IMWI '18 Race Report - 26.2 mile run

Photo: Jay Baker

After dismounting my bike, I quickly removed my cycling shoes as I ran my way into the terrace to grab my T2 (Run) gear bag. My legs were a little tired from 112 miles of biking but I didn't let it worry me. My athlete Diane was out on the course and on lap 2, she told me I was still leading but the girls behind me were closing in. At this point, I assumed I was still leading my age group but I didn't know by how much. Anything can happen in an Ironman marathon and I had a game plan that I trusted and I was looking forward to seeing if I could put together a solid run after what appeared to be a solid day of swimming and biking.

When I entered the women's changing room, I was all smiles as I was the only one in the room and I had all the volunteers to myself. I had a few Trimarni followers in the room (volunteers) giving me cheers which made me so happy. I put on my Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo, emptied my pockets from the bike and put on my visor. I grabbed my hydration belt and race belt (which had my bib number on it) and headed out of the room. Rather than immediately running, I fast walked as I put on my belts. From experience, I know how good it feels to completely empty myself before a run so I made a quick stop in the port-o-john and I felt so much better afterward. 

I've learned a lot from Ironman racing and one major tip always comes to mind when I start the marathon - be patient. 26.2 miles is a long way to go. I see athletes all the time chasing paces, rushing out of T2 and treating the marathon as if it is a sprint triathlon as if every second matters. Sure, you don't want to waste your time doing silly things but you want to make good decisions as it's a long day of racing and what happens in the first few miles of the marathon can potentially make or break your race. I had no time goals or paces for this run. I trusted my training and my nutrition and felt confident with my run fitness going into this race. And even though I knew my competition was likely close behind me, I needed to be smart with my execution which meant taking care of myself in the early miles and really listening to my body.

Plus, I had a very specific game plan for this marathon. Walk within every mile. 

Photo: Brian Comiskey

Yep, that's right. My strategy was to intentionally take a walk (or reset) break within every mile. Not always at each aid station but instead, to walk to reset my form. This is something that I have practiced in all of my long runs and something that we encourage our athletes to do as well. Committing to walking in an Ironman can be tough for many athletes view it as failing. There's a big difference between unintentional vs intentional walking. The later makes you feel in control whereas the earlier makes you feel like defeated. I'm not saying that unintentional walking is bad but there's something very powerful about having a plan to walk and sticking to it. I figured that it wasn't if I got caught on the run by my competition in my age group, but when. However, I didn't let this thought of being caught scare me as I needed to focus on my strategy to get to the finish line.

In addition to my walk breaks (which were rarely at aid stations until the last 6 or so miles), I was also confident in my fueling plan. I had two flasks, each with 1 scoop Carborocket hydration (108 calories, 10 ounce water, 331 mg sodium and 27g carbs). Each flask was a different flavor - one with kiwi lime and the other with raspberry lemonade. For the second loop, I had two flasks in special needs filled with 3 scoops per flask of Osmo women mango (105 calories, 10 ounce water, 552 mg sodium and 27g carbs). I also carried an Enveritine cheerpack with me to start the run (and one in special needs) in case I needed a little pick-me up (I didn't end up using either). I have practiced with all products listed above as I use sport nutrition in every training session - even easier workouts. I am comfortable running with my Nathan Trail Mix hydration belt (I actually love it so much I don't like to run without it), drinking when I run and I enjoy the taste of my products. I also know that I can eventually move to coke in the later miles of the run and still sip on Osmo. The reason why I run with my hydration is that I can drink when I want to drink. Because muscle glycogen stores are declining, keeping the brain energized with sugar is key. Since the liver is responsible for this, the nutrition that I take in on the run is not only helping me muscles but also keeping my brain alert. In other words, I can always stay one step (literally) ahead of my blood sugar to prevent bonking. Also, I find that it's incredibly easy to overdrink at aid stations when you feel very thirsty or low in energy so by bringing along my own nutrition, I can use the aid stations just for water and then coke, when or if needed. 

