition consumed (used pre-filled bottles at special needs - Special needs stop: 61 seconds):
-Between the aerobars bottle: 2 scoops INFINIT Trimarni base endurance formula Grape
-Hydration system (1.2 liters/40 ounces, 4 scoops INFINIT Trimarni Base Endurance formula Grape mixed in 1.2 liters of water). Consumed ~10-15 minutes (3-5 gulps) over the rest of the loop.
-Water from most of the aid stations for sipping/cooling.
-3 Clif Ginger chews (washed down with water)
-~5 Gu Aminos

Total nutrition consumed over 112 miles:
~1750 calories
~112 ounce water (+ water from aid stations)

Total according to my Garmin: 112 miles, 5:38.45 time, 158 NP, 6407 elevation gain, 19.9 mph average, 85 rpm average.

Bike time (official): 5:40.48, 1st AG (35-39), 15th overall female, 134th overall 

IM Kona '19 RR: 112 mile bike

Photo: Justin Luau

After my "moment" with the wind on the Thursday before race week, I convinced myself that I would be just fine in windy conditions on race day. To be honest, I actually wanted heat and wind on race day for a more difficult race experience. After giving the weather forecast a quick look on race day morning, it looked like we would all be getting the true IM Kona experience. Although the weather can quickly change in Kona, it was looking to be a tough day of racing.

Although my cycling skills and fitness has drastically improved over the past few years, I felt my biggest strength on race day was experience. Not only did I know what to expect in certain areas of the course but I also know how low the lows can be on certain areas of the course. I went into the 112 mile bike with confidence and trust in my cycling abilities. I also had great trust in my nutrition as I practiced and fine-tuned it throughout the entire summer. I actually prepared my race day nutrition before we left for Kona so that it was easy to prepare for race day. While I used a variety of products, the application of taking in my planned nutrition was rather easy - just drink. For this race, due to the heat and humidity, my focus was on fluids and sodium and consuming more dilute drinks (less calories compared to IM Canada when it was colder).

As far as the IM Kona bike course goes, it's not a difficult course. Athletes ride on the road (not the shoulder), the pavement is mostly smooth, it's not a technical course and it's pretty straightforward as to where to go. I find it helpful to break it into a few key segments:

-In town: ~7 miles
-Queen K to Mauna Lani Resort: ~25 miles
-Mauna Lani to the left turn at the end of the Queen K: ~7.3 miles
-Short section until veer to the right to Kawaihae: ~1.5 miles
-Climb to the turn around in Hawi: ~18 miles
-Reach special needs at ~59 miles
-Descend Hawi: ~18 miles
-Short section until veer to the left to Kawaihae: ~1.5 miles
-Queen K to the Scenic Point: ~15 miles
-Scenic Point to the airport: ~11.5 miles
-Airport to transition area (via Makala blvd): ~6.3 miles

The reason why these segments are important is because each segment has to be approached differently with the mind and body. While I was monitoring my heart rate throughout the race, I never worried about my power or speed.

My first focus was to get out of town safely and in one piece (me and my bike) as that segment is technical, fast and filled with athletes and spectators). I knew my heart rate would be elevated soon after the swim so I just focused on riding my bike well, keeping some power on the pedals and not trying to go too hard. Of course, even with holding back, power was still up. I wasn't worried as I knew my "race effort" was going to start on the Queen K. It's easy to go out way too hard in town as well as one the start of the Queen K as you get a bit of a push with the wind at your back and you are feeling so good to finally be on the bike. With the new wave swim start, I didn't feel that the Queen K was congested - if anyone was drafting (which there were small groups) it was intentional and not because there wasn't enough room on the road. At this point, I settled into my race rhythm. Throughout the race, I was passed by a few girls but ended up seeing several of them here and there throughout the course (a bit of yo-yo riding). I was riding through small packs of male athletes and getting passed by many strong male cyclists (who I passed in the swim). I tried to focus on making the effort feel good as my game plan was to pace myself so that I could ride strong on the way back on the Queen K (where in the past, I would feel crushed by the heat and wind).

The wind was not noticeable until we got closer to Mauna Lani resort (which is why I use that as one of my segments) and from there to the end of the Queen K, it was very windy with cross winds. I took Karel's advise and pushed hard on the pedals (instead of easing up) and positioned my bike to lean with the wind while moving my body slightly toward the wind. This helped me feel stable and in control. Also, my Ventum rides extremely well in the wind - something I have really noticed since switching from Trek to Ventum.

The next segment was very very fast but then it got windy again during the climb to Hawi. This segment was where I started to feel a few lows but welcomed them as expected visitors and just focused on my rhythm. After the turn around, I made a quick stop at special needs to fill my hydration system and grab two more bottles from my bag (this stop took 30 seconds). A little part of me was a little nervous about the wind when descending down from Hawi but I managed it well by looking ahead at riders ahead of me (to see when the wind would hit them and their reaction) and continuing to push on my pedals. I mostly stayed on my base bars but there were times that I was in my aero bars (when I felt safe to do so). I felt like this was the segment of the race that was really hard for me as my strength is climbing (pushing against resistance) and not pushing a big gear with power. I was passed by several females but thankfully, I knew that a long/steep climb (on the hottest part of the course) was approaching just before the turn back on to the Queen K and I caught back up to those who passed me on the descend.

I felt like I did a great job with my nutrition, which I made sure to keep simple and effective for this race. I took 4-5 big gulps every ~10 minutes. My max HR was 148 (which was in the in-town section, as to be expected) and I averaged 131 bpm for the entire 112 mile bike ride so overall, this was a very aerobic ride. As with any Ironman, you are battling residual fatigue, mental demons, dehydration and slow depletion of glycogen stores so that is why I prioritized liquid calories for the entire bike ride and drenched myself in water at each aid station (which only kept me wet/cool for a few minutes).

When I got back on the Queen K the wind was blowing from the mountains to the sea (my left side). At one point, me and my bike ended up on the shoulder due to the wind - thankfully I didn't fall off my bike (I kinda laughed to myself about the situation). Although I had a few lows in the Hawi section, as soon as I turned and had some resistance (wind) to push against I started to feel really strong. All the guys (and a few girls) that passed me on the descend where now my targets. I found myself feeling really strong and able to stay aero in the wind (turtle tuck!) and then climbing with some pep in my legs. This was a great feeling as I can recount several times of feeling destroyed in the last 30+ miles of the bike.

