2022 Ironman Lake Placid - Quick Recap

In 2012, Karel was ready to try a long distance triathlon. After only being in the sport for a few months, he was looking ahead to 2013 to participate in his first Ironman. Although we were living in pancake flat Jacksonville, FL., Karel wanted a challenging course for his first Ironman. After doing a bit of research, we decided on Ironman Lake Placid in upstate NY. 

Since our first Ironman together in Lake Placid in 2013, we have returned to the area four more times. We fell in love with Lake Placid so much that we decided that we needed to move away from the beach, and closer to the mountains. Thus, our move to Greenville, SC in May 2014. We also realized that we love challenging and beautiful courses. Some of our favorite courses include Wisconsin, Whistler, Austria and St. George. 

In 2015, Karel tore his plantar a few weeks prior to Ironman Lake Placid and intentionally DNF (did not finish) after the bike. In 2017, we returned again for Karel to race, but he had the flu on race week. Somehow, Karel was able to fight through his sickness and get to the finish line (and then the medical tent immediately after). He got a slot to Kona but he let it rolldown. Finally, for redemption, we returned back in 2021 for us both to race......but unfortunantly Karel broke his hand mountain biking two months before the race so he was unable to race. 

And then came 2022. Our fifth attempt on this beautiful and challenging course.
While we were both excited to return to Lake Placid for the Ironman, our focus for training and racing slightly shifted over the past year. 

In a week, we head off to Europe for a month of travel and racing. We are so excited to check off two firsts….my first Xterra race (and Karel's first European Xterra) in Czech Republic and then a week later, we start the 7-day Haute Route Alps (492 miles of cycling, 69881 feet total elevation gain, ~11,154 elevation gain per stage). We registered for the Haute Route in November of 2019 and due to the pandemic, three years later we finally get to check off this bucket list event. 

Training for an Ironman while also preparing for an off-road triathlon and a 7-day mountainous cycling event forced us to think outside of the box with our training - especially since we were training for events on three different bikes. And since we had three races in 29 days in May (Ironman St. George, IM 70.3 Chattanooga and IM 70.3 Blue Ridge - plus Karel did an 8-hour mountain bike event a week before Ironman St. George) - something that we had never done before - we knew that we couldn't stick with conventional Ironman training. We spent a lot of time on our mountain bikes and road bikes and very little time on our triathlon bikes this year. We "played" outside a lot. We swam, we biked and we ran but the training looked very different to what we had done in years past in preparation for an Ironman. But the one thing that kept us enjoying triathlon racing this season was not specifically training for any one triathlon event. We found joy in training and it was exactly what we needed to keep us enjoying the journey to one last Ironman event. Going into Ironman Lake Placid with a great amount of endurance, strength and resiliency and a lot of prior race experience, we were able to put together one last successful day of racing. I won my age group (40-44) and finished 2nd overall amateur female and Karel was 2nd in his age group and 13th overall amateur male. We both received a slot to the 2022 Ironman World Championship, but let it roll down to another deserving athlete for their chance to participate on the Big Island. 

After a combined 35 Ironman triathlons, we decided that now is a great time to put a bookmark in our Ironman training and racing chapter. We will revisit this Ironman chapter again but moving forward, we are excited to turn the page and start a new chapter in our athletic journey. We love triathlon and will not stop swimming, biking and running. But just like we did for Ironman St. George and Ironman Lake Placid, we will take an unconventional approach to triathlon training to help us prepare for new adventures and extreme/ultra-endurance events. 

Race report coming soon......

IM Lake Placid RR - 26.2 mile run

 

I was really looking forward to the new run course. With the first two miles net downhill, it was easy to find my running rhythm. At home, we live on the bottom of a hill so every run is always starting uphill. Although my transition was a bit long, that extra time (plus potty stop) contributed to quickly finding my running legs after a really exhausting and challenging bike.

I had no time or pace goals for the run as it’s nearly impossible to predict how the body will feel and perform in a marathon after 114.4 miles of racing. And there’s just no way to simulate the mind and body fatigue that you feel when you start the run. I’ve had Ironman runs where the fatigue doesn’t hit me until mile 18-20 and others where I feel it on the first step (which makes for a very, very long marathon). Although I have had a lot of experience running a marathon after biking for 112 miles, participating in the 3-day, coast to coast, Xtreme triathlon really gave me a lot of confidence with my running as I went through a lot of highs and lows while covering 50 miles spread of 3 days (18 miles day one, 18 miles day two, 13 miles day three). While I may not be the fastest runner, I consider myself a very resilient, efficient and strong runner. And my experience with long distance triathlon racing as given me a lot of opportunities to troubleshoot situations to keep me running strong until the finish line. Some races have more obstacles to overcome than others but I really do love the decision making and mental toughness that is needed to run a marathon at the end of an Ironman.

I grabbed water at the first aid station, took a few sips and dumped a cup of ice down my sports bra (which works great for holding ice). I did this at every aid station so that I could always hold on to ice to help keep me cool (plus I like to hold something when I run in a race). I saw my athlete Ericka and she gave me a big cheer in town. As I made my way down the in-town hills (thankfully we only had to go up them once this year in route to the finish versus twice in years past), I was feeling so much energy from the crowds. I felt a lift in energy and before I knew it, I was a few more miles down the road in the equestrian park. This was also a new section of the run course and while I thought I’d like the short 0.7 mile loop in and around the horse park, it felt hot and windy. But I did enjoy it when it got more crowded as I like seeing other athletes during the race. However, having Karel at the entrance/exit was great as I looked forward to seeing him each outbound and inbound loop. It was also a great place to see other athletes. It was a little confusing to navigate at first but after the first loop it was clear where to run in and out of the park.

I felt like my energy was good and I started drinking from my flasks at around mile 2 – enough time to let my body settle into a good running rhythm. I had two flasks filled with 1 scoop each of Orange Skratch. While I typically don’t like the flavor Orange, the Orange Skratch seems to sit the best in my belly when I run compared to the other flavors. I brought along two extra small baggies of scratch if I needed to refill my flasks, as well as a packet of TUMS. I didn’t bring any Aminos on the run as I knew I wouldn’t take them. It just gets too hard to complete tasks while running so I try to keep my fueling strategy as simple as possible.

Karel told me that I was still winning my age group by over 20 minutes and the first place overall amateur was way ahead. He told me that 2^nd place was within my reach so I kept that in the back of mind. At this time I was still holding on to 3^rd place overall amateur. Although there are no awards for overall amateur (or top 3 overall amateur) at the Ironman branded events, I really enjoy racing near the front of the race as the competition brings out the best in me and I explore my limits and capabilities by racing against those who are faster than me.

As I made my way down the hill by the ski jumps and turned left onto River Road, I had already completed 4.24 miles and those miles went by really quickly. I would look at my watch every now and then but the metrics didn’t mean anything to me. Again, I was not chasing anything and I have learned through Ironman racing that you can’t get frustrated or try to control paces in a marathon at the end of the Ironman. There is just too much to focus on in and out of your control and you have to work with your body, not try to force it to do something that it doesn’t want to do.

The next almost hour or 6.6 miles were beautiful, but lonely. I saw the top three leading female pros and a few that I was biking around had passed me in the early miles of the run. I saw the first place overall amateur female and she was in a league of her own so I kept my focus on the 2^nd place overall amateur, who was still running really strong. There were a lot of guys around me, some that I passed and others that passed me and gave me cheer. The road was undulating which helped break up the running rhythm. I stopped at every aid station and grabbed a sip of water and ice. After the turn around, I was hit with that Ironman fatigue that I know all too well. I was a bit bummed that it hit me so early (around mile 8) but that’s part of Ironman racing. You just gotta deal with what comes your way.

Although my mind was in a good place and my legs didn’t feel deep fatigue, my body felt hollow inside. It was like my body was moving on its own but I didn’t have much of a say of how hard or easy I could go – it was just running. I’m familiar with this feeling – it’s kinda like bonking but without the loopy feeling in the head. Again, just a normal feeling in an Ironman. I knew I needed a bit more calories at this time to get out of this empty feeling so after I had a sip of water from a cup at the aid station, I grabbed a cup of coke at the next aid station and took two small sips. I continued to grab ice and pour it down my sports bra so I could keep holding it to keep cool. Although it wasn’t hot out, it was warm. I was happy that I had my cooling towel and very comfortable running with my sports bra on (as that is how I always run at home in the summer).

