Xtreme Triathlon - the day after

The night after the event was a bit restless - as to be expected. We woke up exhausted and sore. We couldn't help but think how incredible the mind is when it comes to showing up to perform. It was as if the mind knew we had completed the 3-day event and it could finally rest. With the mind at rest, the body was able to also shut down and start the recovery process. The human body is truly amazing. 

After enjoying a hearty dinner a few hours after the event (Moe's - we both ordered the Close Talker bowl with lettuce, rice and beans, topped with tofu and all of the other veggie toppings, avocado and cheese). It's not uncommon for athletes to crave salt and fat after a long distance event for the body is depleted. The brain knows that the body is in a very vulnerable state so it seeks (or asks) for the most energy dense options to help restore health. Of course, with the body being in such an exhausted state, digestion is slow and compromised. There have been plenty of Ironman distance events where we have craved a hearty meal after racing for 9+ hours, only to be able to stomach a few bites. 

But of course, nightime munchies and post race insomnia are a thing. We tossed and turned throughout the night and I finally got myself up around 5am. I ate a bagel w/ butter which seemed to hit the spot for an hour....until I was ready to eat again. 

When working on the computer outside turns into a hard nap. 

After catching up on emails (I did not open my computer throughout the race....which I think is a first for me to go 3 days of no computer work) and other work stuff, we got ready for the awards banquet. 

We were really looking forward to the banquet because it was our first opportunity to really see the other athletes in a normal setting (with normal clothes). We sat outside of a restaurant in a wide open pavilion (and wore masks while we weren't eating). The meal options were limited as it was a BBQ but the race staff was able to get us some plant based options. Karel has been enjoying more of a plant based eating strategy over the past few months after blood work in June was flagged for extremely high cholesterol due to genetics. Not to worry - croissants, chocolate and pastries are still consumed as any food can fit into a health promoting, performance enhancing diet. 

The awards banquet was just as special as the rest of the race. We receive unique awards and Karel and I even got to give a short speech as the overall winners (and new course record holders - male and female) for the event in the 4th year running. 

As for the rest of the day, we ordered out veggie burgers and fries as we needed a hearty meal to continue the recovery. We stayed at the most beautiful airbnb condo in Palm Coast, which was just a short walk to the beach. We enjoyed a ~20 min walk on the sand as the sun set, which was about all the energy that we had for "exercise" for the day. 

We went to bed super early on Monday night (like 7:30pm - we were so tired) and after packing up the car, we made our long drive home back to Greenville on Tues around 10am. As for the rest of the week, we continued to eat what our body craved but also got back to a more nourishing diet to help with recovery. The main priority was sleep for the rest of the week and a little swimming and biking to help with recovery. 

Along with the kind congratulatory remarks that we have received from so many (Thank you!), the number one question that we have received is "Would you do it again."

Our answer is a definite yes, but. 

Yes in that we loved the race staff and participants which made this event even extra special. And during these unique circumstances of our nation, we have so much gratitude that we were able to participate in this event. More than anything, this race really fed our soul. We loved the adventure feel of doing something epic and new with our body and mind. It tested us in different ways and really lit the fire inside of us that was dimming due to so many cancelled races. Because everything went so smoothly for our first extreme triathlon, it would be hard to top this experience. 

But, the purpose of this event was to feel challenged. We want to continue to find ways to challenge ourselves. One of the reasons why we love long distance triathlon racing is that we constantly feel challenged in training and on race day. Although the half and full distance are long events, they still allow for improvements in terms of getting better at not slowing down. I hesitate to use the word "faster" because it's all relative in long distance racing. But in ultra endurance events, I feel it's more about the completion of the event itself as the accomplishment  - as that is what we felt in this recent Xtreme Tri. We never take long distance racing for granted and we feel so lucky that we get to do what we can do with our body and mind. I never want to settle or just get comfortable going longer. I want to continue to explore what I am capable of as a long distance triathlete. We would like to do more ultra endurance events but it isn't something that will replace focusing on the half and full distance (which are plenty long). 

Thank you again for all of the support and kind words before and after the event. We are so grateful that we remained in good health for this event and continue to stay healthy during such a scary time for our nation. Keep yourself well and thank your body daily. 

