'24 XTRI Norseman Race Report

 

Quick recap
Results
2.4 mile swim: 1:06.03 (3^rd female out of the water)
T1: 6:43
111 mile bike (10, 819 feet): 6:43 (6:38 riding time, 9^th female)
T2: 2:59
26 mile run (5,709 feet): 5:26.33 (9^th female)
Total: 13:23.43

I got my period on race morning. I felt horrible. I jumped off the ferry around 4:45am into 57-degree glacier fed water. I wore a thermal wetsuit, neoprene cap, earplugs, booties and a swimsuit under my wetsuit. The swim started at 5am and was point to point, with one turn buoy, ~800 meters from the finish. With the help of Karel, I transitioned into my cycling gear. The temps were in the upper 40’s. I warmed up during the first 20-mile climb (~4000 feet elevation gain). The next three climbs occurred between 56 and 83 miles and ranged from 2.5-5.5 miles in length, around 6-12% grade. Karel and Honza leaped frogged along the course. There were designated areas for support crews to stop but cars were also allowed to stop anywhere to support athletes, so long as the car was entirely off the road. The final climb was steep and steady for ~5 miles but after the last feed area (24 miles from the finish), the climb continued for another 6 miles. The final 17 miles were net downhill, into headwind. Karel helped me transition into my run gear and I was on my way for 15 miles of gently rolling hills on pavement. Karel and Honza packed up my bike and bike gear and drove the car to various points along the run course to give me nutrition/water. At the base of Zombi hill, I changed shoes and Karel joined me for the rest of the run (mile 15 is when a support crew member can join the athlete for the rest of the race) started a shuffle up a constant grade of 10% for the next 4.2 miles (~2200 feet elevation gain). Once we got to the top of Zombie hill, we reached a check point tent. We made a quick stop and then continued to shuffle another 3 miles up to the mountain checkpoint. I was so excited to be within the 160 athletes allowed to go up the mountain and to finally see and reach that famous wooden gate at the entrance of Gaustatoppen. When we reached this point, Honza was there to give us our mandatory backpacks (and gear inside). He took the shuttle bus to this point as no cars were allowed past the top of Zombie hill. We made the 2-minute mandatory stop for the Norseman staff to check our backpacks and during this time I changed into my trail shoes. We then hiked our way up the rocky and steep Gaustatoppen mountain for another 3 miles and ~2200 feet. I crossed the finish line feeling exhausted, elated and accomplished. I received a blanket and warm tomato soup and bread after I crossed the finish line. After changing into warm clothes, I took the cable car to the bottom of the bottom and Karel and Honza hiked 3-miles back to the shuttle buses. The next day, I received one of 160 black Norseman shirts.

Race morning

As I was getting ready to lay down in bed around 7pm, I told Karel “I’m pretty sure I am going to get my period tomorrow morning.” Karel was very encouraging and said all the right things to keep me relaxed. After a restless night of sleep, my alarm went off at 2:15am and sure enough, I got my period. I felt horrible. I made my way to the kitchen to make coffee but I had to lay down as I was feeling lightheaded. Once I felt better, I ate a package of poptarts and a banana w/ smear of PB. I did some light foam rolling and finished packing the car around 3:15am (point to point race so we had to pack up the entire Airbnb into our car. Karel packed most of the car the night before the race). Karel rode my bike to the race start and Honza drove me in the car. We walked my bike to the transition area. My bike and helmet was inspected by the race staff and a volunteer walked me to my bike rack (#15). I set up my gear in the transition area and we walked to the ferry. I gave Karel a kiss good bye and I felt a sense of relief that the race was finally here. I was so nervous going into this race. I boarded the ferry and it was huge! There were bathrooms and plenty of space to sit on the ground. I could feel the nervous energy. It was still dark outside when the ferry left promptly at 4am. It took ~20 minutes for the ferry to get to the swim start. It didn’t feel like we moved anywhere. As the boat left, I started to put on my wetsuit and booties. I wore gloves to keep my hands warm. The cold water from the fjord started to spray into one side of the boat. I saw several athletes get wet to acclimate to the water but I was worried about getting cold after standing around so I used the water on the ground to wet the inside of my wetsuit around the neck. A voice came over the intercom system and shortly after, the edge of the ferry opened. It was starting to get a bit more light out so it wasn’t completely dark out. I was worried about how cold the water would be 2-miles out from the shore so I was very anxious to get in. I left my morning clothes bag inside the boat w/ my shoes and clothing inside. It was returned to Karel after the swim started when the boat arrived back to shore. When athletes were allowed to enter the water, I made my way to the edge. It was a high jump. My heart sank a bit. The volunteer gave me a squeeze, told me to hold my cap and goggles and directed me where to jump. 3, 2, 1…..jump!