I gave myself a mile to see how the coke sat in my belly before taking in anything else. It felt good so at the next aid station, I did the same thing again – water, two small sips of coke, ice down the sports bra. The volunteers were not handing us cups but instead, we had to grab them off the table so my walk breaks were incorporated at each aid station to get what I needed and then to keep on running. After two miles of the coke sitting just fine in my belly, I waited about ½ mile and then took a sip of my Skratch from my hydration belt to see if I could mix the two. Although I would never recommend this strategy to athletes because of the concentration in the gut, I was being very strategic and careful, listening to my body and also always diluting the coke with water (and whenever possible, taking a sip of water before consuming the Skratch). Once I realized that my gut was A-ok, I continued with water/coke/ice at the aid stations and then the Skratch as needed between the aid stations. This seemed to work well because by the time I got off River Road and back on to the main road by the Ski Jumps, I felt a bit more controlled with my effort. I was actually really looking forward to that climb as I had just gotten off a flatter section of road and I needed to change up my running rhythm. The climb felt really good and it almost gave me a bit of a pick-me-up.

Twelve miles had passed after I left the equestrian park and Karel gave me another update that I was still staying in 3^rd but the 2^nd place amateur female was not looking too good. For the first loop, my focus was just on the first loop. Just do what you need to do to feel good on the first loop. I knew once I made it back to the equestrian park (which was actually mile 14, kinda like a bonus that special needs was at mile 14, a little more than half way), I could start breaking the course down into segments and checking off each segment one last time. I continued to use my go-to Ironman mantras “you trained to hurt” or “never give up on an uphill” and really absorbed the energy from the crowds. As I made my way to the turn around (which was on a slight incline), I felt a rush of energy with so many people out cheering.

When I got to the equestrian park for the 3^rd time (outbound for the 2^nd time), I stopped at special needs to grab my two filled flasks (each with 1 scoop Skratch Orange). Although the equestrian park was not my favorite part of the course, it was fun to see other athletes and to have so many spectators on the road where we entered/exited the park.

Karel gave me another update that I was getting closer to 2^nd but the girl behind me was running very strong. He told me just to stay strong and to not give up. I had been battling a side stitch on my right side for a few miles (it would come and go) but I could feel my right side getting tight and my right leg starting to shuffle a bit. I contributed the side stitch to my right side getting tight so I took a moment to just stop, lift my hands over my head and stretch it out. Karel was right there next to me and he told me “good stretch it out, you are looking great and so strong.”

Thankfully, I was in a good place mentally and I was actually really enjoying the suffering that I was feeling as I checked off each mile. I also really enjoyed watching the pro women race as they were really fighting strong until the end.

When I got to River Road one last time, my focus was to get to mile 20 (which was just after the turn around).  I saw my athlete Ericka there cheering and she brightened my day as she told me I was doing awesome. I am pretty sure I had a smile on my face all day, even when things got really tough on the run. With only 6 miles left, I felt like I was still holding good form but I was taking a little more time at each aid station. Because I am used to taking walk breaks when I run, I actually don’t have much trouble getting going again when I stop. My body is trained for that so once I start running again, I am good until the next aid station. There were a lot of mind tricks happening as I just focused on one mile at a time. I loved seeing my athletes out on the course and even though I didn’t have a lot of energy to share with them, I would give each of them a big smile or a little wave. I even gave one of my athletes (Stephanie) a nice pat on the butt as I passed her.

I never doubted myself and I knew I would get to that finish line but the River Road 3 miles out and back segment felt really really long. But I kept telling myself “imagine you are on a training run and how awesome it is to run here.” My body was very tired, each running stride got a bit harder but I knew it would be worth it. Once I finally finished the River Road section, I had only a little more than 3 miles to go. I needed to be strategic and smart as that is still a long way to go in Ironman racing. The body/gut could still shut down at any point. I opted to run the last hill as I felt like I needed to use my strengths whenever possible.

I saw Karel one last time as I made my way in and out of the equestrian park and he told me that I was in 2^nd still but the 3^rd place girl was really close to me. I made one last stop before leaving the equestrian park and for the last 1.8 miles, I gave it all I could. Another motto I like to use is “you didn’t come this far to only come this far.”

I heard a lot of cheers from people I knew, as well as cheers from the spectators. That really lifted me up. With less than a mile to go, I was passed which moved me into 3^rd place overall amateur. At this point, I didn’t give up but I knew that I wasn’t going to catch her as I was giving all I could. I shuffled up the last two hills and when I made my way into the finisher chute, I was just so happy.

Although the race was far from easy and it involved a lot of troubleshooting and decision making, I was so thrilled to have put together such a great performance. I was so proud of my body for what it allowed me to do. Karel gave me a big cheer before I crossed the finish line and when my race was officially over, I could not wait to finally sit down. I am most proud of myself for caring all day – I wanted to be in the race for all 140.6 miles.

After the race, I found a place to sit on a golf cart and it felt so good to not move my body. Karel came over and he was just so proud of me. I sat there for a while (and ate some salty fries and a Sprite) before hobbling my way out of the finisher area, collecting my morning clothes bag, changing out of race kit and then heading back out on the course for the next few hours to cheer on the rest of our athletes.

As for Kona, I was not planning to accept my slot to the Ironman World Championship going into this race. I stuck with my decision, and I let my slot roll down to another deserving female. I want others to be able to experience the magic on that island and everything that comes with participating in an Ironman World Championship event.

Thank you for all the cheers, support and encouragement. It really means so much to me. I often ask myself why I continue to train and race in endurance sports. Although I love long distance racing, I do it for the comradery, the cheers, the laughs, the stories and the memories that I get to share with my athletes. And a big thank you to Karel for spending all day on his feet (fueled by pastries of course) cheering for me and the rest of the Trimarni crew.

Ironman #17 - Ironman Lake Placid
10:40.40 finishing time
Run: 3:50.50 (2nd AG run, 26th female, 137th overall)
1st place AG (35-39) - won by 22 minutes. 
3rd place overall female amateur

IM Lake Placid RR - 112 mile bike + T2

As I made my way through town, my first focus was to safely get out of town. The first few miles are a bit technical and with the wet roads and rain, I didn’t want my day to be over in the first few miles of the bike. Once I made my way to the first big climb passed the ski jumps, I felt like I could start settling into a good routine. 

The few miles before the Keene decent are very challenging as there are a few climbs that seem to roll but you never get enough momentum on the back of one hill to carry it to the next hill. So it really is a steady climb over several hills that makes it feel like one long climb. I enjoyed the out and back section into the Olympic cross country ski area as it was nice to break things up and see the other athletes in the other direction.

I found myself around a few female professionals and only noticed a few age group riders ahead of me. I knew there was a lot left in the ride/race so I just focused on riding my own race but also using those around me for motivation. There was a female official passing me several times throughout the race – officiating in front of me and behind me so I saw her often throughout the race. Even though I use the other riders for motivation, I made sure to draft legally and to not get too close on the wheel ahead of me. This only applied to the section from Keene to Jay as I spent much of the rest of the first loop by myself.

I made sure to keep up with my nutrition, which is the same that I have practiced in my last few long brick workouts. I recently changed things up starting with the Skratch hyperhydration to front load calories a bit at the start of the ride. Although I didn’t need any Tums, I found myself getting a bit sleepy on the first loop so I was glad that I had the Gu Aminos to give my brain a bit of a boost. Although the light rain was nice to keep me comfortable, the sun came out and it really warmed up. I made not of a the beautiful sun rising from the clouds as I was making my way down the Keene decent. It made me feel like I was in a training ride as the beauty around me was just taking my breath away.

The Keene decent was fun and I was able to really take advantage of that free speed. The scenery was spectacular but for that descend, I really made sure to stay focused on the riders around me as I didn’t want something silly to happen.

The section from Keene to Jay was fast and fun. But I was ready for some more climbing as my style of riding is not so great in flat time trial positions but instead, climbing and changing up my rhythm with resistance of the climb. Once we turned left out of Jay, it felt good to climb again. Those hills are pretty nasty as you just have to grind through them. I had a few guys cheering me on as I was near the front of the female age group race and ahead of a few female professionals.