Photo: Jay Baker

Within the first mile, I realized that I didn't completely empty myself when I exited T2 so I stopped in the port-o-john right before an aid station. I figured now was the time to go as I didn't want to wait too long and then struggle to find a potty and I knew once I went, I would feel so much better. And it worked! Plus, after a quick sit and rest, I felt a million times better. This also confirmed that adding in the reset breaks was going to help me delay fatigue and hopefully run fresher longer.

As usual, the first few miles were a little tough as I was trying to get my rhythm, settle into a good stride, find my form and just put my mind into a good place. The walk breaks were also a nice distraction from how far I still had left to run as I only focused on one mile at a time. This actually made the first few miles go by really quickly. My friend Jacqui (who was the overall amateur female) blazed by me (she ran 3 hours!) and we had a quick little convo. Based on this, I knew my effort was conversational and I was not over-doing it. Sure, it felt hard as I had been racing for over 6 hours but I wasn't forcing my effort or trying to chase a pace. I would glance down at my watch every now and then and see paces in the low 8 minutes and I felt like I could hold this effort for some time so I just ran with it - literally.

Photo: Jay Baker

Once I found my running legs, my smile grew bigger. I was actually enjoying running and I felt very strong and healthy. Because I don't do the typical "long" runs in training (my longest run was 2 hours/14 miles with a main set of 10 x 1 miles slightly faster than IM marathon effort w/ 30 sec walk between) but instead, many brick runs, double run days and a lot of frequency running, I not only felt fresh for this marathon but I was looking forward to the mechanical fatigue that I knew was coming. Because I only like to put myself in that deep uncomfortable place on race day, it was something that I was welcoming but I wanted to delay it for as long as possible. My goal was to run a very steady and sustainable effort for the first loop (13 miles) as if I was holding myself from going harder. This actually made the effort feel rather "easy" but within the context of Ironman racing (it's never easy). And that tired feeling that I felt on the bike was gone. I was alert, happy, energized and fresh. This rarely happens so I couldn't stop myself from smiling. The course was packed with spectators and I felt like every corner welcomed me with new cheers and faces. I love all the turns and terrain changes on this course as it helped me break it down mentally into small segments. Once I approached Observatory hill, I saw Karel and I was super excited to see him and hear an update of how I was doing. Karel and I have developed an ability to know what the other person needs to hear in the moment when we are racing and Karel said the right thing to me. He told me that I he was so happy with how I was running but the 2nd and 3rd place girls were 2 and 3 minutes behind me. I told Karel that I was feeling really good but I was sticking to my walk-break plan. He told me to not change what I was doing as it is working. All of this conversation occurred in about 30 seconds as I was running my way up the hill. Since I was being very strategic with my walk breaks, I made sure to walk anytime I felt like I wanted to feel good for an upcoming segment. Once I made my way on State Street, I could feel the crowds giving me so much energy. I was just happy that I felt so good and could smile my way through that section.

Photo: Joanne Marshall

Going into the race, my goal was to get a Kona slot. I figured we would have two slots but I wanted to win my age group just be sure. While this goal was important to me, I made sure not to take risks and to stick to my plan. At the end of the day, the only person I can control is myself. If the other girls were to run faster than me, so be it. I wanted to put together a race that I was proud of and at the end of the day, the athlete in my age group who put together the best race (in other words, who is the best at not slowing down) was going to win the age group and get one of the two Kona slots.

When I saw Karel for the second time, he told me that the girls were running just a bit faster than me but to not change what I was doing. This news worried me a little bit as I saw the two girls running in the opposite direction on State Street and I felt like the gap was closing. It was still hoovering around 2-3 minutes which is not that much time in the marathon. I also heard Karel's mom cheering which just made me smile so big as she was having a blast out there with her cowbell. 