Once I approached the airport, my attention went from focusing on my race to focusing on the pro race -which was happening on the Queen K and in the energy lab. As a huge fan of the sport, I couldn't help but spend the next few miles trying to figure out who was where and what was happening in the pro race (I did the same thing in Kawaihae). When I turned off the Queen K to Makala, I stretched out my hips and back and started to turn my mind onto run mode. I wasn't so worried about my lack of run fitness from 10 weeks of no running due to my left back/hip issue but instead, I was feeling some tightness around my knee and hip and lower back on my right leg on the bike. I tried to push it out of my head so that I could just stay in the moment. After slipping out my feet from my shoes, I approached the dismount line, got off my bike, handed my bike to a volunteer and then jogged my way through the transition area and to the red gear bags. I then went into the changing tent and had two wonderful volunteers there to help me out as I transitioned into my run gear.

Marni 112 mile Bike - 5:27.49 (5th AG off the bike)Karel 112 mile Bike - 5:23.11

Marni GearVentum One bike
Alto cc40 front wheel
Alto cc86 rear wheel

Continental GP 5000 tires

Specialized Turbo tubes
Giro Aerohead helmet with shield
Socks: CEP ultralight socks
Bontrager Hilo triathlon shoes
Rotor 3d24 155 crankarms w/ power2max power meter
Garmin 810 computer

Marni Nutrition 
Ventum integrated hydration system (1.2 L) - custom INFINIT formula (strawberry lemonade): ~360 calories, 750 mg sodium

Rear bottle - custom INFINIT formula (pink lemonade): ~240 calories, 500 mg sodium

Front bottle - Skratch (strawberry): ~160 calories, 760 mg sodium
On bike (in bento box): 1 Skratch bar and 1 packet chews (didn't consume either)

Special needs:

Custom INFINIT formula in a large throwaway water bottle, frozen overnight (watermelon): ~360 calories, 750 mg sodium

Rear bottle - Carborocket half evil (black cherry): ~220 calories, 284 mg sodium

Front bottle - NBS Carbo hydration (strawberry lemonade): ~200 calories, 600 mg sodium

Water at each aid station for sipping and cooling.

Marni GearVentum One bike

Alto ct56 front wheel
Alto ct86 rear wheel

Continental competition 25ml tires (originally planned GP4 24 ml tubular tires but had two flats before the race so had to purchase new tires from the LBS)

Giro Aerohead helmet with shield
LG Tri Air Lite shoes + Solestar insoles

Shimano dura ace 165 crank arms + 4iii power meter

Garmin Edge 820

Karel Nutrition 
Ventum integrated hydration system (1.4 L)
Front bottle

Gatorade (on course)

SIS gel
Enervitene cheerpack
A few Skratch chews
Czech candy bar

Special needs:
1.4L of NBS Carbo hydration (strawberry lemonade) in throw away water bottle (frozen overnight)
Front bottle

At least 2 full bottles of water from the aid station for sipping and cooling.

As for Karel's race, he was disappointed, frustrated and a bit sad about his bike performance. Without making excuses, he just didn't feel good on the bike. He was dealing with some cramping in his quads, back pain and just an overall emptiness on the bike. This is all stuff that he has been trying to manage and overcome for the past few years after experiencing a torn labrum in his hip. Ever since late May of 2016, Karel has improved drastically with his run but has really struggled on the bike. He kept telling himself that it would get better on the bike but sadly, it never did on race day. Karel's back was hurting so much on the way back on the Queen K that he didn't even think he would make it back to the transition area. He was soft pedaling as easy as possible so that he could get back to town but all while riding in pain. When he dismounted his bike, his legs felt like wobbly wooden poles as he hobbled through the transition area and to the gear bags and men's changing tent. While he knew he would start the run, he was unsure of how his body would manage to run 26.2 miles with the pain he felt on the bike.

IMCA Race Recap: 112 mile bike

The first few miles of the Ironman Canada bike were a little technical as there were speed bumps, bumpy roads and a few twists and turns. I didn't want to do anything silly in these early miles so I treated it as a warm-up, especially since my body was still adjusting to the bike position after the swim and I was finding myself a bit cold from being so wet from the swim. Once I got on the main road (Sea to Sky hwy) I started to ride into my Ironman event.

The layout of this course was rather simple as there were four main segments. To Callaghan Climb, Callaghan Climb, to the far turn around, riding back to town and then you repeat. This allowed me to break the course up into small segments so that I could focus on executing each segment to the best of my ability. Although I didn't have any metrics to abide to, I lapped my computer at each segment so that I could check in with my metrics just to see how my numbers (specifically lap normalized power) was correlating to my RPE. I primarily rode the entire bike by feel but checked-in with my metrics every now and then, especially on the first loop.

My strategy was to ride the first loop relatively easy (feeling like I had three more effort gears in me) and to then ride the second loop strong (feeling like I had two more effort gears in me but using a gear or two as needed depending on how I was feeling). I resisted the urge to push hard on the first loop, especially since I was so cold. I found myself shivering at times but climbing the 8 mile climb in Callaghan helped. The descend was extremely cold for me but thankfully, I warmed up after the turn around. This helped me enjoy the second lap a lot more.

I didn't find this course overly challenging as my training really prepared me to ride my bike well on this course. I don't think I could have executed the bike course any better. The first loop was rather quiet with riders whereas the second loop was a little more busy with the 70.3 athletes. However, with the layout of the course and the long hills/descends, I didn't find it difficult to ride my own race, often not seeing any riders directly in front of me. This is the second Ironman I've done on my Ventum and I am absolutely in love with how it rides. It's not only smooth with how it handles (similar to a road bike) but I feel incredibly in-control while descending, especially in the wind. This not only helps me ride better but I expend less energy as I can ride more relaxed and efficient.

For nutrition, I front-loaded my calories so that I took in a bit more in the first loop of the bike due to the cooler temps. Because I did warm-up, I knew that my calories would digest and absorb a lot better in the first loop - especially with all the climbing. My nutrition was as follows (well-practiced in training):

First loop (on my bike): Skratch PB&J bar (consumed after the Callaghan climb in small bites spread out over an hour), aero bottle (CarboRocket 333 black cherry, 2 1/2 scoops 260 calories), Ventum hydration (1.2 L - 4 scoops + water of INFINIT custom formula Fruit Punch, ~500 calories), rear bottle (Infinit Custom formula Pink Lemonade, ~250 calories).

Second loop (in special needs): Aero bottle (NBS Carbo-hydration, 5 scoops, ~200 calories), Ventum hydration (same as first loop, I used a large plastic water bottle so it was already mixed and filled up my hydration system in special needs), rear bottle (CarboRocket 333 black cherry, 2 scoops 220 calories).

I aimed to drink ~10 minutes (4-5 sips) and always listened to my body before I took in nutrition to assess how I was feeling. Although a hilly course (7500+ feet of elevation gain), there was plenty of time to be aero but also great opportunities to sit up and stand, which helped stretch the legs and hips. I looked for opportunities to gain "free" speed so I made sure to take advantage of the faster sections of the course where speed came easily with little energy expended.

