2023 XTRI Canadaman - travel and course recon

 

I booked an early flight to Canada on Delta which had us leaving the house at 3am (waking up at 2:45am) on Wednesday June 28th. We would have left on Tuesday but Karel flew home from Bend, Oregon on Monday after completing the 5-stage Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder and I wanted to give him a full day to recover at home before flying again. Karel came home exhausted after riding 363 miles with 32,681 feet of climbing. He finished 5th in his AG (45-59) and had his best placing on day 5. While the scenery was stunning, the event was very hard and the wild weather (sun, rain, hail, cold) added to the adventure.
Karel had a nasty crash near the finish of stage 1 when he was having a bit too much fun descending and overshot a turn. From sleeping in tents to climbing, climbing and more climbing, I ‘think’ Karel had a good experience but I know he’s relieved it’s over.

We arrived to the GSP airport around 3:45am and had no issues checking in and going through security. At 4:30am the centurion lounge opened so we were able to get a small meal and coffee. We boarded the plane around 5:15am and our short flight to ATL left around 5:30am - we both slept during the flight. 

When we arrived to ATL we made our way to the international terminal and went to the Delta lounge (which opened at 6:30am). Our Amex plat business card gives us lounge access to most lounges which has really made our traveling experiences a lot better. We had another bite to eat and got some work done during our 2 hour layover. 

We boarded our flight around 8:15am and left a little before 9am. We were both still really tired so we slept during our 2 hr and 45 minute flight to Montreal. 

The point of entry/border control process went smooth and didn't take us more than ~20 minutes. There were kiosks to scan our passport and take our picture and then we showed our receipt to the officer which let us through. Our luggage came quick and so did our bikes. The biggest delay was the rental car process which took us over an hour as the Budget/Avis (we had Budget) staff was very slow with the 3 customers ahead of us. Finally, nearing 1:30pm we had our rental car (Jeep) and made our way to Lac Megantic. 

We stopped at the IGA grocery store in Sherbrooke which was ~1 hour outside of Lac Megantic. Since the town we are staying in is very small, we did a big shop before arriving. Although everyone speaks French in Quebec (and some English), everyone has been really nice. The drive took us ~3 hours and we had a bit of rain on and off. I was worried about the forest fires and smoke but the air quality was fine. The scenery reminded us a lot of Lake Placid as we were driving which gave us a great feeling that we would like this area. 

We had a little trouble finding our Airbnb in Val-Racine but around 5pm we found our home for the next few days. The house I booked looked older online but it is actually very new and modern. It's on the top of a gravel hill and is surrounded by trees. After unloading groceries and our luggage, we were both extremely tired but we knew we needed to move some blood after a long day of travel. We went for a jog for ~30 minutes and it felt good to move the body.

Karel made some eggs and veggies for dinner and we had that with some bread and then we went to bed around 9pm and slept in until 6:30am....we both needed it! 

On Thursday morning we worked on the computer for a bit and around 8am Karel put the bikes together (he has his gravel bike, which he didn't unpack after Oregon) and around 9:30am we drove ~20 minutes to Lac Megantic (race venue) for a swim. 

I was a bit worried that the water was going to be really cold but it was actually perfect in the upper 60's. Karel brought his wetsuit so we swam together for ~20 minutes and then I did a bit more as I wasn't ready to stop swimming and needed a bit more time to get a good feel for the water. I wore my buoyancy float as it's required during the race (along with a light since we start the race at 4:30am). As we were swimming they were setting up the transition area and putting out the buoys for the sprint race on Saturday. Everyone was very nice and thanked us for visiting the area for the race. 

After the swim we got our bike stuff on and went for a ride. The plan was to ride the big loop outside of the lake which was miles 30-69. But to get to mile 30, we had to bike 4 miles to the town of Lac Megantic and there was some construction so it was a big of an adventure to get to where we needed to get but eventually we were on the course. 

The course is hilly. I wouldn't call it rolling as the hills are long and can be very steep. It was also windy as we were riding. The road surface was smooth in some sections and really rough in other sections. The scenery was incredible as it was a mix of mountains, lakes, farms (and cows) and wide open roads. The course is pretty straightforward in that there aren't a lot of turns so you see the road ahead of you for miles and miles. 

Having said all of this, I feel this course really suits my strengths, style of riding and what I love in a course. Karel rode his gravel bike and his legs are still pretty smashed from his race (and the travel) but it was good for him to also see the course as he will be driving as my "crew" and providing my bottles at the aid station stops (there are 4 of them) throughout the bike. The cars were really respectful as we were biking. 