Once I made my way on the gravel trail section, my legs were happy. I really enjoy running on gravel and I tried to stay on the gravel section for as long as possible (even if that meant running on the side of the run path with just a small patch of gravel). On the next out and back, I saw the girls and they were getting closer to me. Still, I was feeling good and stayed with my run/walk plan.

The first loop went by really fast which is exactly what I had hoped for. I was also really happy that my form wasn't breaking down. While I thought it would be hard to make the u-turn to lap two within a few hundred meters from the finish line, I was actually looking forward to lap two. Bring it out, I thought to myself.

I made a quick stop at special needs and then made my way back out of town. For this second loop, I needed to take a few small risks but also remain calm. Since I was very patient in the first loop with my effort, I had a lot of trust in my body for the next 13 miles. I knew the mechanical fatigue was building and it was going to get really hard, really soon but I just kept taking care of myself and focused on running well. After the run through the stadium, I started to mentally take note of the segments of the course that I wouldn't have to do again. Stadium - check. As I got to Observatory hill, there was Karel again and he told me that it was still close. Perhaps the coaches/friends of the other girls behind me were giving information like "she's walking" which made the other girls speed up but it was getting close and Karel was on edge (he later told me that my race was a very exciting race for him to track!). Rather than walking up observatory hill(s), I ran because I knew that if I was going to take a risk it was going to be on the hill. So I made my way up the hill, took a reset break, charged down the hill and after state street, Karel told me that I had opened up the gap and it was now around 4-5 minutes. I couldn't believe it. Am I really running away from my competition? This never ever happens?!?! While I knew I was slowing down, I was still able to keep good form and I never felt like I wanted the run to be overwith. I felt like I was there doing what I had trained to do and my body and mind were ON!

As I past mile 20, I told myself to just think of my favorite 6 mile running route. Then when I got to mile 23, it's only 3 miles - that's like a typical brick run (even though I always go by time and not miles/distance). Then when I got to 24, I told myself when I got to mile 25, I could give it everything I had. While it wasn't much more than I was giving for the last few miles, I couldn't believe the day that my body put together. I sprinted my way to the finish (well, it felt like a sprint) and made sure to celebrate the last mile. I loved seeing my athletes on the course and I could not wait to get back out there to help bring everyone to that finish line.

Funny stories....At one point, Karel told me to keep myself cool. I was like, um, I am not hot at all. While a few sections of the course were a little warm, the weather was perfect. I grabbed ice a few times but I didn't hold it long because it was too cold. Also, when I was nearing mile 16, I thought in my head it was mile 17. Total disappointment to see mile 16 instead. However, I must have missed mile marker 24 so after mile 23, I just kept running on the course thinking "where is mile 24?? And then when I saw mile 25 I was like "SCORE!" That was the best feeling ever and it couldn't have come at a better time as my legs were not moving so fast in the last few miles. 

When I crossed the finish line, I felt amazing. Sore, tired, exhausted and short of breath but amazing. I couldn't believe it. When I saw Karel and his mom (and a new friend Lindsey) behind the barricades, I just lifted up my arms as I couldn't believe it. I just won my age group and qualified for Kona for the 6th time. 

There's nothing like that feeling of crossing the finish line of an Ironman!! It makes all the unknowns, challenges, worries and muscle aches worth it. 

My coach, best friend and life-long teammate.

While anything can happen in an Ironman, I feel I put together a perfect race. The exciting part for me was that I was racing for all 140.6 miles. My competition was strong behind me and for most of the race, three of us were within 3 minutes of one another. For me, it wasn't so much about the time or place as far as why I am so proud of my performance but my execution. Everything I did on race day was practiced in training, I listened to my body, I arrived fit, healthy and physically and mentally fresh and excited to race. I didn't chase a result or metrics or an outcome but instead, stayed true to myself and focused on what I needed to do all day to deliver me to my 14th IM finish line with a smile that didn't go off my face for all 26.2 miles.