On the first loop, I didn't finish my rear bottle (which was more of a back-up bottle) but on the second loop I finished about 3/4ths of everything. I had one low moment around mile 80 of the bike but it went away in around 20 minutes. These things happen during Ironman racing and after troubleshooting the situation (is it pacing, nutrition, just a low moment?) I realized it was just a low moment and it will pass...and it did. I only grabbed water at the last aid station to cool myself off as I was getting a little warm. I eased up in the last few miles with a slightly higher cadence just to get the legs ready for the run.

I loved seeing my athlete Erick and Karel on the course. I cheered for them both every time I saw them. I also saw a few of our athletes doing the 70.3 which made me happy to see those familiar faces.

Because the run was still a big unknown for me, I put all my mental energy into the swim and bike. I knew that I had great fitness going into the race and even if the run didn't happen, there was still a lot I could gain/experience in this race so I kept my mind in a positive/can-do place.

The course was absolutely beautiful and I loved being surrounded by the mountains. The volunteers were exceptional and it was nice to have two lanes closed for us on the bike course. The course was really well marked and the weather was just perfect for the entire day. I liked the set-up of the course as the climbs were long enough that I could still settle into a good rhythm. The ride back to town was the slowest as it had a bit more elevation gain but there were still segments to gain some speed and shake out the legs.

Although my athlete Ericka rode a few minutes faster than me, I exited the bike as the overall amateur female by 3 minutes. I didn't know this until after the race but this was certainly a high note and a reminder that the Ironman is filled with highs and lows and you need to hold on to whatever positives you can find. It's a long day filled with a lot of uncertainty and just because a race doesn't go as planned, there is always something to be grateful and thankful for.

After I dismounted the bike, I jogged to my run gear bag (a volunteer handed it to me) and went into the changing tent. The tent was filled with other females from the 70.3 but a volunteer came over to me and helped me with my gear. I was a bit nervous as to what would happen on the run since I haven't really ran in 3 weeks but I tried to stay positive and reminded myself that my main focus is on Kona. I made a quick stop in the port-a-john and then headed out on the run by focusing on my form and trying to run as easy as possible.

For the record, the bike was 109 miles (not the full 112 miles)

More to come......

Karel's bike recap: 
OK so I really messed this up 😬I wanted to start and do the first loop a little more conservative to feel strong on the 2nd loop. I felt great and despite seeing a high power I kept on going thinking the powermeter is not working right. Well it was working and I paid for it after 50 miles. I also got distracted by a few Uber bikers who passed me - I made the mistake of thinking I’m failing and the race is not going well. First time up to the Callahan mountain I went up pretty fast but it felt easy. 2nd time around it got real for me. At that point I was in a very low moment and after the descent, I even experienced a few pre-cramp signs and had to really ease up to shake it off. The returning leg back to town was very tough mentally and I had to be careful not to fully cramp. I was also dealing with my typical back pain. During those rough times I focused on riding well in terms of posture and staying aero - not to create any extra drag. I still managed 5th fastest AG time and still hit the T2 in 2nd place AG (I looked these up after the race). During the race I had no updates and had no idea of my position due to the rolling start. I’m glad I was able to overcome the lows and the wrong pacing on the bike to still finish it well. For nutrition, my only source of liquid nutrition was NBS Carbo hydration (5 scoops per bottle). I started with 2 bottles worth in the hydration system in the frame and then another bottle between the aero bars. I had two more bottles in special needs. I also had one water and one base bottle from the aid stations. I also consumed 1 Skratch Bar (lemon raspberry) and 4 Skratch Chews. One Enervitine cheerpack at special needs and 1 SIS gel. Nutrition wise, everything worked well. It was cool so I didn't feel like I needed a lot of liquid but I still took in calories. I never have a specific nutrition plan when I race - I kinda wing it as I go along but have plenty of stuff with me and pick and choose based on how I feel. 

IMWI '18 Race Report - 112 mile bike

Photo: Jay Baker

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture: Brian Comiskey

TRAINING PREP

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

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

Photo: Jay Baker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ironman Austria '18 Race Report - 112 mile bike

Since we rode one loop of the bike course on Wednesday afternoon on race week, it was nice having that recon ride fresh in my head going into race day. There was no part of the course that I was dreading as this bike course is fast but also includes a significant amount of climbing – around 5600 feet. I felt like I knew the course well enough to make tactical decisions when to push, hold back and where to take risks. With no rain predicted for race day (unlike the rain that we experienced the last two times in 2014 and 2016, although both were record breaking years), I was excited to show off my bike fitness on this course.

When I got on the bike after the swim, I enjoyed the short 90-degree turn with spectators lining the barricades. It was nice to hear all the cheers. The energy is so extreme in any Ironman but at Ironman Austria, it's really easy to get around for the spectators so the hot spots are super HOT with noise.

There was a short out and back section coming next so I used that section to settle into a rhythm and to find my cycling legs. Sadly, they didn’t respond well during that section so I gave my legs more time to wake-up before settling into my race day effort. Since I don’t race the bike with any metrics goals or guidelines, I can really stay in-tune with my body and adjust along the way. The first section of the bike is fairy flat and fast so the miles come quickly and fairly easily relative to what's to come later in the course. Surprisingly, I didn’t find myself stuck in groups of athletes so it was nice to just focus on my own effort. The rolling swim start really helps reduce the clutter of athletes/drafting that can occur on the early miles of a bike course, although in Europe, everyone seems to be a fast cyclist and the competition is fierce from the first swim stroke.

One of my favorite parts about this bike course is going through the many cute small towns. But I can't overlook the views.....those magnificent views that just get better and better as the course goes on! 

Because the course is essentially two loops (one small and one big - but the loops are located in Velden and not at T1/T2), it’s easy to break down the course mentally into sections and to focus on one section at a time. Each loop features one "big" climb but there are also other climbs to navigate along the way.

Although the weather was cool and it wasn’t extremely windy, it just didn’t feel like the fast day that we all thought it would be. The predicted high was only in the mid 70’s but I got warm at times on the course. I battled with a heavy feeling in my legs for the first hour of the bike and just when I thought my legs were opening up, I didn’t feel like I had the power to ride fast or strong. tried to stay calm and in the moment and just focused on what I could do well. I really took advantage of the descends but because of my small frame, I really have to work the downhills as much as possible – otherwise it’s wasted free speed for me. I also focused on my attitude, changing gears appropriately, nutrition and reminding myself that IM racing is a very long day of racing.