I was so relieved to finally enter the water. I felt the weight of my nerves lift off of me. It took several minutes to swim the 350 yards to the “swim start” where the kayakers were waiting for us. I lined myself up on the left side, further away from the shore. With over 10 minutes to the start, we treaded water and there were several conversations going on between competitors. The mood was positive and there were several laughs. At 5am, the kayakers lifted their paddles and we were off.

For the first time in three XTRI events, I felt really good in the water. Although my hands and face were a little cold, I felt very comfortable. It was getting a little brighter and I was really enjoying swimming in the fresh, clean waters of Eidjford.
With only one buoy on the course, I followed other swimmers with hopes that everyone was going the same direction. It was rather easy to stay on course as we swam close to the shore. I was worried that the swim would feel long until I spotted the turn buoy so I kept my mind focused by counting my strokes. I wasn’t able to stay with the lead group but I could see them just ahead. There were a few swimmers right behind me (one that was annoyingly tapping my feet for most of the swim). I was surprised how quick the swim went by. When we got to the turn buoy and turned left around it, the final 800 meters went by really quickly. The volunteers helped me out of the water (the ground was rocky so I was thankful to have my booties on) and I met Karel in the transition area. Although my face and hands were cold, I wasn’t shivering too much. I exited third female and 16^th overall. Although the swim times were slow (I didn’t wear a watch in the swim so I am not sure of the exact swim distance), I was happy with where I placed in the swim.

T1
I decided to wear a swimsuit over my sports bra so that I could put on a dry race kit. I was really worried about feeling cold to start the bike. The sports bra is always hard to put on wet so I had an emergency space blanket available if I wanted to stuff it down my sports bra. I opted to put a pack of “hot hands” down my sports bra to help warm me up. I sipped on hot tea that Karel brought me (I put warming oil on my body in the ferry before putting on my wetsuit which I think also helped), went pee in the bushes by transition and then put on my socks, shoes, helmet, etc.

Bike

We reverse drove the bike course as we went from Rjukan to Eidjford . I studied the bike course in great detail and I reviewed previous bike times. The bike course can be broken down into several segments.

-0-26 miles: Constant climb on primarily old roads (narrow roads, several tunnels), ~4100 feet elevation gain. No support is allowed for the first 24 miles.
-26-56 miles: Net downhill to the town of Geilo.
-56-59 miles: Climb (~5% grade)
-59-64 miles: Descend
-64-67 miles: Climb (~6% grade)
-67-70 miles: Descend (fast!)
-70-76 miles: Climb (~3% grade)
-76-83 miles: Descend
-83-93 miles: Climb (miles 83-87 ~7-10% grade)
-93-111 miles: Net downhill to Austbygde (T2) – no support allowed

For nutrition, I consumed 5 bottles, each with ~75g carbs from INFINIT Fructose. I had all of my nutrition in individual baggies so that it was easy for Karel to fill my bottles with powder and add water (which we bought from the store). I had a few sips of Ketones throughout the bike (yuck!) which helps with my clarity and focus during these extreme tri events. I nibbled on a Clif Bar throughout the bike. I peed several times (once on the side of the road and the rest while riding). I was very comfortable on the bike with my arm warmers and gloves. A few miles after leaving the town of Geilo, my right aero bar arm pad flew off (it got stuck to my elbow from the sugar from my sport drink). It was so uncomfortable to put my forearm on the hard carbon plate. I told Karel during the climb and shortly after, I stopped for a few minutes so he could fix it with a sock that he taped to the plate. We laughed about it as he was taping it. This stop, along with a pee stop, were my only stops. Karel would hand me my nutrition as I was riding (he would stand on the side of the road, text me to let me know where he was, I would see the text on my bike computer and he would hand me whatever I needed). Cars were not allowed to follow athletes or hand anything to athletes while the car was moving. I always had ½ bottle water and a bottle of sport drink on my bike. After he fixed my aero pad with a sock, I gave him my yellow vest (which we were required to wear until it was safe to remove), gloves and arm warmers as I was feeling warm. The temp got into the upper 50’s and it was cloudy and windy. I did not feel great on the bike but not terrible. It wasn’t my normal riding style. I passed several ladies in the first two hours of the bike (who passed me in transition) but they passed me back later on. This was atypical of me as I can usually get stronger as the bike goes on but I felt like I only had one effort and it was steady but not strong. I didn’t have any low moments and I never felt like the bike route was “too hard” or “too long.” It actually went by rather quickly and I didn’t find it too challenging. I just didn’t feel like myself – for a variety of reasons. I really enjoyed the downhills and surprisingly I felt the best in the aero position (which is strange because I don’t ride my tri bike a lot outside due to prior hip issues which I’ve been able to keep away since 2019 thanks to training on all types of bikes and not just my tri bike outside). The tri bike was the right bike for this course but I would have had more fun on my road bike for the climbs. There were a few tight fast switchbacks on the bike but the tri bike was fine for them.