Overall I felt pretty good throughout the first loop of the bike. It was good that I had rode the climb from Wilmington into town on Thursday as I knew the tougher sections and where I could get aero and pick up more speed. I found myself getting warm so I carefully grabbed water at most of the aid stations after Keene to sip on and to cool myself. I took in a few Clif chews as I could feel myself needing a bit more calories but I made sure to always wash them down with water to help dilute them.

Once I got up to the papa bear climb (the last of the three climbs), I saw Karel and he gave me an update. He told me that I was winning my age group by a lot and that I was 3^rd overall female amateur. This gave me a great boost as I had no personal goals for the day but just to enjoy the day, have fun and race smart. The quick out and back near town was fun as it gave me a big boost with all the spectators.

Once I made my way into the transition area, I stopped at special needs to retrieve my two pre-filled bottles (One was a Trimarni bottle filled and the other was a Smart Water 1.8 liter bottle that I could pour the nutrition into my hydration system and then toss that bottle). I had tossed my other bottle previously on the course at the aid station. I always stop at special needs but this stop was a little longer than normal because I had to get off my bike, rack my bike, get my special needs bag from a volunteer and then roll my bike back to the mount line and continue on. The minute I spent there was well-utilized as I could continue with my planned nutrition and I took a few seconds to stretch out and reboot before continuing on to the second lap.

I made my way through the school, which had a few fun turns before descending back to Mirror Lake Drive. Another fun ride through the town and then back out on the second loop.

At this point it was much warmer and the wind had really picked up. Similar to Kona, the wind is very unpredictable in Placid. Karel rode the course on Saturday and he had tailwind from Wilmington to town (the 10+ mile climb) but for us, it seemed like there was wind everywhere and it was rarely at our back on the 2^nd loop.

Whereas I felt pretty solid on the first loop, I had a lot more low moments on the 2^nd loop. These are expected and I never know how long they will last so my focus was just doing the best that I could despite how I was feeling. The second loop was a lot more lonely for me, even though I was passing athletes on their first loop. I saw a few Trimarnis on the out and back segments and that really picked up my spirits. My low moments were not causing me to contemplate quitting but instead, it was just a feeling of low energy that would come and go. Again, this is completely normal when racing in an Ironman. I stuck with my nutrition plan and just took in a few extra clif chews than I had planned (and washed down with water) to help give me a little boost. I had a bar with me just in case but I relied solely on my liquid calories (and a few clif ginger chews).

I passed my athlete/friend Alvi after the Keene descent (pic above is when he he flew by me on the descent as I was feeling myself getting knocked all around by the wind so I rode much more cautiously than the first loop) and then I was passed by professional Jeannie Hansen. She was riding super strong and my goal was to try to stay with her as long as I could. Having her in front of me was just the motivation that I needed and I found myself getting out of a low and feeling really strong again. Again, I had the official by me but I knew I wasn’t drafting so it didn’t bother me. I am used to having officials by me on the bike as I am usually near the front of the race after the swim (but always getting chased down on the run 😊).

The last segment from Wilmington to town was brutal. The wind was super gusty and it was mostly headwind. As if that section wasn’t hard enough, the wind made it even more difficult. Plus, with only 10-12 miles left in the race, the body and mind play lots of games with you anyways so there was a lot of mental tricks happening to keep myself focused and to continue to ride my bike the best as I could.

I do not chase any metrics when I race but I have a good idea of what I want an effort to feel like for each respective race I do. This past year has included group rides, a gravel race, 70.3 distance races and time trials. All of which have given me a lot of different scenarios to judge my effort, which helps me in long distance racing. I took some risks and biked pretty strong for all 112 miles but I also have a lot of trust in my abilities that even if I bike hard, I know I can find my running legs. Although I may not be fast on the run, I have confidence in my ability to be good at not slowing down (too much) on the run.

I did have metrics on my screen to check-in with every now and then. I used lap time (and hit lap at each segment), current cadence, lap speed, normalized lap power and 10sec power on my screen. I never knew my total time until I stopped my computer in the transition area. When I saw 5:38, I knew it was a hard bike and that it would impact the run times. So any previous running goals were out the window as my new focus was to find my running legs and to never stop caring and to be competitive on the marathon run. When I saw Karel one last time on the bike, he told me that I was winning my age group by over 20 minutes and that I was holding a solid third overall amateur female. I was really holding on to that third place overall amateur slot and it gave me a good boost before I made my way into the transition area.

I was planning to do a flying dismount but with the wet grass in transition area and just being tired from a really challenging 112 mile bike ride, I unclipped and ran my bike through the grass. After a few steps, I regretted that decision and it was really hard to run in my shoes. I eventually started walking as I was just plain tired. When I got to my spot in the transition area, I sat down and had a brief moment of “how in the heck am I going to run a marathon!?!” but I pushed that aside as I put on my running shoes. I had an extra pair of clean/dry socks in my bag but I opted to keep my socks on from the bike. Again, I probably should have changed them after doing a flying dismount and running in my cycling socks.

I always like to go to the bathroom and empty myself as much as possible before the run so I took off my jersey, I grabbed my hat, hydration belt and flasks, sunglasses, watch and cooling towel, and went into the port-o-potty. I know I spent too long in the transition area relative to the other competitors that I was racing against but I needed that extra time to mentally put myself into a place where I would stay committed for the entire run. I felt so much better after I went to the bathroom and much cooler once I took off my jersey. I was happy that I stuck with my plan to just wear my sports bra and use my cooling towel as I have done it in my previous two races and it really makes me feel good to have that cooling towel on my neck and to only wear the sports bra. I am much more comfortable wearing a sports bra when I run.

I saw an unopened plastic water bottle on a table in the transition area so I grabbed it as I was walking out and drenched my cooling towel, had a few sips and poured the rest on my head. Oh that was so refreshing. Once I started running, my legs responded really well and I told myself “all you have left is to run a marathon.”

Stats from my bike computer: 

First loop:
Transition to Keene – 17.7 miles, 46.17 min, 161 NP, 22.9 mph average
Keene to Jay – 9.81 miles, 25:37 min, 152 NP, 23.0 mph
Jay to Wilmington – 14.6 miles, 44:33 min, 162W, 19.7 mph
Wilmington to transition – 13.9 miles, 48:13 min, 171W, 17.3 mph
First 56 miles: 2:44, 163 NP, 20.4 mph, ~2600 feet elevation gain, 87 rpm average, max speed 48.1 mph

Nutrition consumed:
-Between the aerobars bottle: 400 calories Skratch Hyperhydration (consumed in first ~75 minutes)
-Hydration system (1.2 liters/40 ounces, 4 scoops INFINIT Trimarni Base Endurance formula Strawberry Lemonade mixed in 1.2 liters of water). Consumed ~10-15 minutes (3-5 gulps) over the rest of the loop.
-Water from most of the aid stations for sipping/cooling.
-2 Clif Ginger chews (washed down with water)
-~7 Gu Aminos

Second loop:
Transition to Keene – 18.0 miles, 49:39 min, 150 NP, 21.7 mph average
Keene to Jay – 9.59 miles, 23:16 min, 157 NP, 24.7 mph
Jay to Wilmington – 15 miles, 47:12 min, 156W, 19.1 mph
Wilmington to transition – 13.6 miles, 53:55 min, 149W, 15.2 mph
Last 56.2 miles: 2:53, 153 NP, 19.4 mph, ~2500 feet elevation gain, 83 rpm average, max speed 41.6 mph

Nutrition consumed (used pre-filled bottles at special needs - Special needs stop: 61 seconds):
-Between the aerobars bottle: 2 scoops INFINIT Trimarni base endurance formula Grape
-Hydration system (1.2 liters/40 ounces, 4 scoops INFINIT Trimarni Base Endurance formula Grape mixed in 1.2 liters of water). Consumed ~10-15 minutes (3-5 gulps) over the rest of the loop.
-Water from most of the aid stations for sipping/cooling.
-3 Clif Ginger chews (washed down with water)
-~5 Gu Aminos

Total nutrition consumed over 112 miles:
~1750 calories
~112 ounce water (+ water from aid stations)

Total according to my Garmin: 112 miles, 5:38.45 time, 158 NP, 6407 elevation gain, 19.9 mph average, 85 rpm average.