I often found myself with other male athletes as I was passing several women who were ahead of me from the swim. Nearing the end of the small loop, I didn’t feel that drafting was an issue as the groups that were together were small (5-7 athletes) and most were not drafting. While there were some groups that I saw ahead, I never found myself in one. Thankfully there were a lot of officials out there – and I felt like I had one by me for most of the ride on the first lap and even some of the 2^nd lap. I made sure to ride a legal distance at all times and to be very strategic when passing the male athletes ahead of me so that I wouldn't get a penalty. I would often wait until I was on a climb or they were drinking or refilling a bottle to pass just to make sure that I didn’t have to expend more energy than needed to make the pass. I even had an official yell at a guy who passed me as I was trying to make a pass and then the athlete blocked me from continuing on with my pass. The ref was in my favor so that was nice to see them keeping things fair.

Nearing the big climb on the bigger loop, my legs slowly started to wake up. I felt like I had done a good job with my liquid nutrition but I also made an effort to nibble a little on my PB pretzel MOJO clif bar just to give a little substance in my belly throughout the race. I did notice that I was falling a little short on my liquid calories nearing the end of the first loop of the bike course which concerned me a little bit but I didn’t try to make up for it by overdoing it on fluids and end up with a sloshy stomach on the run.

Knowing the course (3^rd time racing here) was extremely beneficial as I knew all the turns and descends which helped me ride confident but also manage my gears appropriately. Not looking at my overall time or speed, I had no way of knowing how I was doing on this day but the bike just felt slow compared to years past.

As I was nearing the end of the first loop, my first thought was “ugh, another loop” which is just not like me. I was feeling tired and not looking forward to another 2000+ feet of climbing, especially as it felt like it was getting a little more windy and warming up a bit. I guess it wasn't the best place to have a low moment - right before the transition area before heading out to another 2.5 hours of riding.

I received a great energy boost from the crowd when making the 90-degree turn outside of the transition area and I was looking forward to making a quick stop at special needs to get fresh new bottles of my INFINIT (already mixed in advance). I was around a good group of athletes going into the second lap which made me not want to stop at special needs but I couldn’t let that stop my strategy/plan for the day. Since I rode past special needs when starting my first loop I knew exactly where my bag was so I could roll up to it and stop real quick. The volunteer had my bag out when I stopped so it was a super quick stop to grab my bottles and get rolling again. I had thrown out my other bottles at the aid station so I only needed to remove one bottle from my cage when I got to special needs. I was again varied my flavors in my bottles to prevent taste bud fatigue. I had four different flavors on my bike so that no two hours had the same flavor. 

When I started going again I found myself riding by myself for a while which actually was a good thing as my legs finally started to come around and I felt so much stronger than in the first loop. I had passed one female professional and I saw I was nearing up to my friend Kelly Fillnow who was racing professional. When I got close to her, she told me that she was having an off day and her mind wasn’t in it and I told her I felt the same way. It was actually really nice to be close to someone that I knew. Kelly is a super strong and positive athlete so I knew it just wasn’t her day but she was still so encouraging which was giving me great energy. She also told me that Karel passed her and he was riding really strong.

As for my other half - Karel actually had an ok day on the bike – not fast but he was happy that his back didn’t hurt and despite all the stressful experiences with his bike going into the race, he was just happy to be riding his bike. He also said that he rode most of the bike my himself – which is certainly a new trade-off for him as a faster swimmer. In the past he would be passing athletes due to his slower swim, which would give him a bit of a draft effect for the early part of the bike. Now, as a faster swimmer, he is riding near the front of he race with much more of a solo effort. I was bummed that I never saw Karel on the bike course so that was one of my motivations to get off the bike to see Karel.

I felt myself getting stronger as the bike went on although I found it to be really windy at times which meant I needed to really focus on good execution and riding my bike well. I continued to find myself around male athletes and ended up not seeing another female until a speedy girl passed me with about 15 or 20K to go in the entire bike ride. She was riding super strong and there was no way I could attempt to ride with her. Although I wasn't close to having the fastest amateur female bike split of the day, I was only passed by one female which was encouraging and it wasn't until the last 30 minutes or so of the bike ride.

I was so happy that I was finishing the bike feeling strong. I felt like I rode the climbs well, descended well and boy, what a big difference in mental and physical state compared to first loop. I guess it just shows you that the Ironman is full of up and downs and when you think you have no energy to give, the body wakes up and you suddenly have that energy you were missing. But then, the opposite occurs – you think you are in a good place and boom, all energy is gone. That's why we always say to enjoy the highs when they come because that just means that a low will be coming soon.

I did happen to switch the screen over on my bike computer before finishing the bike and I was shocked to see how I rode. I averaged only 0.1 mph slower this year than in 2016, and on a much tougher day (20.7 mph this year compared to 20.8mph in 2016).

As I was nearing the bike I was actually looking forward to the run. I have worked really hard on my running form and resilience this year and based on my workouts, I was in the best run shape of my life. I was thrilled that today was finally the day I could show off my hard work.

Nearing the end of the bike, I slipped my feet out of my shoes so I could keep my cycling shoes on my bike since I had a long way to run from my bike rack to the run gear bags. I decided to stop at the potty once again in T2 just to empty myself so that I didn’t have to worry about finding a bathroom on the run course just in case I had to go. Plus there were several available port-o-johns so it was a quick stop. It felt great to go and start the run with an empty stomach and bladder.

I quickly changed into my run gear and funny enough, left the run with Kelly. However, she quickly ran away from me as she is super speedy. My legs felt so-so starting the run (which is to be expected after biking 111 miles – not quite 112 but one mile longer than the last two times we raced here) but after a few minutes they woke up and I found my rhythm and I was ready to tackle this Ironman marathon.

IM CHOO Race Report - 116 mile bike

It took me a few miles to get over the fact that I lost two hours worth of nutrition from my rear two cages - which has never happened before in over 11 years of endurance triathlon racing. Since I was not even 5 miles into the bike, mentally, it really affected me. I was frustrated and I couldn't get my head into a good place. But after realizing that Karel likely had a faster transition than me (nothing good happens in the transition area according to Karel) and I wouldn't be seeing him for the rest of the day, I forced myself to get out of my pity party and put on my Ironman hat and figure out how to overcome this nutrition setback.

With every Ironman, there is something to learn. I often think of the Ironman as a day of decision making. Perhaps this is what makes the Ironman distance so addicting in that every race tests you physically and mentally and you keep wanting to get better with every next race. With my experience and knowledge, I knew that I would need to use on course nutrition (Orange Gatorade), which didn't excite me but it was my best liquid calorie option. I can't think of the last time I had a sip of Gatorade (it's been years) but I forced myself to love it, even though it did not please my taste buds.

Thankfully, it sat ok in my belly so I alternated between my INFINIT bottle (front cage) and rear cage of Gatorade, by sipping a few gulps every 10 minutes. I didn't want to finish my INFINIT bottle before moving on to Gatorade but eventually, I had to rely just on Gatorade until I reached special needs.