T2

I entered T2 in the top ten for females. I was really worried about the run as the entire run was point to point but the first 15 miles were going to feel long to get to Zombie hill. I had an option to change my kit into running gear but I kept on my tri kit and put on my New Balance Fuel Cell running shoes. I wore my Naked hydration band and kept two flasks in my belt – 1 with ¾ scoop Never Second (~25g carbs) and 1 with plain water. Karel collected by bike and bike gear as I made my way across the grass and on to the road.

Run

The first few miles were a bit rough. It took me a good 20 minutes to find my form and rhythm. I had a quick bathroom break around 30 minutes into the run (in a field) and shortly after, I started to feel my stride. I told Karel “I found my flow!” Karel and Honza would drive ~2 miles ahead and wait for me and hand me whatever I needed. I was feeling a little warm so having plain water for cooling and sipping was helpful. I felt really good until mile 10 but then it got really hard. My right glute started to feel right tight and I was feeling tired. I stayed focused and kept myself moving until the base of zombie hill. Although it was really pretty to run by the water, I didn’t love the first 15 miles as it just felt long. At 15 miles, Karel met me at the base of Zombie hill. I changed into my Saucony shoes as they give me a bit more bounce for hills. I was feeling really stiff when I changed shoes but as soon as Karel and I started running, I felt so much better shuffling up Zombie hill. It actually felt better than running on the flat. My goal was to shuffle as long as possible and Karel was super encouraging and positive. I loved having him there with me. He made me laugh several times and it was so good to be with him. When I started Zombie hill there was a girl that was right behind me as I was changing my shoes but I was able to get ahead by shuffling up the hill. I am not a fast walker so by shuffling I was able to keep my pace under 15 min/miles which is much faster than walking 20+ min/miles. We’ve learned through each extreme tri that moving your legs as fast as you can, even if it’s a shuffle for a few steps is still faster than just walking.
Karel carried my flasks in his hydration belt and he also had his own nutrition along with a small backpack of more nutrition if we needed it. Honza drove past us after the first switchback and we told him we didn’t need anything. He was great with giving me cheers. It really helped to have two support crew members. Honza parked the car at the top of Zombie hill and took the shuttle to the base of the mountain. It took 1 hour and 3 minutes to go 4.37 miles at an average grade of ~10% (~2200 feet). We made a quick stop at the checkpoint and I was in the 50s overall (top 160 get a black shirt and can finish at the top of Gaustatoppen. It took us almost 40 minutes to go another 3 miles to the base of the mountain. 

At this point my legs were screaming at me. When we got to the last checkpoint at the base of the mountain, Honza gave us our backpacks and I changed into my trail shoes. Honza was able to follow us up the mountain. Support crew is not allowed to go ahead of the athlete (or pace in any way) so Karel stayed behind me and helped me navigate (he ran/hiked the mountain a few days prior which helped us become more familiar with the course). I kept myself moving up the mountain and never resorted to a causal walk. I was sitting in 9^th place and my goal was top 10 female and I knew there were ladies close behind me. Nearing the last 100 meters, I grabbed Campy’s collar out of my backpack and started to tear up. It  had been 9 days since we said good bye and it was so hard to hold his collar in my hand. But I wanted to feel his presence and it was something I looked forward to the entire race. It was my reason for continuing during the really rough patches of the run.