Bike time (official): 5:40.48, 1st AG (35-39), 15th overall female, 134th overall 

IM Lake Placid RR - 2.4 mile swim + T1

 

After my alarm went off at 3:45am, I found myself feeling calm and in a positive mindset. I changed into my race kit and went upstairs for my pre-race meal. Although I typically have a bagel, I was really feeling a waffle so had two Belgium style cinnamon waffles and topped them with peanut butter, syrup and banana slices. I had a small cup of coffee (instant Nescafe Gold) and glass of water. I didn't find it too hard to eat which was a good sign that my mind was in a good place. All of the Trimarnis in the house were in the kitchen together so overall, the energy was really positive. 

After I ate, I went down to my bedroom and did some light foam rolling as part of my pre-workout/race routine and then went outside in the light rain for a little jog before one last stop at the house bathroom. Karel was giving me reassuring words and telling me that I always do well in the Ironman distance. I appreciated his words and support. 

Around 4:50am, we all squeezed into two cars (Jodi's husband drove and Karel drove) and we were driven 0.9 mile to the transition area on the backside of the lake. There were shuttles but we opted for our own valet service. 

As we walked to the transition area, the rain started to come down and over the next hour, it went from sprinkles to light showers to no rain to pouring rain. I didn't let it get to me as I had studied the weather and the rain was only predicted to last for a few hours and would stop by ~9am. 

The transition process was pretty smooth and I liked having my bags by my bike. I first dropped off my bike and run special needs and then made my way into the transition area. It was a bit dark and with the rain coming down, I found myself needing to triple check everything but after I filled my Ventum hydration system, put in my other bottle between the aero bars, put on my computer, pumped my tires, checked my breaks and gears and put my run flasks in my run bag, I did one more check and trusted myself that all was good. I did one last walkthrough in the transition area and then we all walked to the swim start. 

The overall atmosphere was energetic as the crowds were still out despite the rain. The closer we got to the race start at Mirror Lake, the harder the rain started to fall. Even though we were in our ponchos, putting on the wetsuit seemed like a logical option since we were going to get wet anyways. Around 5:50am I put on my Roka wetsuit, put on vaseline around my neck, took in two Clif Ginger chews, sipped on my sport drink in a throw away plastic bottle (1 scoop Orange skratch) and then dropped off my morning clothes bag. Around 6am we were allowed to get into the water so I took advantage of this rare opportunity to warm-up in the water before the race start. 

I got into the water around 6:15am and spent some time in the water adjusting my wetsuits, getting the blood flowing and just getting my mind into a good headspace before the start of a long day of exercising. The water felt better than being in the rain so I just stayed in the water until I was ready to line up to the race start. The professional men started at 6:25am, followed by the professional women. I lined up near the front of the age group start, which was gathering by predicted swim finishing times. The day before the race, I told Karel that I felt confident that I could swim around 57-58 minutes so I lined up around that time slot. My athlete Stephanie, who is part mermaid (hehe) lined up next to me so it was great to have her there with me before we started. 

The age group race started at 6:35am and after a few seconds, we were in the water. The water temperature was around 70 and the air temperature was in the 60's so I never felt cold before the race and the water felt perfect after I got into the water. 

The first section of the swim was chaotic. It was a bit rough as everyone was settling into their own rhythm. I was around a lot of pink caps (which for this race, the pink was for the guys and green for the ladies). Even though there is a cable under the water to help with sighting, I had no plans on getting closer to the cable as I wanted to find clean water away from others. But somehow, I kept ending up close to the cable so I just focused on swimming my own effort and finding clean water whenever I could (which often meant accelerating past others or needing to change my stroke to get around others). Since I was near the front, there were plenty of fast swimmers who swam away from me and I was ok with that. 

After the first turn buoy, I felt like I was swimming pretty fast but then I made my way back on the first loop and the water felt a lot more choppy and slow. I reminded myself that we only had to swim this section once since the finish of the swim was at the top part of the lake, so I stayed strong and focused and continued to focus on catching water and swimming strong and efficient. I don't wear a watch when I swim cause I will just look at it and it will mess with my head so when I got out of the water for my first loop, I did some quick math and saw 7:35am on the race clock. My immediate thought was "ugh, 30 minutes for the first half of the swim, this is really slow for me!" And then it took me a few buoys after getting back into the water (quick run on the ground before getting back into the water again) I realized that the first loop was longer than the rest of the swim. I kinda laughed at myself but also had no idea exactly how long the first loop was so I just cleared my mind and focused on my swim. Later I learned the first loop was 1.3 miles. 

At this point I started to catch the slower seeded swimmers who had just started their first loop and this made it difficult to keep a good rhythm as I had to swim around many swimmers and slow down at times to sight for clean water and to stay on course. I found myself on the cable a lot on the second loop which worked out well when I was heading to the shore as I wasn't in the mix of the first loop swimmers. 

After I passed the turn buoy, I continued straight to head to the finish. I felt like the swim went by quickly but it also didn't feel like a "fast" swim for me. As I was getting closer to the shore, I felt like I could pick up my effort a bit and build to the finish. I was with a strong group of swimmers and I couldn't believe that I was swimming away from them. When I got close enough to the shore to stand up, I quickly got out of the water, glanced at the clock and it said 7:30am. As I made my way on the long carpeted run from the swim exit to the transition area (up through the Northwood high school campus), I did some math and I thought "did I really just swim a huge personal best of 55 minutes??" I couldn't believe it if it really happened. I thought maybe the course was short so I wouldn't really know the official results until the finish. I was just so pumped for my swim. It didn't feel hard or fast so I guess I just shocked myself. 

I ran pretty quickly through the transition area and accidentally dropped my goggles. I didn't realize that I did until my nutrition athlete Marcus kindly ran them up to me and gave them to me. Such a thoughtful gesture of going out of his way! My friend/athlete Alvi was just about to get on his bike as he crushed the swim in 53 minutes so I wished him a great race as he ran off with his bike. 

I sat down and put on my helmet, socks and cycling shoes (I had my compression sleeves under my wetsuit). I put a bar, clif chews and baggy of tums and Gu aminos in my jersey pockets and opted not to wear my arm warmers as I really warmed up in the water. 

I ran my bike to the mount line, got on my bike and made my way down to the town. I was excited to see Karel (and Ericka) and Karel gave me a big shout "you swam 55 minutes!" and I gave him a huge smile back. Prior to the race I asked Karel to just tell me things that I would need/want to hear and I think he was really excited to tell me my swim. At this point, my day was off to a great start and I didn't even mind the rain and wet roads. I was so happy to ride my bike on this beautiful and challenging course. 

2.4 mile swim
55:43
1st AG (35-39)
7th overall female
44th overall 

T1
6:24

IM Lake Placid RR - Travel and Pre-Race

 

We left our house on Wednesday morning around 4:20am and arrived to the GSP airport just before 5am. It was a smooth check-in with our two suitcases and two Scicon hard cases w/ our bikes inside. Each bike case weighed ~50lbs so we were able to check those items for free on Delta and then just pay $40 each for our suitcases. We felt a bit rusty with the entire airport process as the last time we traveled via plane for a race was October 2019 for the Ironman World Championship.

We flew to Detroit, had a ~2 hour layover and then flew to Albany. Both flights were smooth and went by quickly (we napped on both flights). It was fun to meet up with a few Trimarnis in the Detroit airport before they made their way to Burlington. 

Since we flew into Burlington in 2013 for IM Lake Placid, I decided to try out the Albany airport and ~2:15 hr drive. It was an easy process from luggage pick-up to getting our rental car (right across the street from the airport - no shuttle needed) and then a straightforward drive to Lake Placid. I rented a SUV but all they had left was a Jeep Wrangler for us. I was a bit worried but it actually worked out great as we could place our bike cases in the Jeep upright and there was still room for our suitcases.

 

We made a quick stop at Chipotle for lunch in route to Lake Placid. The last part of the drive into town is always so beautiful. Even though the weather was cloudy and a bit rainy, the scenery is just incredible. 