For the first 11 miles, the ride was very uneventful for Karel. He felt good on the bike but didn't ride beyond his abilities. With little people around him, he had little traffic on the road to navigate around. From the start of the bike, Karel was riding with one other guy but when they got to the start of the "loop" the guy passed Karel. Another guy passed Karel, riding extremely fast but Karel later caught up to that guy around mile 100. Karel dropped his chain (his fault he said) before the first aid station and he had to get off his bike and unjam it. Karel did not stress but after that point, he lost contact with the guys that were around him so for the rest of the loop, he was riding by himself.

Marni Bike Nutrition:

• 6 bottles INFINIT Custom mix (2 bottles grape, 2 bottles watermelon, 1 bottle pink lemonade, 1 bottle fruit punch)
• 1.5 flasks Enervetine caffeinated
• 1.5ish bottles Gatorade orange
• Water for sipping/cooling

Karel Bike Nutrition: 

• 5 bottles - 3 with INFINIT, 2 LEVELEN
• 4 Hot Shot
• 1 Enervitene caffeinated
• 4 Skratch "gummy bears"
• Bite of blueberr muffin bonk breaker 

After I got over my nutrition mishap, I found myself in a good rhythm. I didn't have any watts or speeds to chase as my focus was on finding an effort that felt good and riding my bike well. Karel and I both like rolling terrain so this course suited us well. We like to get out of the saddle, sit up and change up our position on the bike (and cadence) so we both really enjoyed this bike course. For me, the miles went by really quickly and although I had athletes within my sight on the first loop of the course, it was not packed with cyclists and I was able to settle into my groove. I really enjoyed the scenery and having already rode 30 miles of the course, this helped me mentally break down the miles. I could not believe how good I felt but knowing that I was relying on nutrition that I did not practice with, I didn't take any risks on the bike for the first loop.

When Karel approached special needs, he really enjoyed being the only one to receive all the cheers in Chickamauga. He compared it to a Formula 1 event as the volunteers were ready for him to give him his bottles in his special need bag and then he was on his way. After Karel finished the descend and started the second loop around mile 60, he picked up the effort just a bit, even though this didn't necessarily result in a "faster" loop. Karel mentally wanted the second loop to feel stronger than the first and since he started to see more people, it was fun for him to ride his second loop as the first loop was rather lonely for him.

I was really looking forward to Chickamauga and before I knew it, I was slowing down and pulling over to retrieve my three bottles from special needs. My volunteer helped me put the two bottles in my rear cages and I was so excited to have my INFINIT back on my bike. I couldn't believe it when I made it to mile 60 to start the second loop as I felt like the day was going by so quickly.

Never did I find myself not wanting to be out on my bike. I also found it strange that I never thought about my competition (ladies in my age group). Because of my nutrition mishap with my bottles, this forced me to be very present during my ride, constantly listening to my body and taking care of myself. I didn't find myself with any low moments in the first loop and because I was peeing a few times and not feeling overly hot, I felt like I handled the situation well, although I may have been just a little short on calories than what I planned to consume.

Come the second loop, I found myself along for most of the loop. I had passed several females (and males) and although there were a few riders in front of me, I found myself having a few more low moments over the next 20 miles until I reached the crowds of Chickamauga. I expected the low moments as they are normal in an Ironman so I just focused on riding my bike well, making good decisions with my terrain management and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Not once did I feel tired on the bike or that I wanted the bike ride to be overwith, which was a welcomed feeling, especially since this bike course is 4 miles longer than a typical Ironman of 112 miles. Although the bike course had over 4000 feet of climbing, I didn't find it too difficult but instead, it was a lot of fun and kept me engaged.

Karel was happy that he didn't experience any significant back issues on the bike which allowed him to really enjoy being on his bike. He kept his own rhythm throughout the bike and even when guys would pass him, he didn't let that worry him as he had a lot of confidence in his run. Karel did have a little right quad niggle (on the verge of cramping) on the way back from the 2nd loop on the bike so he had to be careful with his efforts and when getting out of the saddle. Karel passed a group of guys which gave him a little boost of energy and although  two guys passed him back as he got closer to town, he didn't make any unnecessary efforts as he needed to shake out his legs and get ready for the run.

Both Karel and I felt warm on the second loop of the bike so at that point, we both relied on water from the aid stations to cool us down. I had a few hot spots on my right foot on the bike (which felt like blisters) but thankfully they went away in the last few miles of the bike. I kept water on my bike from each aid station on the 2nd loop so that I could take a sip as needed and cool myself down inside my helmet, on my arms/legs and on my face and neck. I peed several times on the bike as I was never able to fully empty my bladder but it was enough to feel comfortable while riding.

As I was making my turn home after the 2nd loop, I was happy to have a guy in front of me to keep in my sights as I was riding several miles back across the GA/TN border. At this point, I knew I was close to being done but still 11 miles back to the transition area so having some company in my view was very welcomed. I was so excited to hear my name as my athlete Thomas passed me on the bike with around 6 miles to go. I made sure not to ease up too much until I was less than 1/2 mile from the transition area and at that point, I stretched out my back, shook out my legs, removed my feet from my cycling shoes and got myself mentally prepared for the run. I was happy to see so many spectators at the dismount line into the transition area and I couldn't believe it that I got off my bike with two of my athletes (Robb and Al)! It was so fun to have four of us in the transition area at the same time, with only Karel out on the run course and the rest of our athletes still on the bike.

After getting off my bike with my barefeet, I ran to my red run gear bag and then into the women's changing tent.

Since I had no idea where I was in my age group for the swim and bike, I thought that now would be a good time to start being a little more competitive, with only the run left for my last-minute Ironman. When I entered the women's changing tent, I was welcomed by over a dozen volunteers and just me in the tent. I ran to the far end of the changing tent and I had a wonderful female volunteer all to myself. As I do in all of my Ironman events, I politely ask the volunteer to help me out however she can. My volunteer took my watch and sunglasses out of the case and put my bib number around my waist. I tried to make my transition as quick as possible and after put on my hat, sunglasses, socks, shoes and hydration belt, I had the volunteer hand me my cooling towel, which I put around my neck as I walked out of the changing tent. I also put on my Garmin as I was walking out of the tent and then began to slowly jog out of the transition to start my 26.2 mile run.

                                              

Not knowing how the legs would feel when I started running, I was pleasantly surprised that I had a bit of pep in my step. I enjoyed the slight downhill before heading up the first hill of the course and I was so excited to see my friend Justine and swimming partner Kristen. I could tell that Justine was excited to see me and after looking at her phone (Ironman tracker app), she looked like she had some important details to give me. As I ran my way up the hill, Justine yelled to me "Marni, you are killing it. You are first in your age group by 16 minutes. You are 9 minutes behind the amateur female leader."