I walked up the steps that I’ve seen in so many Norseman Youtube videos and crossed the finish line feeling accomplished and exhausted. I gave Karel a big hug and we both started crying. It was a very emotional finish as we both overcame so much to get to that finish line. A week prior, we didn’t even want to travel to Norway as the pain of losing Campy was so exhausting. I feel really proud of what I was able to do, even though it was incredibly hard – mentally and physically.

After crossing the finish line in 13 hours and 23 minutes, I was given a blanket and then a warm bowl of vegetarian tomato soup and bread (soooo good). We went inside the building and I changed into warm clothing. There was a long line for spectators to get down on the cable car so the race encouraged support crew to hike back down the mountain. Karel and Honza hiked the 3 miles back down the mountain and I took the cable car (athletes had priority which was good since the cable car was tiny!) It was fun to sit in the car with a few other guys and chat about our races.

When I exited the building, it was cold and rainy! The weather changed so quickly. We got super lucky with the weather all day. I didn’t consider the course to be hard (ICON was much more difficult) but with bad weather, it could be really extreme!

I took the shuttle to the host hotel and then walked a mile back to our Airbnb. Karel and Honza met me there when they returned to the car and drove back to the Airbnb.

The next day I received my black finisher shirt and took the group photo.

I am really proud of this shirt and I’ll never forget this incredible race experience. The race crew was extremely professional, helpful and supportive. The Norway community was amazing - there were so many people outside their houses cheering for the athletes. 

And a BIG thank you to the best support crew! 

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A post shared by Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, CSSD (@trimarni)

Update from Norway for Norseman

 

The past few days have been rough. After we said good-bye to Campy, Karel and I had a really hard time getting back into our routine. Swimming was ok but it was hard to do intervals. I had a lot of trouble getting myself outside on the bike. The past 9 years I have walked Campy up and down our street a bazillion times so being on the street has been difficult for me as it reminds me of him. Running felt impossible. We were carrying around so much sadness and our house felt so empty. We had a constant tight feeling in our chest and randomly, each of us would start crying. But we know that exercise is important for our mental and physical health so we did the best that we could. 

On Wednesday July 24th I woke up around 5:30am and a little after 7am, I went for a 2350 yard swim followed by a 4 mile run. I felt like I was going through the motions. At 10:00am, we headed out to make our 3 hour drive to Atlanta. 

I pre-booked off site parking with Peachy airport parking and we parked in covered parking with international terminal drop-off/pick up. We arrived a little after 1pm and got into the shuttle shortly after. Surprisingly, we didn't have any traffic getting to the airport so our trip started off very smooth. 

After checking in and dropping off our suitcases and bike cases, we went through security and headed to the new Centurion Lounge. We spent the next 3 hours in the lounge, enjoying delicious food and getting a lot of work done. Although I love traveling, I was having a really hard time getting excited for our trip and my race. As hard as it has been to be at home without Campy, all I wanted was to be at home. Karel was also really struggling with sadness. 

I was nervous about all of the recent Delta issues and how it would impact our international flight but somehow, we had no issues or delays. We boarded our flight around 4:55pm, the flight left just before 6pm and we had a smooth 8-ish hour flight to Amsterdam. Karel and I both watched the movie Molly's Game, which was really good. I pre-ordered a lacto vegetarian meal and it was really good (the same dish I've had several times in the past - a tofu curry with carrots and rice). I was able to sleep for a few hours but Karel wasn't able to fall asleep - he just rested his eyes. 

We arrived to Amsterdam before 8am. We went through border control and then went to the Aspire lounge to wait for our next flight, which was leaving around noon. The lounge was nice, food was limited but it was still good to have some snacks and coffee. Karel slept the entire time we were in the lounge and I got a lot of work done. 

We walked to our gate to board our KLM city chopper plane and somehow we were upgraded to the only "business" class seats. It was just a normal seat at the front of the small plane but it was an unexpected surprise. We both slept during our 90 min flight. 

We arrived a bit late as we took off late from Amsterdam but we arrived to Oslo around 2:15pm. We picked up our bike bags (belt 10) and suitcases and made our way to pick up our rental car at Hertz. 
Once again, everything went smoothly and there was no line getting our Rav4 hybrid SUV. 

