IM World Championship St. George - 26.2 mile run recap

 

GEAR
Karel: Shoes Nike Alphaflys, SL-1x Roka Sunglasses
Marni: Shoes New Balance FuelCell, Perfect cooling towel, SL-1x Roka Sunglasses
(Shoes from Run In)

NUTRITION
Karel: 10-ounce Nathan flask filled with NeverSecond C30 (Citrus) stored in kit pocket, carried packets of precision hydration 1500 and had 3 maurten gels (2 non-caffeine and 1 caffeine). Water/ice at aid stations. One sip of coke.
Marni: 2 x 10 ounce flasks filled with NeverSecond C30 (Forest Berry), carried packets of C30 and NBS but didn’t refill. Sipped coke at aid stations throughout as needed + water/ice. Naked Running band. Nathan 10 ounce flasks. 

 

I knew the first two miles would be uncomfortable because I've raced on this course 3 times (70.3 distance). The first few miles are on a long slight gradual uphill. It's never fun running uphill to start a run but then again, we live on the bottom of a hill so we are accustomed to starting every brick run on a hill. Mentally, Karel and I both appreciated that we didn't have to take the running path all the way to Red Hills Pkwy (like in the 70.3) but instead, we went under a tunnel to the other side of the road and this really helped break things up. In feeling the hot temp (low 90s) on the bike - along with the sunny sky and wind, I made the decision in the first few minutes of the run that I would walk the aid stations starting with the first aid station. I don't see walking as failing to run but an intentional strategy to help delay fatigue (and other factors that can limit performance). I knew that this would be the best strategy for me to help me avoid a massive slowdown. My run fitness was good and I was healthy but I knew that I wouldn’t be running anything fast on this day. I didn't have any time goals going into this race but I was realistic with myself that my current run fitness was around a 3:45-3:50 marathon. I prepared myself the best that I could but it takes me a while to get faster (and more confident) with my running and I usually peak with my marathon running in the mid to later summer. I didn't want to rush my marathon preparation to try to get faster and then risk injury. Instead, I focused on getting as strong as I could over the winter and spring with trail running, a lot of hill running and running off the bike. I was ok knowing that I wasn't fast relative to the other top ladies but I felt confident that I could put together a steady run. I was a little nervous about my stomach since I was on the 2nd day of my menstrual cycle but thankfully by gut was fine.  

With a long and exciting season of racing, this year is all about staying healthy and strong. My run fitness was what it was on race day – I never tried to force anything with each workout to try to get faster. I just let my body adapt as it wanted. Because of how I felt on the bike, I knew my number one goal needed to be to keep myself from getting too hot - as that would affect my form, effort and increase the risk for GI issues. Throughout the entire run, I never once looked at my watch during the run – it made no point to me to see my pace as I had more important things to focus on like taking care of my nutrition and cooling. There was so much freedom in not knowing my swim or bike time or run pace until I crossed the finish line. Ironman racing is all about listening to the body, reacting quickly and being proactive. Here's the file of my run (walking only at the aid stations). 

I loved this run course because there was so much to it – so many ups, downs, turns, out and backs and spectators. It was the perfect course for me to mentally breakdown and focus on one mile at a time. Although this wasn’t a fast marathon for me, I think it was one of my best paced marathons as I never had a massive slow down or low moments. I had a few quiet voices in my head like “you still have 13 more miles, how are you going to do this?” or “wouldn’t it be nice to just walk a bit longer.” But those voices were really quiet on the day and I could push them aside and stay focused on the task at hand. I was actually enjoying the run and my mind was working well with my body. 

Karel didn't have the best run preparation going into this event. First off, he was enjoying mountain biking way too much and he wasn't putting in the miles for this event. Additionally, twice over six months Karel had a knee issue (falling while playing in the woods on his mountain bike) that prevented him from running for several weeks at a time. He didn't run for 3 weeks in March and his longest run was 13 miles in April. However, the resiliency, endurance, efficiency and fitness that he has established over many years was there on race day and he felt really good on the run. He didn’t feel fast but he felt strong and durable. He also didn’t have any low moments like “why in the heck am I doing this?"  which tends to pop up a few times in most Ironman events we do. I saw Karel twice and he gave me a cheer both times. Karel also included walks (reset breaks) in his run (19 of them) to either refill his flasks with water (he would pour the packet of sport drink in his flask as he was running and then stop to refill at the aid station) or he would walk when he felt like he needed a reset. 

Here's the file of Karel's run. 