Leader? Why is she telling me about the amateur female leader? I didn't really care about the leader as I was focused on my age group and even with hearing this information from Justine, I didn't process the fact that I was the virtual 2nd place amateur female on the course. After I ran passed Justine and Kristen, it occurred to me that I forgot to ask about Karel (Ironman brain fart). Oh bummer - I guess I would have to wait several more miles before hearing about Karel and his race.

Stay tuned for my race report from our 26.2 mile run.....

IM Kona '16: Day 5

With our Trimarni athletes in town (both first time IM Kona athletes), we planned their first workout on the big island with a ride to Hawi. 

Justine and Leigh Ann both wanted to experience the winds in Hawi, which we really appreciated as they want to be as physically and mentally prepared for the many elements that they will encounter on race day.

We drove to the Mauna Lani shops to park the car, before making our way out on the Queen K before turning off, on to Kawaihae. 

We love our Alto Cycling wheels! 

Before heading out on the ride, Karel gave our athletes a bit of a refresher for how to ride in the winds. 

No, you do not lean your bike against the wind. You let your bike go with the wind direction and then you counteract the wind by shifting your weight toward the wind while counter-steering to keep your bike riding straight without feeling like you are getting blown off the road with your bike. 

Thinking that we would get some strong winds when we hit Hawi, we actually had some nasty winds right when we started the bike. Even with drafting off Karel, the winds were blowing.

We recollected ourselves before turning toward Hawi and then enjoyed a mile of flying downhill (without wind) before making the turn off to start the "official" climb to Hawi. 

Oh Kona....you are so unpredictable! 

After a few miles of very calm conditions, Karel went off on his own while Justine and Leigh Ann took mental notes of the 18 mile climb up to Hawi. 

It's not a true uphill climb but you feel like you are going "up" to Hawi. 

We enjoyed about 8 miles or so of very calm conditions with no white caps to spot in the ocean (indicating calm winds), until the wind started to pick up.

Here are a few pics of our climb up to Hawi before my hands needed to stay on my handlebars while navigating the windy conditions. 

With around 7 miles to go, the rain started to fall and it was very refreshing to cool down our body temp. Perhaps in any other Ironman, athletes may dread rain on the bike course but in Hawi, it is very welcomed as it helps reduce core body temp before the hottest part of the course is reached in the mile before turning back on to the Queen K.

The ride back down from Hawi was fast but it did include a few strong gusts of wind. I wasn't the windiest conditions that I have ever experienced but it's always a bit of a shock to the mind/body to ride through the Hawi winds, while descending down a hill. 

Karel and I were extremely impressed with Justine and Leigh Ann who learned a lot about this section of the IM Kona course, but also how they performed during their first ride in Kona. Well done ladies! All those variable cadence workouts are now paying off!

The pink crew! 

Coach Karel.....who is always happy on two wheels. 

Yay - tail wind heading back to our car. 

After the ride, it was time for a run.
15 minutes of 5 min EZ, 5 min steady, 5 min build.

Karel and I talked about the course for the 28 miles back home (on the Queen K). 

Karel made himself a delicious mashed potato, chicken and salad meal for the middle of the afternoon, which totally hit the spot after his 3 hour bike + 15 min run. 

Most of the afternoon for Karel is spent indoor, in the AC, relaxing but we do try to get out sometime in the evening to enjoy the Kona sunset. 

You never know who you will bump into on Ali'i drive....hello Sarah Piampiano. 

And Natascha Badmann! Her first Kona was in 1996! So sad that this will be her last IM Kona. She is a bright light in this sport who always brings a smile to race day. 

The town is really coming together to let everyone know IM World Championship race week is almost here! 

There is Karel! 

Waiting for the sunset. 

Getting some puppy love. 

Almost time.

There it is! 

So beautiful.

Until tomorrow Kona. 

IM Austria race report - 112 mile bike

(this picture was not from race day but the same view we got to enjoy for much of 112 miles!)

As I was settling into my rhythm on the bike for the short out and back section, I kept the effort very easy - light on the pedals.
Karel told me that my "race effort" would start after I left Maria Worth as I was nearing the round about by the town of Velden. I needed to give myself time before settling into my Ironman bike "race effort" as I was ready to give a very sustainably hard (relatively speaking for an Ironman) effort on the bike for Ironman Austria.

This year I have made/seen some big and exciting improvements on the bike - but as we all know, this didn't happen overnight. Seeing that I married a cat 1 cyclist turned triathlete, I really had no choice that I was going to become a good cyclist whether I liked it or not - thankfully, I learned to love cycling!
The truth is that my cycling has been an ongoing developmental process starting with an evolving bike fit (by Karel) to help my glutes work harder on the bike and to not tire out my quads. Specifically this season I did a lot of work on the trainer to help with my pedaling mechanics, with better chain tension with variable cadence (to help me climb better sitting and standing).  And of course, since moving to Greenville 2 years ago, I am more confident riding my bike in all types of terrain and know how to change my gears properly when anticipating different terrain.
So as much as I wish I could tell you a;; the magic key workouts that have helped my cycling, the truth is that I have not doing anything extreme with my cycling training - I simply dedicated myself to improving my skills, learned how to ride my bike and improved my confidence when riding on two wheels.
(Thank you Karel!)

My longest bike was 5 hours (about 85 miles) although I had one intentional overload cycling week (4 weeks out) where I did 3 long rides (4.5 hours, 5 hours and 4 hours within 7 days - all with a run off the bike. This same week I did a lot of run frequency as well. It was my biggest week of training in my IM training block (which lasted about 5 weeks) but the rest of my "long" bikes were around 3.5-4 hours with only a few 4.5 hour rides. 

I felt like I was flying through Maria Worth as the first section is fast. There are a few "bumps" in the road but overall, it's a great start to an Ironman after swimming for 2.4 miles.

I noticed in front of me that there was a girl with a motorcycle escort ahead of me. I was a bit confused by this because I was getting closer to her and I wasn't too sure of why an age grouper would have an escort. The first thought was maybe she was the top age grouper and they had a lead vehicle with her but as I  got closer and spotted her bib number around her waist on her back and it was a very low number (we were required to wear our bib numbers on our back - on our race belt - on the bike since we had no body markings. We also had 3 numbers on our helmet - front and both sides). I was able to see the back of the sign on the motorcycle and it read "3rd Austrian woman" or something like that.

While I have exited the water close to female professionals in the past at an Ironman, it was only a matter of time until I looked like I was riding backwards as they were riding quickly away from me.

This was certainly a first as I was staying very close to the professional female ahead of me. However, eventually she did ride away.