We picked up our car, loaded the bikes and bags (plenty of room) and Karel drove us to Rjukan for the first part of our 1.5 week trip in Norway. The drivers seem much more patient and considerate compared to Italy and we were surprised how many people speak English. Although the drive was around 3 hours, it was a really pretty. I wasn't sure what to expect in Norway but it reminded me a lot of Lake Placid, NY and Bend, Oregon. It was so green! We made a quick stop at the Spar grocery store in Rjukan (small store) to get a few things before making our way up "Zombie" hill - the 4+ mile climb with 4 hairpin turns which starts at mile 15 of our run course. This was our first time seeing some of the Norseman run course and it started to feel really real. 

We arrived to our Airbnb around 7:30pm (less than a mile from the host hotel in Rjuken) and the house was so much cuter than the pics. Amazingly, we did really well with traveling and didn't feel too exhausted throughout the day. But come 10pm, we were ready for bed. It's wild that there is still so much light outside at 10pm! We had a good night of sleep and Karel woke up around 5:30am (light outside) and I slept until 7am-ish. The weather was cool (in the 50's) which made for perfect sleeeping with the windows open. Our cabin is on the top of a hill so it is really peaceful outside without any noise. 

With Norseman being point to point and our first time in Norway, we decided to spend a few days near the run course so we could scope out all of the run course, T2, parking areas, and the final climb (T3). We can then drive the entire bike course (backwards) to take us to Eijford where we will spend the week there before the race start. We will then stay at the same Airbnb after the race until we leave Norway (I booked it for two different sets of dates and the owner said we can leave stuff at the place, including our bike cases, when we are in Eidjford). 

We took our time on Friday morning and around 9:30am we made our way down the mountain and went to the Rjukanbadet swimming complex. It was 13 USD per person (142 NOK). I swam 4200 meters and Karel swam around 3200. This was the first time that I didn't feel a tightness in my chest while working out. I actually felt really good in the water which was surprising after all of our traveling in the past 24 hours. After our swim workout, we enjoyed the hot tub. We made another stop at the Spar grocery before heading back up the mountain to our Airbnb. The Zombie hill is a kicker of a climb - averaging 10% for almost over 4 miles!

In the early evening, we went for a run around the area - which is a beautiful ski village. We ran on a rolling crushed gravel trail which serves as a cross country trail in the winter. I ran 3.8 miles and Karel ran 4.5 miles. I purchased NordVPN so that we can watch the Olympics on Peacock throughout our time in Norway. We watched some of the opening cermony before going to bed. 

On Saturday morning, we drove down the mountain and parked in a gravel parking lot by the road and went out on our bikes for a 51 mile (2:40 hr) bike with a little over 2300 feet elevation gain. We biked the 15 "flat" miles of the run course (which isn't entirely flat) and then biked around 10 miles up the final descend that goes into T2. I've watched so many videos of Norseman that I can quickly recognize familiar sights and roads from this iconic event. I felt good on the bike but didn't really push it. Karel wasn't feeling very good on the bike (he has his gravel bike with road tires) which made it even more difficult for him to stay on my wheel with me on my tri bike. 

After the ride we each went for a run. I didn't run on the course but rather, I took a side road and ran by the river. The scenery and nature is absolutely beautiful so while the course is ridiculously challenging with so much elevation gain, the sights are stunning. Karel ran for 40 min and I ran for 25 minutes. The rest of the day was all about relaxing and watching T100 and the Olympics (Time Trial cycling for women). 

On Sunday, I drove Karel to the start of the Gaustatoppen climb (which is the final 4.5 kilometers of the Norseman marathon). He ran/hiked to the top and then hiked down (it was really rocky so impossible to run down) and then ran back to our Airbnb for a total of ~13 miles in 3 hours (and close to 3000 feet elevation gain). I did a 8-mile run (1:07, ~400 feet elevation gain) by the Gaustablikk hotel - the first 5 miles on the road and the last 3 miles on the crushed gravel trail. I ran until I felt good (as my running hasn't felt good in the past week). 

I got a fresh sourdough bread loaf and 3 pastries at the bakery before driving back to the Airbnb. The rest of the day was all about resting and packing up our stuff at the Airbnb before we make our way to Eidjford, where we will be staying until August 3rd (race day!).

Our Epic and Xtreme events

We are approaching our last key events in our 2023 season. I will be participating in XTRI ICON on September 1st and Karel will be participating in Breck Epic on August 13th - 18th. These events will test us mentally and physically and we are excited (and nervous) for the unknown. If you'd like to learn a bit more about these events, I'll share some info about the events. You can also follow me on social media (Instagram and Facebook) as I will be sharing updates from Karel's race (and then Karel will share updates from my race). 