We arrived to our rental home around 3pm and checked out our home away from home. I booked this rental home two years ago and thankfully the owner allowed us to carry over our rental to this year. The 3-story house was huge so we shared it with 8 of our athletes. And it was in the perfect location - just a a block from Mainstreet (and close to the Bluesberry Bakery - Karel's favorite place in Placid) and less than a mile to the new transition area at the high school (the layout of the course/transitions/expo was a bit different this year due to construction at the Oval). 

As Karel and the other Trimarni's put together their bikes, our groceries arrived just after 4pm. I ordered our first big batch of groceries from Hannafords by using Instacart. Although there was an extra fee including, this delivery grocery service worked out perfect as we didn't have to spend 60+ minutes shopping for food after a long day of travel. Throughout the rest of the week, others made quick stops to the store as needed. 

After unloading groceries and making a large salad, we all headed out for a shake-out spin by heading down the back part of the course (the "three bears) and then making our way to River Road to ride the run course and then back into town. It was a nice 45-minute spin to shake out the fatigue from traveling and sitting all day. 

By 8:30pm we were all pretty exhausted and headed off to bed. 

I tried to sleep in as long as I could on Thursday morning to ensure a restful night of sleep. I made it until almost 8am so it was a solid 10.5 hours of sleep. I was so excited to get into Mirror Lake as it's been several years since I've swam in that picture-perfect lake. 

After eating a pre-workout meal, we walked down to the swim start at the lake for a one-loop swim of the course. Some of the buoys were out and along with the cable under the water, it was easy to stay on course. We all regrouped at the turn buoys so that we could scope out the landmarks along the course. 

After the swim there was a well-needed stop at the bakery before heading back to the house to change before the bike ride. We all headed out on the bike course and descended down to Wilmington before making our way back up to town. It was nice to be out on the course and to get the body back to a familiar place of exercising. After our ~90-minute ride, a few of us went for a short 20-min run. It was a triathlon type of day! We finished all of our training for the day before 1:30pm which worked out perfect as we checked in for the race around 2:30pm (at the equestrian center - we drove there). 

It was fun to share the entire pre-race experience with our athletes, especially our two first timer Ironman athletes. We had 8 female and 1 male athletes racing Lake Placid which made for a great group filled with a lot of positive energy. 

After checking in, the rest of the day was pretty chill. We watched the Olympics, ate and relaxed. There was a lot of laughing which helped keep the nerves away. Karel did a longer ride on Thurs (~4 hours and 77 miles) after he swam with us, and then finished off the day with an evening run (37 min, 5 miles). Karel's hand is still weak and numb after he broke it from his MTB crash 9 weeks ago, but overall it's getting better. 

Friday was a pretty chillax day. We went for another swim and I had to resist the urge to swim two loops as I was feeling so good in the water. I was really happy with how I was swimming and most of all, how I felt in the water. I had been dealing with some niggles in my left bicep for a few weeks but thankfully it didn't affect me once I got to Placid. 

After the swim, I went for an easy 30-minute run around the lake and checked out the transition area, logistics of going from swim to bike and bike to run, as well as orienting myself with how we started loop two of the bike. Today was all about familiarity and getting to know the ins and outs of the course. 

I spent a little time laying out my gear for my gear bags and filling my bottles. I had my sport nutrition powder in baggies (which I filled in advance) so it was easy to just pour each baggy into a bottle or flask without second guessing or overthinking (I also brought extra nutrition just in case). I also labeled my bottles so it would be easy to know what was what and what goes where on race day morning. I waited until Sat late afternoon to fill with water and then put the bottles/flasks in the fridge. 

On Friday evening we had our traditional pizza party with pizza from Bazzis. We finished the evening with a course talk and tips discussion for our athletes. I just love sharing these experiences with our athletes as I can take the focus off myself. Plus, I love our athletes because they are really cool humans. And we have a lot of fun together. Add in Karel and his witty sense of humor and I assure you that you will be laughing a lot when you stay in a Trimarni team house. :)

After another good night of sleep, it was finally here. One more day before the race. 

I went out on my own for my ride and headed to the transition area. I first rode the start of the bike course as it was all marked on the ground. I then carried on to the run course to get more familiar with the equestrian park loops (inbound and outbound).  I then headed down to River Road (run course out and back) and did some intervals out there. I just rode until I felt good and then headed back (~75 minutes). I did a quick 5-min jog off the bike just to test out my shoes, hat and hydration band one last time to ensure that everything was fitting like I wanted it to for race day. Overall I didn't feel great on the bike and felt a bit flat on the run but I didn't let it get to me. I knew my body would show up on race day. I couldn't stop smiling because of the beauty of this course. I kept thinking, we get to race here. I never felt nervous but instead, I was really excited to train all day for 140.6 miles.  

After my morning shake out workout, it was time to eat. I repacked my bags and around 1pm, we biked our gear to the transition area, dropped off our bikes (most of us Trimarnis were together since we all checked in together), walked through the transition area so that we knew where all the ins and outs where, and then walked back to the house. We also timed how long it took us to walk from the transition area to the swim start (~21 minutes) as we would be doing the same on race morning and wanted to know how much time to give ourselves. Due to COVID precautions, there was no gear bag rack but instead we put our bags by our bikes. I kinda liked this as I could keep everything right by my bike and access it easily on race day morning. Because of the predicted rain, I put my running shoes and socks in a large ziplock bag and folded my bags down tight overnight. 

The weather had been perfect all week - in the 70's for the high and into the mid 50's at night. The water temp was hoovering around 68-70 degrees, which was also perfect. However, there was a 90% chance of rain on race day so we all prepared ourselves for a wet start to race morning. 

After eating my last big meal of no chicken noodle soup (Amy's brand) and a bag of Basmati rice around 3pm, I watched the Olympics in bed on my Ipad, ate almost a full bag of granola around 5pm, did a little more foam rolling to loosen out and I was ready to fall asleep around 7:30pm. I expected a light night of sleeping and I had a solid few hours of sleep until 1pm and then it was a few hours of tossing and turning to the sound of rain outside our basement windows, until the alarm went off at 3:45am. 

To be continued......

2021 Ironman Lake Placid - Quick Recap

 

There was a time, not too long ago, where I felt tremendous pressure to perform on race day. I carried a lot of weight on my shoulders from the pressure I felt from those who were watching/tracking me. I felt pressure to meet the expectations of others in order to prove my athletic worthiness.

As a result of this faulty mindset, I was not reaching my athletic potential. 

When all of our 2020 races were cancelled due to the pandemic, I was given a first-ever opportunity my long-distance triathlon career. Even though I've never been one for obsessing over metrics, each training session often felt like a pass or fail exam based on how I performed. But in 2020, for the first time in fourteen years, I was able to return to the joy of training without the pressure of racing and needing to prove my athletic worthiness. 

And then it happened. 

I took my fitness to the next level. When I returned to racing, I raced better than I have ever raced before in my life. 

And I was having a lot of fun. . 

Although I've experienced a lot of success in the sport over the years, I finally learned how to race at my best and how to truly be in the moment. Not just on race day but in training. I learned how to center my mind in the present moment without worrying, chasing or wishing for a certain outcome.

When you are focused, you're thinking about what's happening right here, right now. When you are in the moment, you are completely immersed in the experience without any thought of other things that could be distracting or pulling on your attention. And this is where the magic happens. Without any pressure on the outcome, you can respond to changes more quickly and most of all, you allow yourself to have fun. Joyfully experiencing what's happening in the moment - without being distracted on things out of your control - is extremely powerful. 

Your race day performance is determined by a number of factors - from genetics and training to nutrition and luck. But most of all, it's affected by what's happening in the mind. To perform up to your potential, you must remove all of the the things that interfere with a negative or poor state of mind. 

I still love the sport of Ironman-distance racing but most of all, I am grateful that I still have the ability and willingness to train for Ironman-distance racing. When you train for a 140.6 mile event, athletic burnout and chronic health issues (or injuries) are far too common. But it doesn't have to be this way. Factors like chasing a race weight, undereating/underfueling, metric obsessions, a pass or fail mindset, unrealistically high expectations, haphazard training, a "more is better" training approach, a reduced sense of accomplishment, rigid standards and perfectionism will suck the fun away from training. More so, with so much unpredictability of long distance racing, being unable to cope with challenges and obstacles can lead to excessive pressure, nerves, stress, panic and anxiety. Long distance triathletes so often feel controlled by the goals they are pursuing, which keeps them trapped in the sport despite losing the love, joy and fun of training. There's no denying that pressure to perform can take a great mental toll.