Seeing that I had no assigned watts, heart rate or speed to hold but instead, to just stay up with my nutrition (1 bottle per hour of 300 calories + additional water as needed from aid stations) and to go all by feel and occasionally check in with my metrics, when I approached the round about by Veldon I was ready to focus for the next 4+ hours.



As I approached the first climb, I felt good but didn't want to do anything crazy.
With two loops, 180K and 4-5 climbs (3 being significant climbs), it was really important that even though I was willing and ready to give an effort like I have never given before on the bike, I didn't want to ruin my race in the first 20K.

Compared to 2014 Ironman Austria, I felt much more confident on the bike course  And seeing that we were predicted to have rain later in the day (just like we had in 2014), I felt like I would be able to ride more comfortably in the rain on this terrain (in 2014 I rode a bit too scared).

I kept waiting for Karel to pass me but after finishing the Faaker See climb and then finishing the first loop of our course (see the map above to understand the loops within the loop course), I was nearing 50K and no sign of Karel.
I knew that there was a good chance that he wouldn't feel good on the bike based on how he had been feeling on race week but I hoped that a miracle would happen and he would be able to ride pain free. I knew how much he was looking forward to IM Austria, especially the bike course.

I can't say enough about this bike course - cute villages, the screaming spectators, the awesome volunteers at the aid stations (seriously - they were so awesome), the unbelievable breathtaking mountain views, the smooth silky terrain between the villages, the long fun and fast descends (nothing too technical) and the challenging climbs to break up the course.

I felt a little tired (sleep tired) in the first 90 minutes of the bike and I knew it wasn't from being low on calories but probably just from poor sleep habits on race week due to a bad case of jet lag. I stayed up on my nutrition with my liquid calories (4-5 sips every 10-15 minutes and as needed) plus water at aid stations and although my body felt good and I felt sharp, my eyes were sleepy.

It was around the time when I was having a little low that you know who rolls up behind me and I can spot a flash of orange right next to me.

The first thing he said was "Wow babe, you are doing great."

Karel passed me a little after 60K as we were nearing the last big climb (which is a long and tough one - it just keeps going and going and going)  of our first loop and later did he tell me that he couldn't believe that it took him that long to catch me on the bike. Usually he passes me within 30-40 min of the bike.

I told Karel that I thought I was near the top of the amateurs as he rode away....with a small group of other guys trying to stay with him (they didn't last long).

I could see Karel in the distance starting the climb and as he was switching from getting out of the saddle and then sitting and climbing, I could tell that he had his normal riding style - which was relieving (later did he tell me that his hips felt fine but he did feel a bit of tightness in his back but better than the days prior).

This was a great pick-me up and after the long climb, I was back to business again.

The last 30K of the first loop is very fast with a few slightly technical areas through villages (but nothing crazy hard or scary). The roads are wide open and you can almost always see where you are going with nothing significant to make you squeeze on your breaks for a turn or switch back. Despite the challenging climbs, if you can climb efficiently, this can be a very fast course (which it is known to be one of the fastest IM bike courses despite 5300+ feet of climbing).

As I was finishing the loop, in the last 30K, a girl rode up next to me (actually, this happened near the last big long climb) and I noticed on her bib number that she was in the 18-24 age group. While this didn't concern me that she wasn't in my age group, I wasn't sure how many female amateurs were close behind me on the bike so I used her as my rabbit and tried my best to stay with her. She was very strong on the bike and was able to stay with others a bit better than me (legally drafting) as I was still trying to manage my efforts and I didn't want to waste everything I had on the first loop.

With the rolling start, the drafting was much less of an issue this year compared to when we raced in 2014. For many times during the bike, I rode by myself for miles and miles with no one in sight. There were a few times when I was passed by guys or a few small groups of 4-8 guys near each other but never 20+ athletes riding in a pack together.

Oh, I forgot to mention that throughout the bike, I had a motorcycle next time me with a photographer taking pictures of me. He would stay with me for several minutes. At this point, I finally realized that I was somewhere near the top of the amateur race which just blew my mind. Seriously, me??...at Ironman Austria with very strong and fast females amateurs?

After a fun and fast 10K wheeeeeew, let's fly, aero-action ride, I was nearing town and the girl who I was riding with was out of my sight so now she was out of mind. Time to refocus and get ready for lap #2.

As I was nearing the "hot corner" near transition to start loop #2, the announcer yelled "Here is Marni Sumbal, our 2nd female age group athlete". 

Well, now that it was official, I was willing to take some risks and give it what I had to have the ride of my life. I paced myself as well as I could on the first loop (which is hard when you are about to burst with energy after taper) and fueled as well as I could on the first loop so now, I just had to sustain my effort. I knew that I would slow down due to fatigue (hills seem to grow on loop two of an IM course - always!) and with the sky turning dark, I continued to hit lap on my Garmin to focus only on 30 minutes at a time - that is all I could control.
I would often find myself thinking about the run and how my legs would feel after this bike but I forced myself to stay present.

I did stop at special needs for 3 more filled sport nutrition bottles and although it was quick (I asked the volunteer to put my bottles in my cages for me so that I could stretch), I really enjoyed this stop at 92K to just put my feet on the ground and relax for a few seconds. Then I was off again for a solo ride all the way to Velden (with maybe a small handful of guys passing me).

For some reason, I grabbed a coke near Velden thinking that it would wake me up but looking back, I don't think that was a good idea as I have done this in the past and have ended up with GI issues on the run (despite being able to tolerate coke on the run just fine). Perhaps with my GI system not becoming regular due to jet lag, the combination of coke + sport nutrition + effort was a bit too much in my tummy.

I didn't want to back off on my calories too much but I needed my gut to empty some of the contents so I gave myself about 20 minutes or so of no nutrition to see if I could get things to empty. While I wasn't too worried about it as it wasn't that uncomfortable while cycling, I was just a little worried about the run. 

I also didn't let it get to me too much as I know the IM is a long day and a long event and things out of your control (even if well practiced) may happen. If I have learned one thing after 10 Ironmans (Austria being #11) - things WILL happen on race day and you have to do a good job trying to deal with them when they happen. I've never had a "perfect" race day where everything went perfect for 140.6 miles - a great race is when you can overcome what comes your way.

I had a few more low moments in the second loop but knowing the course was really helpful as there were certain sections that I was really looking forward to and I knew that I would be able to pick up some speed and get into a good place again.

As I was finishing the first loop (within our loop) again, the sky started to drizzle.
Around 60K, the sky started to pour.

For the next 30K, I rode in a pretty heavy rain shower (with a few thunders) that only let up in the last 10K (although still wet roads). I was a little worried about what the run would be like but I knew that I needed to focus on the bike as the roads were wet and I still had one big long climb to do with a lot of fast descending (and a few villages with a few tighter turns) to do in the rain.