KAREL: Breck Epic - Breckendridge, CO

• ~220-240 miles
• ~40,000 feet of vertical gain
• All stages start at ~9,600 feet

1. Stage 1: Pennsylvania Creek, August 13th 35.7 miles, 5700 feet
2. Stage 2: The Colorado Trail, August 14th: 42.5 miles, 6565 feet
3. Stage 3: The Guyot Loop, August 15th: 40.5 miles, 7100 feet (crossing the Continental Divide twice)
4. Stage 4: The Keystone Loop, August 16th: 42.3 miles, 6473 feet
5. Stage 5: The Wheeler Loop, August 17th: 24.6 miles, 5227 feet - Time Trial 
6. Stage 6: The Gold Dust Loop, August 18th: 30.2 miles, 3740 feet 

MARNI: XTRI ICON - Livigno, Italy 

• September 1st (Friday)
• 5am start time
• Average air temp - 36-57 degrees F
• 2.4 mile swim in Lago Del Gallo - ~60 degrees F
• 121 mile bike, ~16,400 feet elevation gain
  -Starting at 6000 feet
  -Up the Forcola pass 
  -Bernina pass (switzerland)
  -Into St. Moritiz to Zernez
  -Fuorn Pass to Val Mustair 
  -Prato allo Stelvio (48 mountain switchbacks, second highest pass in Europe at 9,000 feet)
  -Bormio to Foscagno pass
• 26 mile run, ~4,920 feet elevation gain
  -Primarily off-road
  -Last 6 miles has an elevation gain of 3600 feet
  -Crew support (Karel) is required in the last 6 miles
• Finish at Carosello 3000 (9130 feet) 
• Winter/rain gear is required throughout the race in case of rain/snow

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. 

2023 XTRI Canadaman - my 'extreme' training plan

 

Although most XTRI events have a similar distance to that of an Ironman distance triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run), the demands are much more extreme. Extreme triathlons are almost always hilly. and the terrain and weather conditions can be..... extreme. For example, the 112 mile bike course at Canadaman has almost 8,000 feet elevation gain and the run (which includes a lot of trail running and hiking) has almost 4,000 feet elevation gain. The water is predicted to be cold (in the 50s) when we start the swim at 4:30am and it may be very windy and a bit rainy throughout the day. 

My approach to preparing for Canadaman was not too different than what I would do for a standard Ironman. It takes a very strong, powerful, efficient and resilient athlete to complete an Ironman distance triathlon but for an extreme triathlon, I believe that you must be physically fit but also mentally strong and emotionally resilient. Since my training playground (Greenville, SC) is very hilly, all of my outdoor training requires strength. I feel this has helped me stay injury-free over the past 4 years and has contributed to success in the Ironman distance. I don't train to be fast, I train to be great at not slowing down (aka fatigue resistance). 

I started my season focusing on strength. One key weekly workout that I feel really helped was a 3-4 mile run to the Furman gym. An ECFIT heavy lifting session (~30-40 minutes) and then a 3-4 mile run home. I also did a lot of mountain biking and road biking this winter, which requires a lot of power and strength. I also incorporate group riding (road bike) into my weekly routine. Group rides force me to push at higher intensities than what I would do alone. 

The truth is that I didn't do any epic/extreme training sessions throughout the year. Instead, my focus was on consistency.  Although I coach myself and write my own workouts each week, I was able to stay extremely consistent with my vision/plan for training. I also know what my strengths and weaknesses are and I'm not afraid to prescribe myself workouts that I don't like (but know I need).

Since February, I've participated in 8 endurance events. 

• 2/25: Pleasant Ridge MTB - 5:52, 57.2 miles, 5942 feet elevation gain 
• 3/25: Whole Enchilada MTB - 5:24, 51.5 miles, 2398 elevation gain
• 4/1: Saluda Redbank Gravel - 6:07, 95.8 miles, 4928 feet elevation gain
• 4/30: 6 Gap Gravel - 7:24.01, 91 miles, 10,755 feet elevation gain 
• 5/6: Whitewater Off Road Triathlon - 2:44.56, ~4400 feet elevation gain 
  
• 5/20: Xterra Oak Mountain Triathlon - 3:31.17, ~2100 feet elevation gain 
• 6/4: IM 70.3 Blue Ridge - 5:02.17, ~3588 feet elevation gain
• 6/10: Belgium Waffle Ride NC - 10:30.59, 132 miles, 14692 feet elevation gain

Each of these events has provided me with training stress and racing experience. Since XTRI events are often held in extreme weather conditions, I've had a lot of experience racing in "bad weather." I can't tell you how many times this year I've raced in the cold and in the rain. Not only have I been able to work on my mental skills, but I've learned how to dress strategically for specific conditions. 