Xtreme Triathlon race recap - stage 3

 

All things relative, we slept much better after stage 2. It was nice knowing that we didn't have to drive to the start of stage 3 - the finish of stage 2, lodging and start of stage 3 was all in the same area. We "slept in" until 5:30am and made our way to the swim start around 6:45am. Because we were so exhausted after stage 2 (93 miles of racing) that we didn't prepare as much as we should have after the race so we felt a bit more scattered and busy on the morning of stage 3. Al was a huge help as he packed up the car for us so that we could have a little more time to get ourselves ready in the morning. 

I failed to mention that going into the race, there was a chance that the event was going to be cancelled (or modified) due to hurricane Eta. Thankfully, the hurricane changed direction but it did leave Crystal River, FL (stage 1) with a bit of debris on the road (and trails). The weather could not have been more perfect during our event (no rain and in the upper 60's-upper 70's for stage 1 and 2). The only issue was that the hurricane brought some wind that stayed with us for all three days - regardless of our riding direction, it was windy. 

Although we slept better (still restless), our appetite for food was pretty low. But not eating was not an option. We laughed that it took us almost 90 minutes to finish our pre-race meal (oatmeal and toppings for Karel - hot water from the skillet and a bagel w/ nut butter, yogurt and toppings for me). This is all too common that extreme exercise can negatively impact the appetite so we prioritized energy dense food before/after each stage. 

After preparing our bottles and packing our gear bags, Karel and I rode down to the swim start (a minute down the road) - the spin was actually rather nice to move some blood. Al drove the car down to the swim start shortly after he finished packing up the car. 

We set up our transition area pretty quickly as it felt a bit like groundhog day. You could feel the energy that everyone was excited that this was the last stage of the event but also a bit sad because it was the last day that we would all get to do what we love to do with our body - swim, bike and run and test our physical and mental limits. At this point, the race staff knew us all and the overall vibe was much more relaxed.

After the national anthem (which we all sang because the loud speaker wasn't working - it was actually a beautiful experience), we made our way to the water for the pre-race athlete briefing and then the swim start. 

Karel and I were joking before the start that this stage was the shortest stage and we were brushing it off like NBD (no big deal). But then we thought about it that we were still racing for 82 miles today (2 mile swim, 67 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). Karel's cumulative racing time after 2 days (and covering 216 miles) was 14:49 and mine was 16:11. And now we were about to cover over a half ironman distance.  It's funny how perspectives can change. It was also a mindset boost knowing that this was the final day of racing so we didn't have to save anything for the next day. Although, there wasn't much left in us to leave it all out on the course. 

2 mile swim
Just before 7:30am, we jumped off a dock and into the dark, murky water of the camp Keystone lake. I was expecting the water to be a bit icky from the looks of it but it actually felt rather fresh. Exactly at 7:30am, the horn blew and we were off to complete our last swim of the Xtreme triathlon. Karel was really tired and he did not go out hard like he did in the past two races. I liked the 3 loop, counter clockwise, triangle-like course as it didn't feel long but it was long enough to settle into a rhythm. The sun was a little bright in the first section but other than that, it was easy to stay on course. I started to inch my way ahead of Karel during the first loop and that lead started to grow in loop 2. I didn't have my normal build effort but instead, I just stayed steady with each loop. My "strong" effort for the day didn't feel too strong so I just focused on my technique - making sure I was catching the water, driving my hips forward and staying taut. 

After finishing up loop 3, I made my way toward the dock and exited the water on a ladder. The ramp to the shore was rather uncomfortable on my feet and with the sandspurs on the grass, they allowed us to leave our shoes or sandals by the shore so that we could put them on before we made our way to the transition area. I slipped into my HOKA sandals and made my way to the transition area. And sure enough, here comes Karel sprinting past me. 

I thought that I had a bigger lead but Karel started to feel stronger as the swim went on and he inched himself closer to me. I figured there was no point digging deep in the swim as I needed to conserve all the energy I had left for the upcoming bike and run. 

We ended up in the transition together. Karel swam 54:33 and I swam 54:20. We exited the transition pretty much at the same time (Karel just ahead of me) and then we rode out of the camp site. 