I saw a lot of other familiar faces out there which really kept my energy levels up. I held on to ice from each aid station (stuffed it down my sports bra as well) and my cooling towel really helped to keep me wet. I could squeeze the towel anytime and I instantly felt refreshed (until I dried off due to the 90 degree dry heat). I new that the heat would be the big factor so I kept the nutrition coming in (in small amounts at each aid station) and then a sip from my flasks as needed as well. I didn't feel that more nutrition would help me run any faster but instead, I needed to keep my blood sugar up to keep my brain communicating with my muscles. I also knew that more nutrition would not stop the hurt (fatigue) in my legs. I have never cramped in a race or training session and I am not a big sweater (or a salty sweater) so I wasn't overly concerned about sodium - however I did have a vial of salt in my hydration pack incase I needed a lick of it. I relied on my flasks (sport drink) in my hydration belt for those instant low moments when I feel my blood sugar dropping but otherwise. It's nice knowing that I can drink when I want to drink. It's also easy to sip my flasks on downhills. I always washed down coke or my sport drink with water when I was at the aid stations. I felt like every time I drank (coke, water, sport drink), it was digesting easily in my gut and my gut was still working well. This was a great sign that my body was functioning well. I didn't have any GI issues or serious low moments. I was passed by several girls but I didn’t let it affect my race or get in my head. I was focused on me and what I needed to do to safely and successfully get to the finish line. Although I was feeling the effects of the day, my body continued to work for me from start to finish. I never had the familiar IM run feeling of wondering if my next step would be my last step from extreme soreness, fatigue and depletion. 

As I was nearing the final big hill, I gave myself permission to walk it but my legs were feeling somewhat good so I shuffled my way up. It was windy throughout the run which made some of the inclines feel a bit harder. I saw a girl in my age group - Kristen - running really well as we passed each other on one of the out and backs so I anticipated that she would be passing me soon. I never gave up on myself (even though I wasn't sure where I was in my age group) as I know anything can happen in the last 6-10 miles of the marathon in an Ironman. She passed me on the path back to Diagonal and shortly after I see Tim Don (professional triathlete and Zwift Coach) on the side and he tells me “You are 5^th age group, you are doing great.” I couldn’t believe it. 5th place???!!

I kinda thought I was near the top of my age group but had no idea that I had a chance to be on the podium (for the first time) at the Ironman World Championship. At this point (mile 23), I stopped my walk breaks and just committed to giving it my everything to the finish line. I was so worried that I was going to be passed and be knocked off the podium so when I made the last turn on the looooong out and back (almost a mile) before the finish line, I finally got a look to see who was behind me and I was relieved that I didn’t see any females. I still pressed on to the finish and smiled with joy (and relief) when I reached that finish line. There's something special about an Ironman finish line - no matter what you went through during the event, the finish line makes it all worth it. 

26.2 mile run (~1500 feet elevation gain)
Marni: 3:57.17, 5th AG 
Karel: 3:20.35, 11th AG

Total time: 
Marni: 10:53.16
Karel: 9:58.48

I collapsed into the arms of a volunteer (it felt so good to stop moving) and Karel was there at the finish waiting for me. He walked over to me and told me that I was 5^th in my age group. I couldn’t believe it (I had to check the tracker at least a dozen times in the evening just to make sure it wasn't a mistake). A day when I had no expectations and I went into the race with my most unconventional training for an Ironman. Wow - I was 5^th in my age group.

The volunteers were exceptional and the community really welcomed us with excitement and hospitality. There are certain courses that suit my physiology (I like hard courses with tough weather conditions) and this one certainly suited my strengths with the hills and elements. But I learned during this race that this race also suited my psychology. I need a lot of stimulation when I race. I am not an athlete with a mindset that likes to just settle into one rhythm and be alone out there. I love being out in nature – seeing the incredible landscapes. I love when the race day elements give me an edge and I can be strong, skilled and smart (not "fast"). I love seeing farm animals when I ride. I need to see people walking their dogs so I can smile at every dog. These are the things that help me race at my best.

Kona may have suited my physiology, but it didn’t suit my psychology.
St. George was the perfect Ironman course for me. I loved every mile of it. 

After the race, Karel and I shared stories from our day while snacking on some salty french fries. We didn't leave right away because Karel had his typical bout of post-race nausea that happens to him after every Ironman. Since it was almost an hour after he finished and then I finished, I think all sitting and standing got to him. Medical came over to him and told him that he "looks ok - I've seen worse today." Truthfully, the area after the finish line was interesting - I've never seen so many athletes vomiting after a race. I was sore and exhausted but overall, I felt ok and didn't have any issues. I was able to pee after the race (a good sign of hydration) and had a somewhat good appetite. I changed into my post race clothes in the port-o-potty and then as we were heading back home, Karel decided that he needed a sub from Jimmy Johns. 