On the eve of Ironman Lake Placid, I told Karel that I don't have any specific goals for the race but to just tell me what I need to hear on race day based on how I was performing. My mind was removed of outcome goals, free of metrics and I didn't feel shackled by the competition. At Ironman #17, I didn't feel like I needed to prove anything. I raced with grit, drive, gratitude and focus. I emptied my mind of as much interference as possible so that I could full compete to the best of my abilities. 

I raced with joy. I raced with respect for the distance and love for the sport. This doesn't mean that the day was easy, comfortable or pleasurable. Ironman Lake Placid was very challenging. We had rain, sun, gusty wind and lots of hills to climb. But the experience as a whole was a lot of fun. I was always smiling. For 140.6 miles, every upcoming mile was something that I looked forward to doing. My motivation for racing was not about the race outcome but the joy of covering 140.6 miles with my mind and body. 

If you are currently struggling with emotional or physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment or negative feelings about your sport, take a look at the pressure you feel. To some extent, you are the only one who decides what pressure to put on yourself. Even the pressure that you feel from others will be filtered through your perfection of what you think they expect of you. 

Sport is not pass or fail. Remove the standards that you place on yourself and get rid of the perfectionist mindset. And most of all, don't forget that sport is fun. It's honor to get to do what you can do with your body and mind. 

It's Ironman Lake Placid Race Week!

2013 Ironman Lake Placid - Karel's first Ironman.

It's been a long time coming.

It's finally Ironman Lake Placid race week. 

My last Ironman was in October 2019.....the Ironman World Championship. Although it feels like forever ago since I've raced in an Ironman, I have participated in all different types of endurance events, from gravel racing and the 6-Gap century ride to a 3-day coast-to-coast, Xtreme Triathlon event and off-road running. 

Every Ironman triathlon journey is different. Not just the training, but how my body responds to the training in the context of my life.

With only 5 days until Ironman Lake Placid, I’m incredibly grateful to my body for allowing me to consistently train for my 17th 140.6 mile race. I never take a start line for granted, especially when I am healthy and injury-free.

I no longer feel like a beginner but I still have great respect for the Ironman distance. I know how important it is for the body and mind to work together as you can’t make your body do something that the mind doesn’t want to do.

For me, Ironman race day is a day of self discovery. I love that you don’t have to be fast to have a successful day, you just have to be really good at not slowing down.

The Ironman is all about staying present, being proactive, troubleshooting, nailing the small details, focusing on the mile you are in, keeping the body fueled and hydrated, not letting your mind get overwhelmed by the distance/weather/competitors and most importantly, always finding a way to move forward until you reach that finish line.

Here's a look back at some of my 2021 training stats: 

SWIMMING
Longest swim: ~6300 yards

Typical weekly swimming yardage: ~13,000-17,000 yards. 
Primarily long course meters (as of May).
👉Favorite goggle choice right now: TYR Special Ops 2.0 (clear and polarized)

BIKING 
Longest bike: 2 x 105 mile rides

• February 20th: Thomasville Clay Road Classic (6:47, ~4000 feet elevation gain)
• April 25th: Meals on Wheels recon ride w/ friends (6:12, ~8000 feet elevation gain)

👉Typical weekly biking hours/miles: ~8.5-9.5 hours/130-150 miles
👉Average "long" ride length: ~4 hours
👉What type of bike did I train on? Triathlon bike ~55% of the time/Road bike ~45%/Gravel bike ~5%.
👉Most memorable rides: Overcoming two gravel crashes (within two weeks) and completing 7 of the 8 GVL WBL group rides. 

Running
Longest run: 

• June 20th: 2:12 (16 miles): Ironman Pacing, race simulation run. MS: 90 min as: 1 mile IM effort w/ 20-30 sec walk/reset between). 
• July 4th: 20.6 miles total (double run day): 13.3 miles (1:47) in AM (MS:1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1,5 min faster tempo w/ 1 min rest, jog or walk between), then 7.34 miles (1:04) in PM.

👉Average weekly running mileage: ~40 miles/week (~5.5 hours)
👉I almost always run 3 days in a row, but never more than that (except at our camp I ran five days in a row). One to two runs a week are stand alone runs (no bike before) and I do at least 2-3 runs a week off the bike. I always include walk breaks when I run.
👉Current favorite running shoe: New Balance Fuel Cell RC Elite.

Biggest Training Load week:
👉June 21st
20 hours and 24 minutes
17292 yards swimming (4 hours and 25 minutes)
10 hours and 12 minutes biking (172 miles)
5 hours and 48 minutes running (41.9 miles)

Racing block (April - June)
👉3 x 70.3 distance events in 7 weeks (two of which were within 2 weeks of one another).

Most difficult brick (bike/run) workouts
June 19th 
👉4:25 ride/75 miles (~5500 feet elevation)
1st hr: aerobic warm-up
2nd hr: Alternate 10 min moderate-strong / 10 min aerobic
3rd hr: 20 min Ironman effort/ 10 min EZ x 2
4th hr: climb Saluda grade
Everything after: Steady strong 

Run off the bike
👉1:06/8.29 miles (~1100 feet elevation gain)
WU: ~15 min form focused running
1 min walk/jog then:
MS: 3 x 1.5 mile at strong and sustained effort w/ 2 min EZ jog/walk in between.
CD: EZ jog

-----------------

June 23rd
👉1:36 trainer ride: 
WU:
15 min EZ spin
10 min build the effort by 2.5 min to Z3+.
2 min EZ spin
MS:
6 x 5 min at strong sub threshold effort (Z4) with 3 min EZ spin following each.
then
20 sec all out spring/very fast cadence / 2:00 min EZ spin
CD: 8 min EZ spin to flush the legs.

Followed by: 
👉1:21 (10 mile) run
MS: 3x
3 mile descend #1-3 to and over IM effort (by mile), each with 1 min reset walk in between each 3 mile segments. 10 sec walk between each mile. 
CD: EZ jog

Personal Accomplishments: 

• Maintained normal hormonal health (regular monthly menstruation).
• No sickness/illness.
• No injuries/physical setbacks.
• Maintained joy for training.
• Consistency with training.
• Met new training partners and strengthened friendships with current training partners. 
• Purposeful and structured training.
• Kept training fun. 
• Listened to my body. 
• ~80% workouts outdoor (bike/run).
• Stayed up with daily mobility. 
  
• Never felt like training was taking over my life. 
• Used sport nutrition for every workout, no fasted training (ate before every workout).
• First gravel ride (and race), first trail running race. 
• Overcoming two gravel bike crashes.
• 2nd overall female at Roanoke 70.3 (by 2 seconds).
• 3rd overall female at Chattanooga 70.3.

Podcast: Mental Toughness & Race Day Management With Karel

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Karel had his mind set on a top performance at Ironman Lake Placid. Sadly, a bad sickness (flu) knocked him off his routine and also compromised his recovery after a big peak week of training, just 2 weeks before the race. There was a lot of doubt and uncertainty during the sickness but with exceptional mental toughness and good race day management, Karel was able to put together a podium-finish race that required a lot of tools and tricks to help him get to the finish line.

Although Karel had no control over the longevity of the sickness, he had control over his mind and that is what helped he achieve greatness on race day.

                                          

In a recent Intelligent Racer podcast interview, Karel and Adam have a very insightful conversation on how to mentally manage the Ironman race and how to overcome difficult race day situations with visualization and a positive, proactive and ego-free mindset. Knowing that every athlete will likely have an obstacle to overcome before or during an important race and that the long distance triathlon requires exceptional mental strength, we hope that you find this podcast helpful and informative as mental toughness is not limited to elite or professional athletes. Athletes of all levels can use the mental skills that Karel used during Ironman Lake Placid to get to that next level or to accomplish something that is within your capability, even when you think it's not possible.

Intelligent Racer Podcast with Karel Sumbal  

2017 IM Lake Placid Race Report

"The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible."

I woke up to my alarm at 3:40am on Sunday morning. Since Karel and I prefer not to sleep in the same bed on the night before a race, I woke up Karel after I got myself out of bed (Campy refused to get up that early so he stayed snuggled under the covers).