After the race, it took me some time to hobble my way to my gear bags and change in the terrace bathroom before heading back out to cheer for our athletes. I was so cold after the race that it took me some time to warm-up in the food tent! It got rather cold at night so I was happy that I had my warm clothes from the morning. I made sure to eat as much as I could after the race to help with the recovery process. The worst part of the day was hearing from Karel that our athlete Ericka crashed with just a few miles to go on the bike after she moved herself up to 6th place in the pro field in her first ever Ironman. She hit some gravel on a turn (accident as she is a great rider and bike handler) and went down - luckily nothing was broken but she was taken to the hospital. While we are incredibly sad about how her day ended, we know she will be back stronger and hungrier than before. We love you Ericka!

Here are my splits from the run, which include my walk breaks. I didn't have a set time that I was walking as I just walked to reset my form, stretch out and take care of whatever I needed to do to run well until my next walk break. 

Mile 1: 8:17 min/mile (didn't see the official start to the run so I started my watch late)

Mile 2: 8:43 (bathroom stop)
Mile 3: 8:11
Mile 4: 8:11
Mile 5: 8:05
Mile 6: 8:40
Mile 7: 8:34
Mile 8: 8:15
Mile 9: 8:28
Mile 10: 8:22
Mile 11: 8:23
Mile 12: 8:18
Mile 13: 8:40 (special needs stop)
Mile 14: 8:25
Mile 15: 8:36
Mile 16: 8:42
Mile 17: 8:57
Mile 18: 8:37
Mile 19: 9:16
Mile 20: 8:49
Mile 21: 8:40
Mile 22: 9:08
Mile 23: 9:09
Mile 24: 8:56
Mile 25: 9:05
Mile 26: 9:06
Mile 0.2: 8:26

I think I counted 21 intentional walk breaks over 26 miles (see below)
Per my Garmin: 25.9 miles, 3:44.09 (8:39 min/mile), 843 feet elevation gain

Ironman tracker results for the run: 3:45.44 (8:36 min/mile), 3rd fastest AG group, 24th female run, 113rd overall

RESULTS
Swim: 59.38
T1: 6:20
Bike: 5:37.44
T2: 3:03
Run: 3:45.44
Overall: 10:32.29, 1st AG, 5th amateur female, 2019 Kona Qualified

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2018 Trimarni Supporters and Affiliates

We would like to send a BIG thank you to our Trimarni sponsors and affiliates for supporting the Trimarni team:

• Run In - for helping us with our running gear/shoe needs
• Mg12 - for helping our muscles stay relaxed
• Clif Bar - for quality, organic ingredients in quality sport nutrition
• Carborocket - for providing a quality bike and run nutrition in tasty flavors
• Base nutrition - for making delicious bars and a variety of products to meet the needs of endurance athletes. And for being all around awesome. 
• Veronica's Health Crunch - for the most delicious hand made crunch - ever!
• Infinit - for customizable sport nutrition with safe and effective ingredients
• Levelen - for helping athletes optimize our hydration needs through sweat testing
• Hot Shot - for boosting neuromuscular performance and preventing muscle cramps
• Solestar - for maximum stability, better power transmission
• KLEAN for making quality products, tested to be clean and safe for athlete consumption.
• Boco Gear - for helping us race in style
• Canari - for the most comfortable, functional and stylish gear and for helping our athletes race in good-looking kits
• Amrita bars - for making the most delicious tasting, high-quality plant-based protein and energy bars. 
• Xterra - for the fastest, most comfortable wetsuit ever.
• Alto cycling - for engineering the fastest race wheels
• Swamp Rabbit Inn and Lodge - for keeping our campers happy with perfect lodging options
• Ventum - for designing a cool-looking bike that has been backed by research and top-notch engineering. I love my Ventum!

IM Choo Race Report - 26.2 mile run

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                               

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Water/ice

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

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

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

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

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

                                              

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

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

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

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

                                               


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

                                              

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

My immediate response was, "I did what?"

She then proceeded to yell to me that I won.

"Won what?" I asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

A BIG thank you to our 

2017 Trimarni sponsors and affiliates:

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

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