67 mile bike

The first few miles into the first hour was kinda a hot mess for us. We got ourselves a little lost/confused in the first mile, then we weren't sure if we needed to stay on the trail or go on the main road. Our garmin map was giving us different directions than what we read in the guidebook map. Plus, with this stage, there was a trail option and road option so it was a bit confusing for our computer. Karel was feeling completely empty inside and his quads were really sore. He could barely pedal. Since we were somewhat close together as we were trying to figure out where to go, I rode ahead of Karel and he stayed draft legal behind me. 

I forced myself to eat early in the ride even though I didn't want to chew or stomach any solid food. Drinking was easy as it was already over 80 degrees and sunny when we started the bike. 

Once we made our way to main road (a nice race volunteer told us that we were on the right part of the course - mental fatigue sure does make you doubt yourself!), Karel started to get his legs back and rode away from me. I felt like I didn't have it in me to push any harder so I just focused on my own effort. 

Technically, this bike was not a lot shorter than stage 2 bike so it still felt a bit long. Plus, we had long segments of road (like 10+ miles at a time without a turn in sight) as we made our way from the middle of the state to the Atlantic ocean in Palm Coast, Fl. It was also really windy, often with the wind at our face. For this bike, I just focused on keeping myself relaxed as I was sore in my upper body. It would have been easy to just sit up and stretch out all the time but that would have costed more energy (and time) as the wind was in my face. This bike ride was all about doing things well and staying focused with my body posture and pedal stroke. 

I met Al at our 41 mile sag stop and he told me that Karel was only about ten minutes ahead of me. I thought I had been riding really slow (I felt like I was on the struggle bus) but hearing that I wasn't that far away from Karel was a good motivation boost. I spent around 6 minutes at the sag stop as I wanted to reapply sun screen as it was getting really hot out. I also cooled myself with some water reapplied AMP cream for a little boost in the legs. After I left Al, I "only" had about 25 miles left to go. 

The bike portion on stage 3 was a little more exciting as we were making our way to the Atlantic ocean. We used to live not too far from Palm Coast (in Jacksonville, FL) so it was cool to ride on some familiar roads that we used to drive on. I continued to enjoy the scenery and to express gratitude to my body for allowing me to do this incredible adventure without sickness, health issues or injury. There was one relay team from Gainesville that was a huge energy boost every time I saw them. They would give me the biggest cheer from their car or when they stopped to change relay positions on the bike. 

I had to spend over 2 minutes at one big intersection because the light never changed for me (twice) but after I got rolling again.

The 14 miles after leaving Al were tough - physically and mentally. It was a long straight segment of road and it was really windy. Staying aero and staying focused on my pedal stroke was mentally challenging but I just focused on one mile at a time. As I started to smell the salt water and feel the sea breeze, I was excited to make the left turn onto A1A as I was welcoming a nice fast tailwind. 

Nope. 

Wind again. 

The next 7 miles were long but I just focused on clicking away one mile at a time. I had no idea how my body would allow me to run for a half marathon so I tried to enjoy my time on the bike (even though I was ready to not ride my bike anymore). 

When I arrived to the transition area, I was so relieved to make it there safely and to hear that Karel was only less than ten minutes ahead of me. I finished the bike in 3:31 (3:20 riding time) and Karel finished in 3:20 (3:13 riding time). 

13.1 mile run
I was in no hurry to exit the transition area. With the finish line being in a different location than the bike to run transition, I was a little sad not to have Al there but I was looking forward to seeing him at our cooler stop around mile 6-7. I took my time in the transition area - changing my top, applying sunscreen and putting on my run gear. I made the mistake of moving off the sand and onto the grass - not realizing that I stepped into a pile of sand spurs (ouch!). So I had to spend a few minutes picking out each sand spur from my sock. Also, since Al wasn't there, I decided to run with my phone in my naked belt as I didn't want to leave it in the transition bag (sitting out in the hot sun). Karel did the same. 

When I started the run, I felt like my feet could barely get off the ground. I was sore all over and my body was really tired. But I just focused on one mile at a time (stay in the mile you are in) and I tried to imagine myself on different sections of road back at home (some of the places where I enjoy running). It was very warm out so I was happy that I decided to put my cooling towel in my transition bag (it was wet and in the container it came in so it stayed wet). Karel also wore his cooling towel. As we did in every stage, we also had our Naked running band with 2 flasks each filled with sport nutrition. 