The night of an Ironman is always rough. We slept about 3 hours (~11pm - 2pm) and then we had another two hours of tossing and turning before we finally got up. We started to watch the coverage of the race from Ironman Now which was good entertainment for us and our post race insomnia. 

After cleaning up our mess of race day gear in the garage, we went to the local pool to sit in the hot tub with our friends Sara and Lisa. Thankfully no major post race chaffing! IYKYK. 

We said good bye to our Czech roommates and then we drove to the town for the awards ceremony. 

It was such an honor to stand on the Ironman World Championship podium in my new age group (40-44). I'm still in denial that I will be turning 40 at the end of the month but I'm incredibly grateful for what my body has allowed me to do over the past 16 years in endurance sports. 

In Kona for the World Championship, the top 5 athletes on the podium receive an Umeke - which is the Hawaiian word for bowl. For the St. George edition, we received a handmade glass bowl. Thankfully it returned home with us in one piece! 

For the next day in a half (Mon afternoon and Tues), we were in need of some good sleep but we also wanted to move our body to help shake out some of the race soreness. With a lap pool in our community, a swim was on my mind on Monday morning. And to our surprise, the Ironman World Champion - Daniela Ryf was there swimming! We talked with her for a brief minute and she told us "it's not about the wins but the process." The words of a 10x World Championship winner could not be more true! 

Thank you for the support and for reading my blogs. I hope you gained some valuable information or at least, a bit of motivation or inspiration for your next adventure. Don't forget to thank your body for being awesome. 

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 World Championship St. George - 2.4 mile swim recap

BEEP!

2.4 mile swim
Marni: 59:58 (1st AG)
Karel: 1:00.11 (11th AG)

GEAR
Wetsuit Marni - Women's maverick X2 (older model)
Wetsuit Karel - Men's maverick MX wetsuit (max buoyancy) w/ Xterra Booties (worn under the wetsuit legs and covering the feet).

Goggles Marni – Roka F2
Goggles Karel – Michael Phelps Xceed

I ran into the water alongside several other ladies. I took a few strokes, settled into my rhythm and the water felt perfect. I was told it was 64 degrees (I’m thinking it was more like 62) but I never felt cold. Endorphins always warm me up! Before I knew it, I breathed to my right and then to my left and quickly realized I was swimming by myself.

It was a strange feeling knowing that I was leading my wave – which also meant I was leading the race for the women. I enjoyed this special first-time moment. I had a lot of male athletes to swim through so this required a bit extra sighting and navigating to get through the swimmers in the previous male waves.

I liked how the course was set up and there were plenty of buoys for sighting. We swam out to a far buoy, hung a right and then had the long stretch out and back before heading back to the shore. I was able to settle into a good rhythm throughout, although sometimes it got a bit choppy and I had to change up my stroke to time it with the chop. On the long stretch back, the sun was to my right so I had to only breathe to the left which affected my rhythm. In open water I prefer to breathe to my right side but I often change up sides. 

As I finished the swim, I had no idea my swim time. I felt like the swim went by pretty quickly and I was expecting around an hour.  I didn't care too much about my swim time as I was leading the IM World Championship as the first female out of the water. It was a great start to the day!

Karel felt really good in the water. He loves his new Roka max buoyancy wetsuit. It feels a bit tight in the shoulders but he likes how he stays so buoyant when he he swims and sights. Karel has had a rough relationship with swimming since he broke his hand last year but for some reason, swimming in St. George felt really good for him. He took a glance at his watch (which he knows not to do as it messes with the head) and he saw the number 9. He was bummed that he swam 1:09 because he thought he was swimming really well passing so many people. Well later on he learned that he swam 1:00 and nine seconds! Just a good reminder to not look at your watch and make assumptions after the swim. That is why I don’t swim with a watch on race day 😊

After I exited the water, I ran up the concrete boat ramp and quickly on the carpet to the female bags in the changing tent. I was weaving in and out of the guys as we were all heading to the changing tents. I was the first one in the female tent so I had the volunteers all to myself. They were so helpful. Even though my bag was closest to the entrance of the ladies changing tent, I grabbed my bag and ran all the way to the last chair so that when I was done, I didn't have to run through any traffic of other ladies in the tent.  The lady asked if she could help me with anything and I responded no but she offered to pack up my wetsuit, cap and goggles into my bag as I was putting on my cycling gear. I quickly put on my compression socks (I took off my timing chip and held the chip in my mouth so I wouldn’t forget to put it back on). I put on my helmet, stuffed a Supra bar and bag of Gu chews in my back jersey pocket and then placed a bag of Gu aminos in the pocket on my shorts. As I was finishing up, I noticed a few more ladies in the tent.