The other benefit of racing so much this year is being able to practice and fine-tune fueling strategies that I can use during XTRI. Knowing what, when and how much to fuel and hydration is critical in an extreme race, especially since these events are 100% self-supported. I must plan my nutrition and my crew (Karel) must provide it to me at designated spots. Racing for 5, 6, 7, 10+ hours has given me valuable insight on how to best fuel the day before, the morning of and during a long distance event. This just can't be replicated in training. 

Going back to consistency, despite racing 8 times, I was able to stay very consistent with training. I also focus a lot on frequency so that I am not a weekend warrior (my weekly swim, bike, run miles are spread over 3-4 workouts over 7 days, not just from megaworkouts). 

Monday is always an easy day (likely a swim or spin) and Friday is also an easier day after a hard morning masters swim. I usually run 4x a week, swim 4x week and bike 3-5x week.

Here's a snapshot at my training. Of note, this doesn't include time spent strength training and mobility. Also, my biking miles are a mix of road, gravel, mountain bike and 1 weekly trainer ride (usually around 60-90 minutes). I rode my tri bike 2 times before IM 70.3 Blue Ridge and once before Canadaman. This is because I've learned that my hips/back/glutes/neck is happier when I don't do long tri bike rides. Lastly, my "biggest" workouts were events (except my final prep weekend, which I'll get to below). I never ran more than 2 hours (except for my final prep weekend) and most of my "long" runs were ~1:40-1:50 but included specific intervals throughout the run. I run off the bike at least twice per week (sometimes 3 times). 

2/20: 18:27 weekly hours, 18025 yards (swim), 133 miles (bike), 9.51 miles (run)
2/27: 14:53 hours, 15400 yards, 114 miles (bike), 32.2 miles (run)
3/6: 18:52 hours, 15725 yards, 169 miles (bike), 26.7 miles (run)
3/13 (travel): 19:50 hours, 7700 yards, 208 miles (bike). 34.5 miles (run)
3/20: 18:23 hours, 19050 yards, 96.3 miles (bike), 29.8 miles (run)
3/27: 20:02 hours, 14300 yards, 196 miles (bike), 31.4 miles (run)
4/3: 18:16 hours, 14475 yards, 193 miles (bike), 29.4 miles (run)
4/10 (Trimarni camp): 16:54 hours, 16408 yards, 157 miles (bike), 25.3 miles (run)
4/17: 18:01 hours, 14936 yards, 165 miles (bike), 31 miles (run)
4/24: 20:52 hours, 15667 yards, 188 miles (bike), 22.2 miles (run)
5/1: 17:17 hours, 15154 yards, 99.7 miles (bike), 28.6 miles (run)
5/8: 18:24 hours, 16275 yards, 178 miles (bike), 31 miles (run)
5/15 (taper for Xterra Oak Mountain): 12:58 hours, 12770 yards, 16.5 miles (bike), 16.5 miles run)
5/22: 19:44 hours, 17958 yards, 200 miles (bike), 30.3 miles (run)
5/29 (taper for 70.3 VBR): 14:45 hours, 7795 yards, 158 miles (bike), 28.6 miles (run)
6/5: 21:59, 10750 yards, 168 miles (bike), 19.8 miles (run)
6/12 (final prep): 22:27 hours, 17074 yards, 196 miles (bike), 38.4 miles (run)
6/19: (start taper): 15:31 hours, 14950 yards, 140 miles (bike), 24.8 miles (run)

For my final prep, I did a dress rehearsal to practice in gear similar to race day and to test my nutrition on similar terrain The weekend workouts were: 
6/17: 5:19 bike, 85.8 miles, 7100 feet elevation gain
         + run off the bike, 59 minutes, 7.04 miles 
6/18: 3:25 trail run/hike (testing hydration packs and using hiking poles), 18.6 miles, ~2000 feet elevation gain

I'm feeling very healthy, strong and resilient and I am very proud of and thankful to my body for what it has allowed me to accomplish over the past 6 months.