The first few miles were lonely as I made my way south. I kept with my run walk strategy of running a mile and then taking a 20-30 sec walk break. This actually helped me loosen some fatigue and after a few miles I started to find my rhythm. I was actually shocked that I was holding around 8:20-8:35 min/miles for most of the run - albeit I needed the walk breaks to help me out but they were well worth it as I was able to get back into good run form pretty quickly after each walk break. Of course, the walk breaks felt so good so it was a mental battle to make sure those walk breaks during go too long. 

Karel felt pretty good on the run but he said that his quads were really sore and tired. We both focused on trying to make running feel as "easy" as possible. Controlling our form was key in helping us keep one foot in front of the other. 

Around mile 4.5, I started the "off road" trail section and I loved running on the boardwalk bridges and under the tall trees. I wanted that section to last longer but it was only 2 miles so I really took advantage of it as I felt really good on the trails. It even started to sprinkle a little bit which was so nice! 
After exiting the forest/trail, Al was there with the cooler and I was so happy to see him. He actually ran with me for about a mile which was so needed. I finally saw Karel and he looked so good and I gave him a big smile. The next 6 miles were really tough. It was windy and the miles felt really long. I told myself that my "finish line" was at the turn around 8.4 miles. Once I got there, I checked it off and then had my next "finish line" at mile 10.5. I was so happy to finally get to the cooler and to see Al there waiting for me. He told me that our friend/athlete/assistant coach Joe was going to meet Karel at the finish line (Joe lives in Jacksonville and came to watch us finish and to drive Al back to his car at Joe's house where he left it). 

Having Al there with me was so good as I was really struggling. We didn't do much talking as I had to stay focused - one foot in front of the other. I was still shocked to see that I was running so well but boy, I needed those walk breaks to keep me going. I told myself that once I got to the beach (a little over 12 miles), I would be so close that the last mile would feel so easy. HA. 

First off, climbing the sand dune to get to the beach forced me to a walk as I could barely get my feet through the sand. And then once we got to the ocean (which was beautiful and gave me a huge sigh of relief that I was so close to finishing this extreme event), the sand was so soft that I couldn't even run. With almost a mile left, I couldn't tell if I should laugh or cry. 

Al was made sure to keep me in a good mood so he was having fun zig zagging up and down the sand to find a packed place to run. He even told me "look - those are Karel's Nike shoes - run there!" I laughed and told Al I would rather just follow the paw prints in the sand. 

As we got closer to the finish line, I could see the big flags blowing in the wind. It was an epic last mile to finish an epic race. Karel was there waiting for me (along with Joe) and it was such an incredible feeling to think about what I had just done. I gave Karel a quick kiss and hug before stepping over my last finish line of this three day, three stage race across the state of Florida. 

Crossing the finish line as 2nd overall (around 40 minutes behind Karel) was just the icing on the cake. This race was all about you vs. you. Mind, body and soul. I walked to the finish line just to savor the last few steps and lifted the finisher tape above me with great relief.

I could not wait to take off my shoes as my feet were soooo sore. Out of everything on my body, my feet hurt the most, then my quads/calves and then everything else. There were times during the run when I felt like my toenails were falling off and I stopped just to press down my nails but thankfully, all was ok (no lost toenails!). 

Within a few minutes after taking pictures and wobbling my way to Joe's truck, I enjoyed a few slices of pizza that Joe brought and we all chatted about this epic adventure. Karel and I were so happy that we completed the event in good health (and without any major niggles or issues). With this gratitude came joy that we didn't have to do anything on Monday! 

I finished the 13.1 mile run in 2:03.02 and Karel finished the run in 1:35. 
Total time for stage 3 was 6:38 for me and 5:58 for Karel. 

Total for all three stages (292 miles = 6 miles swimming, 242 miles biking, 50 miles running): 
Karel: 20 hours and 47 minutes.
Marni: 23 hours and 16 minutes.