I thanked the volunteers for helping me pack my bag, I grabbed my shoes and my bag (with my wetsuit, cap and goggles in it) and handed the bag to a volunteer on the outside of the tent. Because of where my bike was racked and how far I needed to run with my bike to exit the transition area, I ran in my socks to my bike and ran my bike to just before the transition exit before putting on my tri shoes (I don’t do a flying mount and didn’t want to run the entire transition in my tri shoes). I have learned that this is the "fastest" way for me to transition. I got to the far end of the barricaded after the mount line, got on my bike, started my Garmin bike computer and off I went for an adventure of a ride.

Karel’s transition was a bit slow for him as the transition was packed with guys when he got in there. He wanted to do a flying mount but his hips have been giving him issues and he was worried he would hurt himself trying to jump on his bike. He put on his shoes in the changing tent and ran to get his bike and then mounted his bike at the mount line. He felt good after the swim. 

Next blog...the bike!

IM World Championship St. George - Pre-Race Recap

On Thursday morning, we headed back to the lake for another opportunity to get more comfortable in the cold water. Whereas the water temp was around 58 degrees on Wednesday, it “warmed” up to 60 degrees on Thursday. We arrived around 8am and there was a line to get in the water (pick up a timing chip before entering) but it moved pretty quickly. I wanted to try swimming without my booties (I wore them on Wed) to see if I could tolerate the cold water on my feet. I feel better swimming without the booties but I also wanted to feel comfortable. Karel opted to wear his booties as his feet do not do well in cold water. It took me several minutes to get in as it felt like my feet were being chopped off from the cold water but eventually I just committed and started swimming. Although my face, feet and hands felt very cold to start, I felt more comfortable after around 300 yards. I swam two loops of the modified swim course (~900 yards per loop) and not only did I swim faster without the booties (1:25/100 yards on Thurs vs. 1:29/100 yards on Wed) but I also felt really good in the water. I also wore my one piece tri suit but wore it down at my waist instead of over my shoulders and I felt so much better with my shoulder mobility in the wetsuit with the kit down. I made the decision that I wouldn’t wear booties on race day and I would wear my one piece kit half way down for the swim under my wetsuit. Karel decided he would wear his on race day. After the 26 min, ~1800 yard swim, we changed into our bike gear and went for a 57 min/18 mile ride on the out and back section (to Warner Valley road) by the lake. This was the last part of the entire course that we hadn’t previewed yet so when we were done, it was nice to know that we had ridden every part of the bike course (factoring in the 3-4 times we have raced the 70.3 in the past few years).

Throughout the week, I wasn’t feeling all that great. My energy level was a bit low, I was feeling bloated and I was really tired. My period was a few days late which was unusual since it is pretty routine every 25-26 days. On Thursday early evening, my period came. On one hand I was relieved but on the other hand, I knew that Friday would be rough.

On Friday morning, I woke up with cramps. For the rest of the day, I was miserable. It felt like a little alien was inside me, grabbing my intestines and twisting them around (that’s what I like to tell Karel every month 😊 ). The cramps would come and go and when they were on, it was rough. I went out for my warm-up spin and the exercise certainly helped. I then went for a short run. Around my menstrual cycle, I have the typical PMS symptoms but I have to be extra careful with running. My SI joint gets out of whack, my body feels all gumby and I really struggle with running. Normally I wouldn’t run on the first day of my period but I knew I needed to get in a light jog – it went ok.

After my 60-minute bike/run workout, I had a Skratch recovery drink w/ milk and a decent breakfast. Prior to the workout I had a bagel + PB, granola and syrup.

We packed up our transition bags and then headed downtown to drop off our run bags in T2 and then went to the lake to drop off our bike bag and bike in T1. We stayed in Washington, which is about ½ way from downtown and the lake. The downtown area was all dressed up, ready for the race. It was neat to see how it all came together. The transition area was inside a big tent which was cool to see. Karel and I did not fill our running flasks with water but instead, filled them with powder knowing that they would sit out all night and we could fill them up with cold water before we started the run on Saturday.

The experience dropping off our bikes at the lake was pretty uneventful. It was a bit anticlimactic compared to the experience in Kona but it was still exciting knowing that we only had one more sleep until the race. The more I was moving, the better my body felt but I still felt pretty crappy. I knew that I needed to eat to fuel my body and although I didn’t feel the best, I needed to fuel for my tomorrow effort and not think about how I felt today.