There was not a lot of talking that morning as Karel likes to get into his zone on race day morning. I let Karel do his thing, which started with 2 cups French Press coffee (brought from home) and then a pre-race meal of a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of Infinit MUD mixed with cow's milk. He also took in 1/2 croissant with jam as we were heading out of the door. For the next 90 minutes, he sipped on a bottle of water mixed with Precision hydration 1500 and took in 1 enervit pre sport just before his swim warm-up.

Karel is not methodical with this pre race nutrition but this approach has never failed him. He simply eats what he wants and doesn't overthink it. After 8 Ironman finishes, he has yet to have a nutrition related issue before or on race day so we don't need to fix what's not broken. 

Before we left the house, Karel did his typical routine of heading outside for a brief 10-15 min jog to help get his system going.

It was a refreshing morning, not too cold but in the low 50's. The predicted temps were absolutely perfect with little chance for rain. After our 10 minute walk up the hill and to the oval, Karel got body marked and then proceeded into the transition area to set up his bike bottles. While Karel was attending to his gear, I walked up to the bike special needs (behind the oval) to drop off Karel's bag, with 2 filled sport nutrition bottles inside. 

With Karel being number 402, he had a perfect spot, right behind the sign. I then walked over to the run special need drop off, behind the lake, on the out and back section of the run course before getting back into town. In his run bag, he had three filled flasks and a Hot Shot.

In total (including special needs)
Bike: 5 bottles of sport nutrition (3 bottles Levelen 5, strawberry citrus and 2 bottles INFINIT Trimarni base phase fuel). 1 Kits organic bar (~3/4 bar). 1 Enervit Cheerpack. Hot Shot.
Run: 5 flasks (2 x Levelen, 2 x EFS Pro cucumber melon, 1 Enervit Cheerpack). Hot Shot. Coke/Red bull/water from aid stations. 

Since we Karel was in transition by 5:2am, Karel had plenty of time to relax before the swim practice opened at 6am. I found us a spot close to the water for Karel to get in the zone before getting on his wetsuit. I tried to stay out of his way but still be available if he needed anything. 

Karel is a big proponent of swimming before a triathlon as it helps him feel relaxed and less anxious in the water. Although his swimming skills/fitness have improved drastically since his first IM in Placid in 2013, he still needs a good swim warm-up to get a good feel of the water. Our Xterra Vengeance wetsuits are extremely comfortable and light, with little restriction and just the right amount of buoyancy during open water swimming. 

I stayed put by the water so that Karel could get a few more sips of his drink around 6:30am, before lining up in the corral before the start of the race at 6:40am.

To be honest, I was a bit worried and nervous for Karel because of his prior sickness but as competitive as Karel can be on race day, I also know that he is a very smart racer and does not race with an ego. Although he can push through pain, I just hoped that Karel could get to the finish line, safely, as this was his comeback race from 2015 (intentional DNF due to torn plantar going into the race) and to see what he could accomplish on this course, after 4 years of completing his first Ironman. 

Karel lined himself up in the back of the sub 1 hour group of the wave start. We are big fans of the wave start as it makes for a fast swim by surrounding yourself by swimmers of a similar ability, although Karel mentioned that there were several athletes who should not have been in that wave. Karel was ok with being in a faster group than his predicted 1:03ish swim time and he was able to get clean water for smooth swimming until the 2nd loop. 

Karel was able to see his swim split after the first 1.2 mile loop and he was shocked to see a PR of 29 minutes. This gave Karel a big confidence booster but he made sure to continue to stay in the moment and only focus on one leg of the Ironman at a time.

After the swim, Karel lapped his watch but didn't look at it as he wanted to forget about the swim and prepare his mind for the bike. Little did he know, at the time, that he had a huge PR of 1:01! I was so thrilled for him.

As Karel was swimming his second loop, I walked back to our house to rescue Campy (more like wake him up) as I waited for Karel and our other athletes (Chris, Michela, Heidi and Adam) to come by on the bike. 

I gave Karel a big cheer as he flew by me. I then waited for the rest of the Trimarnis to come by before heading inside for some food and a little rest before heading out on my bike. Campy had the best seat in the house! 

Thanks to the new Ironman tracker app, I was able to track Karel and all of our athletes. I was receiving updates throughout the first loop of the bike and after Karel left Wilmington, I got on my bike and road a few miles away to cheer for him and the other athletes on the course. 

Karel enjoyed the first loop as he had fun flying down to Keene. His legs felt good and he was able to ride well until he hit Wilmington. At that point, his legs started to get a bit crampy and even with Hot Shot (which likely saved him from full blown cramping), he had no power in his legs. At this point, his competition was riding by him and he was struggling.

For the climb up into town, Karel had to self manage. Even though Karel isn't metric focused when he races, he could see that he was not pushing the watts that he was capable of holding. He just focused on taking good care of himself with his nutrition and making sure that he could deliver himself to the run. Without focusing on the next mile, he stayed present and rode an effort that was manageable to minimize the cramping. Needless to say, Karel could have gotten very upset and frustrated but he kept his cool and just trusted that he could still run off the bike. 

While waiting for Karel, I saw a handful of age group men pass by and from the tracker app, I could see that Karel was moving down places on the bike. Although his weapon is the run, I knew he wasn't having a good day on the bike. But no use telling him what he already knows - instead, I told him how awesome he swam by shouting "Amazing swim - 1:01!!!" If anything, I hoped that this would register in his brain that even though he was not riding well, he still had a great swim and something to reflect all of his hard work in the pool.

After cheering for some familiar female faces, I rode back to our house, walked Campy around as the male pro's ran by and then headed up the road to wait for Karel. 

When Karel got off the bike, the tracker told me that he was in 6th place in his AG - not too shabby! Prior to the race, I told Karel that even on an off day, he could still podium. Because Karel was not taking a Kona slot at this race, his IM Lake Placid performance was all about himself and seeing what he was capable of doing on this very tough, yet beautiful, course. 

Karel was moving pretty fast when I saw him - it must have been his new #silenthunter New Balance 1400v5 shoes. The thing with the Ironman is that it's very easy to un-commit from the day, especially when things are not going your way. Although I know Karel all too well and he never ever counts himself out, I wanted to make sure that after a 5:19 bike (not too his standards), that he knew he was still in it to podium.

When I saw Karel, I immediately told him that he was in 6th place so that he knew he was close to the top of his age group. I then proceeded to tell him that the guys in front of him did not look fresh. Even though we were only less than a mile into the course, I wanted to give Karel a little boost that he had the ability to run down a few guys to move up in his age group. The Ironman is very mental and even when you are not having the day that you hoped for, you can still do something amazing with the body so long as you believe in yourself and never stop doubting your abilities. 

After Karel passed by, I cheered on some of the female athletes that I knew and then went back inside so that Campy could get a power nap before Karel came back through town again.

I had a great time tracking all of the athletes and the Ironman tracker app allowed me to follow all of the Trimarnis and know exactly where they were on the course.

With all of the excitement, I made sure to rest my legs a bit so that I could make it through the day because being an Ironman spectator is hard work! 

I waited for Karel on the big hill heading toward town and told him that he looked good. I never expected for Karel to talk back to me but he told me that "I don't feel good at all." I was really surprised to hear Karel tell me this so this told me that Karel was really hurting. I wasn't sure of the problem, was it the normal Ironman hurt or something more serious so I just cheered him on and told him to do the best that he could. Thankfully, Karel was keeping up with all of his nutrition and fluids and he was peeing throughout the day (a sign that he was well-hydrated) so nutritionally, he was energized but sadly, his muscles were not liking the all day exercising. Karel was unable to keep the rhythm that he felt was good in the first 9-10 miles and for the rest of the run, it was all mental.

Karel was in 4th place in his AG and battling with a lot of demons in his head and in his body. Although he could have been satisfied with 4th, I knew his European mindset would not be happy with 4th place as technically, 4th place is not "podium" per European standards. His legs were fatiguing with every step and his mind was telling him to shut it down and just lay in the grass and go to sleep. Karel let his thoughts rant through his brain until finally, he had no more  negative thoughts and he simply became numb inside - he put one foot in front of the other and told himself that all the pain will be over when he got to the finish line. Quitting, stopping or slowing down was not an answer.