A few fun stats (times from our Garmins):
 
Swimming average pace per 100: 
Stage 1 (Marni/Karel): 1:24/1:17 (Karel's garmin thought he swam 3900 yards but we finished around the same time)
Stage 2 (Marni/Karel): 1:33/1:34
Stage 3 (Marni/Karel): 1:27/1:29

Biking average speed: 
Stage 1 (Marni/Karel): 20.6 mph/21.9 mph
Stage 2 (Marni/Karel): 20.4 mph/20.6 mph
Stage 3 (Marni/Karel): 20.1 mph/20.7 mph

Running average pace min/mile
Stage 1 (Marni/Karel): 8:50 (8:21 removing walk/stop breaks*)/6:56 min/mile
Stage 2 (Marni/Karel): 9:01 (8:28 removing walk/stop breaks)/7:07 min/mile
Stage 3 (Marni/Karel): 9:21 (8:47 removing walk/stop breaks)/7:18 min/mile
*I wanted to show how my walk breaks help me run steady and that they don't cause massive slowdowns in my running. It's a strategy that I firmly believe in to help with consistent running.

After the race we drove to T2 to get our bikes and then made our way to our Airbnb a few miles down the road for a well-needed shower, real food and lots of salty snacks. 

Xtreme Triathlon Race Recap - Stage 2

 

We didn't have much trouble falling asleep around 8:30pm. However, staying asleep was the hard part. It was a light night of sleeping before the alarm woke us up at 4:50am. Without feeling too sore, I was looking forward to stage 2 as another opportunity to explore my physical and mental capabilities. However, the tiredness in my body reminded me that I did just finish a 8 hour and 50 minute triathlon event less than 13 hours ago. 

I woke up feeling relatively good compared to Karel. He felt horrible. He barely slept and felt nauseous, sleep deprived and exhausted. He still made himself eat his pre-race meal but he just felt off. 

To be honest, the swimming, biking and running was the fun part of this event. The packing, unpacking and planning ahead was the tough part. When the race started each stage, it felt so good to just move my body and do what I love to do. The packing/unpacking/prepping bottles/nutrition sometimes felt more exhausting in the evening after the event and in the early morning hours before the next days event. 

With a little longer of a drive from the hotel to the race venue, we left the hotel around 6:30am and arrived to the Carney Island recreational area in Ocala (the same place where we ran/finished on stage 1) to set up our transition area around 7am. It only took a few minutes to set up our transition area and hand over our run gear bag to the staff before we made our way down to the swim start. 

Once the athletes started to gather after the National anthem was played (for our pre-race briefing), the I could feel that everyone was tired but we would all rally together to get each other to the next finish line. Although it was only day 2 of the event, Karel and I quickly felt like we belong to the Xtreme Tri family. The race staff/crew was calling us by our first names and the other athletes were even getting to know Al (he's easy to get to know :) This was such a refreshing change from the bigger triathlon events where you are just one of many athletes. We loved the personalized attention from this race. 

2 mile swim
We started on the sandy shore and made our way into the water when the air horn was blown at exactly 7:30am. This time, Karel swam just a little ahead of me but he didn't have his typical take-out speed. I knew it would take me some time to get warmed up and with another long day ahead of us, I expected more lows throughout the swim. With two big loops (each 1 mile with a run out of the water before starting loop 2), it took me about 1/2 mile to start feeling like I could bring up the effort a bit. However, I really only had one gear during the swim today. More so, the water was extremely choppy - it felt like the ocean! So on top of being super tired, there was the added difficulty of having to navigate in very tough conditions. Once I made my way past Karel, I used the kayak support by me to help keep me on course. The course was well marked with buoys as well. The water was around 72 degrees but it felt warm as the swim progressed. 

When I made my way out of the water, I took my time - had a sip of water and looked behind me at Karel. Of course, he made sure to sprint his way right by me before we started swimming again. We were having fun and enjoying this first part of stage 2. 
The swim felt really long (especially after 10 loops of swimming for stage 1) but it was nice to settle into a rhythm on the second loop. I started to swim away from Karel but he was never too far behind me. I exited the water in 56 minutes and 19 seconds. Karel finished around a minute behind me in 57:17. But it wasn't too long before Karel entered the transition area (apparently I was taking my time). 

My transition time was 4 minutes and Karel's was 2:50. However, we both left the transition area pretty close to one another (Karel right before me). I wasn't sure how my body would do over the next 73 miles so I kept an open mind and reminded myself of all the training sessions that I have completed with a tired body and mind. 