After 45 miles and 2:43 and 3500 feet of elevation gain, we were back at the car. My legs were a bit tired to start but opened up nicely and I felt good throughout the ride. There was one big kicker of a climb (long and steep) around 81km but the view behind us was incredible. 

As we drove back to our Airbnb we were able to see the bike course from mile 70 until 86. More looooong hills. 

Here are a few more pics from the bike course. 

If you are interested in following me on Sunday, the event starts at 4:30am EST (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26 mile run). To follow, here's a link to live tracking. 

Ironman distance #20 will be........

                          

Few people know this but shortly after I completed graduate school and received a Master of Science degree in exercise physiology from FAU (in Davie, Florida), I accepted a 6-month internship with Ironman from January until June 2006 in Tarpon Springs, FL. Instead of utilizing the two new initials behind my name, I was 23 years old, broke, living with my parents in New Port Richey, FL and obsessed with triathlon - I was registered for my first half ironman distance at Disney in Orlando, Florida (May) and my first Ironman in Panama City Beach, Florida. I received a very small amount of money each week to perform various tasks at the World Triathlon Corporation (located in Tarpon Springs, Fl). At that time, Dr. Gills - a world-renowned ocular surgeon and Ironman athlete - owned the Ironman brand. 

Much of my interning was learning about the behind-the-scenes of this event organization. Back then, the company was tiny compared to what it is today but the focus was growing and expanding the brand. The 70.3 World Championship didn't exist yet and Kona was still the holy grail. I spent a lot of my time working under Judy Molnar at Iron Girl. Some of my most memorable moments were being asked to write a nutrition article for the "Ironman Insider" newsletter, watching the excitement of the lottery winners receiving their IM World Championship slot, receiving a lot of Ironman-branded swag, spectating my first Ironman event (Ironman Arizona in April 2006) and learning all about the Ironman history. 

Although I went on to get a real job shortly after my internship, I absolutely loved my time interning at Ironman. Over the next year, I continued to help out with Ironman, writing articles, forming close relationships with triathlon-related brands and providing nutrition talks at many Iron Girl events. 

After I completed my first Ironman in Nov 2006, and qualified for the 2007 Ironman World Championship, I couldn't wait to stop by the World Triathlon Corporation building to share the news with everyone. I felt like I had family at Ironman. They were so happy for my accomplishment. 

Fast forward to 2022, I have now completed 19 Ironmans. I've participated in 5 Ironman World Championship events in Kona, Hawaii and just recently in May, I placed on the podium in my age group at the Ironman World Championship in St. George. I've won my age group at 5 Ironman events and placed top 5 in my age group at 12 Ironman events. I've lost count of all the 70.3 events I've finished over the years. Thanks to the Ironman brand, I've stayed in love with the sport of triathlon for over 16 years as I've been able to train for a distance that has challenged me and helped me grow as a human. Ironman has given me so many amazing opportunities. I formed close relationships with brands like Clif Bar and Oakley. I have made so many friends from all over the world. I've traveled to places that I never imagined I would see by swim/bike/run - like St. Croix, Whistler and Austria. I've been able to create so many memories with Karel. It was in 2011, when Karel took his first trip to Kona to watch me race and decided he wanted to try triathlon. Since then, We've raced 12 Ironman events together, including 3 World Championship events (2x Kona, 1x St. George). I've watched Karel race in Kona twice and have seen him excel at the long distance. 

The Ironman distance not only enhanced my life, but for the past 10 years, I've been able to enhhance the lives of others through my coaching and nutrition business. 

This past July I mentioned after Ironman Lake Placid that I was taking a break from the Ironman distance. This past year I explored different events, like gravel riding, mountain biking and Xterra. During this time, I realized that I still really love triathlons - especially long distance. Over the past year, I learned that it wasn't that I needed to move on from triathlon but I was seeking a different way to be challenged. 

I thrive in the journey. I love racing because I really love the process of training. I don't like to randomly sign up for events but instead, I'm meticulous in race planning. I spend a lot of time researching events, watching videos on events, exploring logistics like travel and understanding the course. I like to select events that I can't stop thinking about. The further out the event, the more time I have to prepare. But to keep me motivated, I need events that scare and excite me.

Over the past year, I recognized that the Ironman distance still excites me but I no longer feel challenged by the distance. It's a distance that I've mastered and I know how to mentally and physically prepare to race 140.6 miles and fuel for it. I've achieved a lot in the distance over the past 16 years and I am craving training for something new and different. When I started Ironman racing, I struggled. I was constantly experiencing setbacks and I was very scared of the enormity of the distance.  It took me over 10 years of training and racing to finally put the pieces together. And then for the next 6 years, I continued to work on my strengths and weaknesses. It was the process of self improvement and self discovery that kept me in the sport so I could finally excel at the distance. 