Thankfully, I remained confident in the rain which meant I was riding safe. At times, I was even descending in the rain on my aerobars as I knew that breaking in the rain, descending, was not safe. I did not ride stupid but smart and I was really proud of myself - this was a long time in the making!

Somewhere in the last 150K, I caught back up with the 18-24 girl that had passed and dropped me around 80K. I figured she was the first amateur female so I once again tried to stay with her.

But as I got to the last tight turn through a village, I knew that riding safe was my priority. She was riding close to a small group of guys so my chances of catching her were gone.

I continued my descend back into town alone and one by one, I was being passed....by guys.

Still not another female in sight, I eased up a bit as I got my mind and body ready for the marathon (or as ready as they could get after 180K of cycling).

I switched over my Garmin (for the first time) screen from my interval screen to total time and it read 5:16 as I was nearing the transition area....holy moly! In 2014 at Ironman Austria, I rode 5:29 and I was thrilled to have finally broke 5:30.

Sub 5:20 was my scary goal (which helped me put in the work for training) going into this race and I couldn't believe it.

As I dismounted my bike, I spotted Karel's bike and smiled with relief that he had finished his bike. I was so excited to see him again on the run and hopefully see him running. If anything, I just wanted him to finish and I know "just finishing" was his goal so long as he wasn't in pain. 

I racked my bike and then ran straight to the potty to see if I could help ease my stomach a little before the run. I struggled a bit with my short sleeve tri suit to get it off which was costing me some time but finally I was in and out (what felt like forever!). I also took the time in there to remove my HR monitor since I was wearing my new Garmin 235 (with HR built into the watch on the wrist).

I grabbed my run bag and then ran into the women's changing tent.
I guess they weren't expecting me because I didn't have a volunteer helping me - I was all alone.
Finally, after I put  on my visor, watch, shoes and hydration belt, a volunteer came in as I was finishing up and she took all my gear and put it into my bag. I thanked her, popped a TUMS in my mouth and off I went.

Like usual, those first few steps off the bike, with running shoes, are scary as you have no idea how your legs will feel - fresh or heavy?

Thankfully, I felt fresh!

But sadly, it didn't last long.
Five minutes later, my legs felt heavy and I was not feeling good on the run.

Ok body - 11th Ironman, let's figure this out!

We have a marathon to run, Karel to see, my mom to say hi to and a podium to get on to!

IM Austria bike preview (in pics)

It's hard to describe this course in words so I thought I'd use pictures to show you what you get to see in 112 miles on the Ironman Austria bike course.

When leaving Klagenfurt, there is a quick out and back section when leaving the transition area and then we head to Maria Worth, which is in route to Velden.
As you can see in the bike course map picture, the first part of the course is filled with water views. And not just any water views - the fresh and clean, aqua blue waters of Lake Wörthersee (also our swim course). 
There are a few rolling sections but the course starts out fast. There is also a nice view of the Pyramidenkogel (highly recommend to visit if you are in the area) which is on a 2,703 foot high foot mountain in Carinthia, Austria. 

After passing through Velden, we approach a round about and then head straight for several miles, with longer rollers (climbs and descends) and our first real views of the alps.
The course remains fast until we approach our first climb near Faaker See, just after 30K in the bike course. 

It's really neat to pass through so many small towns, which will be filled with fans on race day. 

There are two climbs in our first loop with the first climb is not so significant and the next climb is steady, and the first time where your overall pace really slows down. But, this course is filled with long descends so if you can pace the climbs (3 major climbs) appropriately, you can gain a lot on the downhills. 

Although the next 15K can be a little frustrating as the wind can be at your face as you ride on a wide open road with the alps on your right, followed by a section on a small road packed between houses and farms (hello cows!), the views are breathtaking. This is actually one of my favorite parts of the course.
Overall, the road conditions are great with just a few sections of bumpy roads (mostly patched).

Around 50K into the bike, we finish our loop section and then head back to Rosegg to make a right at the round about, up a short steep hill and then to start our next big loop, before repeating the course one more time.
I just love all the bike and walking paths along the course and I can't wait until race day as the course will be filled with fans, especially on the big climbs. Not every IM race course has a DJ on the course (Riebnig climb). 

While there are few technical sections in terms of descending (they are mostly long descends where you wind gradually either right or left and do not have to break), it's the passing through the towns which is fun but you also have to be alert as the roads are tight. 

The course is just beautiful (did I say that already?) and I love how the alps are always in sight. 

Above is a picture of the big climb nearing 70K which is long. Of course, on race day there will be a DJ and about 4-5 deep of fans so it will be a lot of fun. Plus, guess who loves climbing - ME!

This is one of those climbs where you can't see the top and it keeps on going. There is a false flat section in the middle and then it keeps going up. But what goes up, must come down...and boy, is it a fun downhill! There is one left hand turn on the bottom of a descend but other than that, the next 10K is fun. 

Karel and I had no trouble staying on course (minus one turn that is not marked) as the course is permanently marked with Ironman M-dots and signs.  

The last section is fast - although there is one technical area through a town but for a good 10K, you are gradually going back down into town. You can either gain time (free speed) or lose time depending on bike handling skills so I hope mine have improved enough for me to ride confidently on the back half of each loop.
Before the descend, there are a few areas that are filled with tall trees, almost like a Lake Placid type feel. This course has a little of everything for the nature lovers.

In total, we have about 5500 feet of climbing but IM Austria still remains one of the fastest IM bike courses.

Well, there you have it - the IM Austria bike course in pictures. 

Here are some of the pictures that Karel took of me as he patiently waited for me as we were previewing 1-loop of the bike course yesterday morning. 

IMWI Race Report: 112 mile bike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                 

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

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

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

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

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

Miles 1-17:

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

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

Loop 1:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a great decision to use special needs!

Miles 56-112

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

Nope, it hasn’t happened. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

And wow, did he ever move on up! 

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

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

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

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

They gave me the most awesome welcome!

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

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

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

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

112 mile bike stats:
 

Marni

112 mile bike – 5:42:58, 19.59mph

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

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

2^nd female amateur after the bike

Karel 

5:11:30, 21.57 mph average

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

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

41^st male after the bike

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

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

Normalized power: 160

91 cadence average

Variable Index (VI): 1.07

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

20.43mph, 94 cadence, 165 NP

19.13mph, 93 cadence, 175NP

20.89mph, 94 cadence, 166NP

19.68mph, 91 cadence, 177NP

20.13mph, 91 cadence, 145NP

18.64mph, 90 cadence, 165NP

19.77mph, 88 cadence, 155NP

18.66mph, 88 cadence, 151NP

19.21mph, 88 cadence, 148NP

19.02mph, 88 cadence, 128NP

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

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

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

Thanks Adam B for the pics!