73 mile bike
As we left the transition area, the temperature was perfect around 70 degress. There was a little fog in the air but nothing dangerous for riding. The roads were well marked (I can't say it enough - this Xtreme tri staff was incredible with all their hard work and attention to detail!) and the start of the bike was a bit easier to manage as we didn't have to ride through a town like we did on stage one. I didn't hit my first stop light (red light) until around 43 minutes in (of course, Karel got it when it was green so that was the last I saw from him). It was fun riding through small towns and enjoying the country roads when they came. 

I kept with my typical hydrating strategy on the bike but I started taking in solid food (ex. sport bars) a bit earlier - like in the first 45 minutes. I knew that my body and brain needed the extra energy. The bike portion of stage 2 was pretty much entirely north so we expected some headwind and we got it. This stage had much more real road riding (instead of trails) but the roads were pretty quiet as it was a Saturday. Although we knocked off almost 30 miles of riding from stage 1, 73 miles was still a long way to go with a tired body and mind. We planned our refill/refuel stop with Al at mile 50. He texted me when he arrived and I would give him quick updates when I was less than an hour away. I was really looking forward to this stop because we spent a lot of time riding on the same road - in the wind - and my mind needed a break. Oddly, I was actually feeling better on the bike than I did on stage 1 - stage 1 just felt really off for me as I had all types of niggles in my hips/back. On the flip side, Karel did not feel good on the bike and his quads and back and hips were really bothering him. Not to mention that he was super duper tired. The nausea went away once he started moving in the swim. 

After 23 miles of riding on Hwy 301 (never did I think I would ride on that stretch of road!), I was so relieved to finally see Al. My energy level felt pretty good but I got a little extra pick me up seeing Karel there with Al. We both used the public restroom at this park sag stop. The volunteer lady was super supportive and kind. Karel and I both rubbed a few packets of AMP on our legs and wow, did it work! We felt like new people after that stop (but the stop also helped!). Al was once again great - he stocked the cooler with our prepared bottles and ice, had coke for a quick pick me up and had other snacks if needed anything (sport nutrition). He was super prepared as we learned from stage 1. 
I also prepared a first aid kit with extra items like Tums and hand sanitizer.

Side note: no ibuprofen was used before, during or after this event. To be honest, the last time I took a NSAID was in early March. We are highly against using NSAIDs and only use them in emergency situations and never to mask pain for training/racing. 

As for the execution of day 2 on the bike, it was all about management. Managing the mind, managing the body and staying in the moment. We gave the best effort that we could within each mile. I also made sure to focus on doing things well - staying as aero as possible in the wind, keeping good pedaling mechanics to get the most out of every pedal stroke and staying up on nutrition. 

Although the last 23 miles felt a bit long, it was nice knowing that I only had a little over an hour left of riding for day 2. The last few miles into Keystone park were on a paved trail. I was most looking forward to the run on stage 2 because our lodging for the night was in the same location as the stage 2 race finish - what a relief to not have to drive anywhere. 

Once I rolled into the transition area, it was nice to see the Xtreme tri staff and hear their positive words of encouragement. It was also great to see Al. I finished the bike in 3:43 (actual riding time was 3:34) and Karel finished the bike in 3:38.49 (actual riding time was 3:31.58). Seeing that Karel and I were only within around 5 minutes of each other, I was really looking forward to seeing Karel somewhere on the 3 loop run course. My transition was 4:48 and Karel's transition was 4:32. Karel actually had a little longer transition because he gave his running watch to Al after the swim because it didn't fully charge overnight. Al forgot to give it to him so Al had to run back to the car to get it and Karel had no problem waiting in the transition area until he got back. For each stage, I changed out of my cycling jersey and into a run top (just to be more comfortable with a fresh kit). 

18.6 mile run 
The run course was 3 loops. Technically it was an out and back course but because of permitting issues on the trail, they had to shorten a section on the trail and include a little bit of running inside Camp Keystone. I really enjoyed the scenery around the camp and welcomed the "bumps" of incline within the camp grounds. The 4 miles of running on the flat trail (out and back 2 miles) is not my style of running so it took a lot of mental strength to stay focused during all three loops. I much prefer rolling hills, twists and turns when I run. I am not a rhythmic type of running (unlike Karel who likes to settle into a rhythm). Al told me that Karel was feeling really good to start the run which made me super happy. I also felt ok (much better than on stage one). Learning from stage 1, I started my walk breaks early and kept them consistent. After leaving the camp grounds and making my way a mile down the road (gentle hill), I got myself confused because I didn't see any arrows telling me to get on the trail. I knew we were to run on the trail but I just psyched myself out and confused myself so I ran back to the last set of arrows just to make sure. Of course, during this time I realized I was going the right way and accidentally added another mile to my run from this mistake. But I didn't let it get to me. I just moved on and tried to convince myself that my legs didn't even feel it.