Like many, the history and storied traditions of the Ironman World Championship sucked me in. But it was the Ironman distance (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) that kept me going. The true beauty of the Ironman distance is in the lessons that I've learned about myself while preparing for each of my 19 Ironman distance triathlons. Personal growth occurs in the journey On race day, I am prepared to push the limits of my body and mind because I know I've prepared to the best of my abilities. I've learned that I can overcome obstacles and setbacks. I've shown myself that my comfort zone can be stretched. 

And so it begins. 

An extreme new chapter. 

Nature, adventure, challenge. Small field size. Self supported. Close to the full distance but no race is the same. 

Triathlon in its pure form. Swim, Bike, Run on challenging courses with distances distances based on topographic features, water conditions, terrain and local infrastructure.

I'm excited to announce that my 20th Ironman distance will be part of the XTRI World Tour, starting in Lac-Megantic, Canada (in Quebec) and finishing at the Mont Megantic observatory.

On July 2nd, 2023 I'll be swimming 2.4 miles at 4:30am in the freshwater lake of Lac Mégantic. I will then transition to my bike (with the help of my support crew Karel) for a 111.5 mile bike with 8202 feet of elevation gain. I will then run/hike for 26 miles with 3986 feet of elevation gain to finish at the Mont Megantic observatory. 

If this excites you, the organizers of the event have provided me with a few 50% off entries to the XTRI Canadaman/women and a few 50% off and free entries to XTRI solo point five events. 

If you'd like to join me in Canada on July 2nd, 2023, to win a free entry or 50% off registration, you can enter to win by completing this form. 

Hello from Mont Tremblant!

Well, I'm about a week late on this post due to a very slow internet connection in our IMMT rental home combined with looking after and helping 7 Trimarni athletes (+1 former Trimarni athlete) who raced Ironman Mont Tremblant. 

As we pack our bags and say good-bye to this beautiful, cute, triathlon-supporting town within Québec, Canada, we can look back on race day and confidently say that all our athletes had a very successful race.....despite 9+ hours of rain. 

All of the Trimarni athletes accomplished what they came here to do.....
Finish Ironman Mont Tremblant. 

There was a lot of determination, focus, grit, hard work and perseverance out on the race course for 140.6 miles. With rough waters during the swim, pouring rain and cool weather temps on the bike and on and off rain during the rain, alongside a challenging bike and run course which can to be difficult to master in terms of pacing and execution, we could not be more proud of our athletes.
And for me, as a spectator in Mont Tremblant, I absolutely loved watching my athletes in action.

I'll be sharing more about the race, including Karel's race recap of the race, but for now, I will leave you with the exciting news that Karel is heading to Kona for the 2nd year in a row after placing 2nd in the 40-44 age group.

This all comes just 8 weeks after a PR race at IM Austria (9:13, 9th place).
Now Karel gets to do this all again in 6 weeks in Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship.

What it looks like to dig deep and run the fastest amateur male run split of the day. 

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Here are a few pictures (in no particular order) from the race to show our amazing athletes in action.
Despite the suffering, there was no shortage of smiles on the faces of the Trimarni athletes!

Adam on the bike

Adam on the run - on his way to run a 3:43 PR marathon

Go Adam!

Adam finishing

Next day celebrating. 

Post race celebrating

Freddy - run for the beer!

Go Erin!

Looking good Freddy!

Paparazzi - there's Freddy!

Post race food - spectators are just as hungry as the athletes!

Some of the Trimarni athletes with coach Karel at the awards

Go Jeff and Trimarni nutrition athlete Adam (who just finished his first Ironman without GI issues)

Go Justine.....6 more weeks until you get to do this again in Kona!

Justine before going through the IM motions before Kona in 6 weeks (qualified at IM Maryland)

Karel starting the bike...before the rain came down

Go Katja! A smile all day!

Great work Katja!

Karel on a mission.

Karel in 5th place off the bike - time to run down his competition.

Karel on loop 2 of the run, now in 3rd place. 

Karel off the bike in the first 1/2 mile of the run. I told him he was in 5th place - time to commit! 

Wet and cold but happy for our athletes! Thank you Taylor for being awesome all day!

Cheering for Karel after loop 1 of the run. Keeping him going despite the world of hurt that Karel was experiencing in his body.

Congrats Adam for finishing your 2nd IM in 11:08! You may live in flat FL but you trained smart to execute on a very challenging and hilly race course. 

Cheering squad out on the race course! So grateful for all the Trimarni spectators who braved the rain to cheer for the athletes.