After we dropped off everything, we made a quick stop at Walmart to pick up a few things (ex. soup) and then headed back to our Airbnb. I snacked on pretzels in the car and sipped on Skratch. I had two cups of peppermint tea (which seemed to help my tummy) and ate tomato soup w/ rice, a bagel w/ peanut butter and jam, a yogurt, a large sweet potato and granola. Considering how I felt, I was happy with how I fueled on Friday. Instead of using pre-load for extra sodium, I just added ¼ tsp salt to water and had a glass of “salt water” in the evening. I haven’t had the best experience with pre-loading with sodium before a race (it makes me feel weird) so I just salted my food and sipped on a sport drink throughout the day – and finished with my salty water.

Around 6pm, we started to wind down for the evening. I could feel the nerves in my belly (or maybe it was cramps – not sure 😉
Karel was not nervous and I really liked his calm energy. I always get nervous for the first race of the season and with this being an Ironman, I had double the nerves. You’d think after 17 Ironman’s I wouldn’t get so nervous but I still get the nerves about what the day will bring me for 140.6 miles.

I watched the run and bike course videos a few times before bed to visualize the course and aid stations. I watched some funny shows on Netflix and by 7:30pm we were falling asleep. I slept ok for most of the night but then I tossed and turned for at least an hour before the alarm went off at 3:10am. It’s Race day!

RACE DAY
I took my time getting out of bed (due to my past experience with race morning fainting) and I made my coffee and ate a cinnamon raisin bagel w/ peanut butter, syrup and granola. I also made 2 eggs (1 white+1 whole) as this was something that I did before a mountain bike race in late March and I liked how it made me feel before and during the race. I also had a glass of salty water. After I ate I put on my race kit and then around 3:45am, I went for a quick jog around the complex. That got my system going before we left around 4:15am to catch the shuttle downtown. We grabbed our pre-made bottles from the fridge (we opted not to freeze them as we didn’t think it would make much difference with the heat). We had a house full of Czech’s racing and spectating so it was nice to have someone drop us off downtown so that we didn’t have to stress about parking.

We arrived downtown around 4:40am which was right around my scheduled shuttle time of 4:45-4:55am. Since Karel was in the wave ahead of me, his shuttle time was around my time so it worked out perfect.

I wore my headphones on the shuttle for the ~30 min drive to the lake and listened to the recent episode of the Pro Tri News Podcast. It helped ease some of my nerves. I was a bit tired and looked forward to the extra time that we had in the transition area before our start (we arrived 2 hours before our wave start). It felt a bit warm in the morning so I didn’t wear a long sleeve shirt or jacket but when we got to the lake, it felt a bit cool so I grabbed a towel that Karel had in his morning clothes bag to wrap around my shoulders (I had a tank on over my sports bra. I wore my one piece trisuit but kept the top down for the swim).

I put my front and rear water bottles on my bike and filled up the hydration system (1.2 liters) with a big Smart Water bottle of my sport drink. I placed my computer on the bike, checked the brakes and wheels and waited for Karel to pump up my tires. Karel bought a cordless air compressor which makes it easy to pump up our tires and have the correct air pressure in them. It’s also compact enough to put in our morning clothes bag (unlike a regular pump). Karel attached a disc wheel adapter to it so it would be easy to pump up his disc wheel as well as my wheels.

After we got everything done at our bikes, we made a potty stop and then spent the next hour (from 6-6:45am) laying down by the barricades and resting our eyes. I had a nice nap – not deep sleep but enough to feel rested and ready to go. It also gave me time to get my butterflies into formation. Around 6:45am, Karel started to put on his wetsuit, apply AMP on his arms and legs, slather on the body glide and put on his cap and goggles. I gave him a kiss and a hug and then he went off to get in his corral with his wave. Around 7am, I started to get myself ready in my wetsuit. I dropped off my morning clothes bag (filled with clothing for post race and my morning running shoes) and lined up with my wave. It was strange lining up in the 40-44 age group for the first time (I’m still 39 but I have to race my age for this year). I had a water bottle filled with skratch to sip on over the next 30 minutes and a bag of honey stinger chews to nibble on (I had a few of them). I also had a plain bottle of water to pour down my wetsuit to get some water inside before I got into the water to ensure that the wetsuit didn’t feel to tight on my chest.

My wave was the first female wave of the race. There was supposed to be a 15 min gap between the last male wave (Karel’s wave) and the first female wave (my wave) but they moved it up to get everyone in the water sooner. I lined myself up toward the front of the wave. The time passed by really quickly and before I knew it, we were lining up by the water, ready to get the race started.

We lined up in a row of 10, each in our own spot with a volunteer in front of us. When we heard a beep, it was time to get into the water.

BEEP!