The first loop went by pretty quickly. I did have a few tummy issues to settle out as digestion was slowing down from fatigue (and all the sport nutrition + pre/post race food). The walk breaks really helped. I tried to keep them around 20-30 seconds just to stay consistent. During this time I also took a sip from my flask of sport nutrition. I was really looking forward to Al joining me on loop two and it was great to see Karel coming back from his first loop of his out and back segment. Karel looked really good running and I tried to copy his good running form. I focused on keeping my shoulders relaxed and trying to run as smooth as possible. Al and I were having so much fun together that I told him that he was not allowed to make me laugh as I was getting side stitches every time I laughed. But more than anything, just having Al there really helped me stay focused. 

Al set the cooler for us to refill our flasks near the finish line which was nearing the end of each loop before the run around the camp grounds (the 1-mile "hilly" section that I loved). The race staff was great with their cheers and it was awesome to see more athletes out on the run course. The out and back on the trail was nice because you got to see other athletes and give them a cheer. Everyone was so supportive. It was getting a little hot on the run course so it was nice that Al had ice for us in the cooler. 

The 2nd loop was mentally the most difficult because I was getting tired but I just stayed focused on one mile at a time. At this point, my feet were starting to get really tired and my entire body was just tired. My legs were sore but it all felt familiar to me (like in an Ironman). I kept going back to my past 16 Ironman races and how I was able to survive the pain in the legs and keep getting one foot in front of the other. I reminded myself that I was healthy and that I trained for this hurt. 

Karel finished just as I was finishing my 2nd loop so I once again got to see/hear him finish which was awesome. This also timed out perfectly so that Al could run a little with me for the 3rd loop. My mind was focused on getting to the turn around of the 3rd loop as I felt like that was my "finish" and everything else would be easy as I would be making my way to the finish line. Of course, the last 3.5 miles were not easy but I kept myself going with positive self talk, mantras and gratitude for my body. I tried to focus on running as easy as I could and continued with my run/walk strategy - making sure I didn't take advantage of the walk breaks and stayed strict with them to keep myself going. 
I finished the 18.6 mile run (well 19.6 miles due to my mistake) in 2:59.04 (9:04 min/mile). Even with my walk breaks I was able to run nearly every mile around 8:45 pace - on very very tired legs. 
Karel finished the run 2:14.50 (7:15 min/mile). 

It was so great to finally cross the finish line of stage 2. Although we had confident in our abilities to finish stage 3, we knew that our bodies were really tired and that recovery was critical at this point in this ultra endurance triathlon event. 

With stage 2 "only" being 93.6 miles, Karel finished the stage in 6:58.06 and I finished in 7:47.56. It was nearing 3:30pm when we finally made our way to the car with our bikes and gear. With less volume on the bike, it was really nice to have a little extra time for recovery before going to bed. 

After driving one minute to our "hotel room" at the camp site, Karel and I unpacked and prepared our stuff for the next stage. We refueled with a recovery drink, snacked and then enjoyed a vegetable pizza (Al picked it up for us at a local place around 10 miles away). Thank you Al! Not having a fridge or microwave was a little tough for us but we managed. We tried to eat as much as we could but it was getting a bit difficult with us being so tired and exhausted. Karel kept a yogurt recovery smoothie drink (store bought from Publix) at his bedside for when he woke up in the middle of the night. Al went out to cheer for everyone and I did a little light mobility and foam rolling. Karel used the normatec boots and around 7:30pm, we were turning off the lights to try to go to bed. With our bodies aching and being super fatigued from just over 16.5 hours of racing for me and just under 15 hours for Karel in 48 hours (and over , we stayed grateful for this opportunity and went to bed looking forward to the "shortest" and last stage of our epic xtreme triathlon. 

RESULTS STAGE 2
PHOTOS STAGE 2