As Karel ran out of town for his second loop, he looked great on the downhill. A big part of me wanted to believe that he was just hurting from the hill because let's be honest, who ever feels good on an uphill?? After Karel passed by, I stuck close to the tracker and saw that somewhere on River Road, he was getting closer to the 3rd place male. I could see that Karel was not slowing down as the 3rd place male was slowing down. Karel said that when he saw the guy ahead of him stopping at an aid station and grabbing his quads, Karel felt a burst of energy, proudly pumped out his chest and ran by him as if he was just starting the run. Of course, Karel had nothing left inside of him but that simple pass gave him a tiny ounce of energy to keep digging deep to the finish.

Once Karel passed mile 20, his legs started to buckle. Karel was forced to walk as he no longer could get his mind to work with his body. Karel is no stranger to walking as he doesn't view it as failing so he walked the big hill into town (being passed by older women running by him - Karel made note to tell me this :) and finally managed to dig deep for the last 2 miles to the finish. Oh how cruel to run uphill, see the finish and then run out of town for 2 more miles! I saw Karel around mile 24 as I was cheering with Trimarni athletes Ariel and Stephanie and I gave him a huge cheer as I could tell he was suffering so much and he was so ready to get the pain overwith at the finish.  

I made my way to the finish chute and I must say, it was rather quiet. According to the tracker, Karel was in the top 15 overall amateur males so the finish line was a bit empty, for each athlete to enjoy. 

I was so excited to finally see Karel and SO relieved that he made it to the finish line. After all that he went through going into this race, all that he suffered with during the race and all that he has been able to accomplish and overcome since his first Ironman, in Lake Placid, in 2013, I knew this finish meant a lot to him. 

Karel was able to fist pump across the finish line but not too long later, he collapsed into the arms of the volunteers (oh the volunteers - they are amazing!) and he was put into a wheelchair as he was rolled to the medical tent.

With this being the first time that Karel was in the medical tent, I wasn't sure what to think about the situation. Of course, my first thought was "I hope it isn't life threatening." I was standing with Ariel and Stephanie at the finish and told them to head back out on the course to cheer for the other athletes as I went to the athlete medical information booth just outside of the finish line area.

I was able to speak to one lady of the medical staff (who was so nice and attentive) as I waited outside of the transition area and after she checked on Karel (I had to give her his athlete number), she told me that he was not looking good and that he appeared to be dehydrated and he was not talking and he was unable to speak or open his eyes. For some reason, I was not freaking out. This is not like me as I am a very sensitive person and certainly, I care about Karel as he is my world. But for some reason, I felt in my heart that he was going to be ok.

As I sat outside of the transition area for a good 30+ minutes, waiting for the medical staff lady to give me more information, I was anxious to see Karel, to make sure that he was ok and to give him the news that he was 3rd in his AG. So long as his health wasn't compromised, I knew that he would be thrilled with his podium performance. 

Eventually, after over an hour of waiting outside for Karel, the lady told me that he was not dehydrated and didn't need an IV (he only lost 3 lbs from pre/post race). She told me he was just exhausted and he was finally able to talk and drink some chicken broth. He was still unable to stand up on his own as his blood pressure was a little wonky and his quads were not working but finally, she let me inside of the transition area to see Karel. Although they typically do not allow this, she said that I had been waiting for long enough and perhaps by Karel seeing me, she thought that this may help Karel.

After 11 Ironman's, I have never been inside a medical tent before and have never had an IV after a race so I wasn't sure what to expect inside of the tent. There was a lot going on inside the tent (even though there were not a lot of athletes in the tent at that point) and I finally made my way to Karel, who was sipping chicken broth from a straw in a cup and laying on a cot, with about 5 volunteer medical staff around him. After talking to Karel for a good 10 minutes or so (this is 60+ minutes after he finished), he finally felt like he could try to stand up. It took 3 people to help Karel up as his quads were buckling under him but he was finally able to put weight on his legs and hobble his way out of the medical tent. 

At this point, Karel was ready for some food in his belly. We walked over to the food area and Karel sat down in a chair as I got him some french fries from the food tent. Of course, me being the sport RD that I am, had a backpack full of post-race eats for Karel - a spicy ginger drink (which is in the above picture - no, it's not a beer - Karel gave up beer in January of this year and hasn't had one since), some candy and saltine crackers. Although Karel enjoyed the ginger drink, the salty/fatty fries hit the spot. 

It wasn't too long later that Karel finally started to look, talk and act more normal - although he was moving slow. He picked up his gear bags and bike and we made our way back to the house so that Karel could clean up so that we could cheer for the rest of the Trimarni athletes. 

Campy was so excited to see his daddy and Karel was also happy to get a few kisses from Campy. There's nothing like the unconditional love from a doggy. 

After cheering for the athletes for a little bit, Karel started to get a bit more hungry. Around 8pm, we walked across the street to Lisa G's (pet friendly outside on the patio) so that Karel could fill his empty belly. Karel really wanted a burger and soup, which both hit the spot. However, Karel could only manage to eat about 3 bites of his burger until he felt full. Don't worry, the burger didn't go to waste as Karel finished it off around 3am when the post-race insomnia hit him hard. 

After a restless night of sleeping for Karel (Campy and I slept great!), we made our way to the award ceremony. Karel couldn't believe that on a day when he felt empty (almost all day) that his mind would win over his body to give him a podium slot and a slot to Kona. 

Because we decided early on this year that Karel would race IM Chattanooga for IM Kona 2018, Karel let his slot roll down. 

The roll down slot could not have been more special as Karel's friend, from Czech Republic, earned his first slot to Kona. Roman finished 6th AG (40-44) and broke 10 hours for the very first time - after just starting the sport 3 years ago! This was also Roman's first trip to the US! Karel served as Roman's translator throughout the week and helped him register for Kona (by translating). Karel was thrilled that his friend Roman earned a slot to Kona. 

Not only do I want to give a HUGE congrats to the Trimarni athletes who finished Ironman Lake Placid (Heidi, Adam, Chris, Michela) but I also want to congratulate my long-time nutrition athlete Christine for placing 1st AG and earning a slot to Kona. 

I must mention that Christine worked hard on her nutrition (daily and sport) for the past few months so that she could complete IM Lake Placid.......as the oldest female finisher of the day in the 70-74 age group! Talk about an inspiration! 

Christine declined her slot to Kona so that she can focus on the IM 70.3 World Championship in September. 

Karel and I would like to say thank you for reading this race report and for all of the cheers/support via email, text, phone and social media. We appreciate the support and we hope that we can continue to inspire you to work hard and to never stop believing in yourself.

As Karel always says, "the only bad race is the one that you don't learn anything from." Karel learned a lot from this race and even though he told me in the medical tent that he "never wants to do another Ironman again" because he thinks he is just too old for this sport, he is recovering a bit more every day and he once again has a fire inside his body to work hard to see what he is capable of achieving before the day comes when he can no longer do what he can do with his body. 

-----------------------------------------

A BIG thank you to our 

2017 Trimarni sponsors and affiliates:

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

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

IM Lake Placid - behind the scenes part II (Race day)

As athletes, we have a few ways of defining a great performance. 

Often times, it is a time goal that signifies that one race was better than another race. 

Certainly, chasing a time goal is doable when it comes to the shorter distance races because much of the race performance is based on effort, good luck and the ability to push hard.
Of course, sometimes a longer/short swim course, tough course or weather can slightly affect the overall time but in short distance racing, athletes often find it easy to chase a time goal and often times, can train and race hard enough to beat that goal. 

As for the longer races, there is so much out of our control on race day that it is a disservice to the human body to chase a time. Sure, it can be done and sometimes it is doable but in the case of racing for 140.6 miles, the time on a piece of paper doesn't tell the entire race story. 

Athletes often get frustrated if a time is slow on paper in a long distance race. Well let me tell you that only YOU as the athlete can tell your race story. The piece of paper (or internet/live streaming) does not tell what you actually had to do to get that time....regardless if the time is fast, slow, good or bad. 

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, it was a special experience to be with our athletes on race day. It's always special to share first Ironman experiences with our athletes (as we often do at IMFL each year) but with several of our athletes racing IM Lake Placid, we had the unique opportunity to see our athletes in action. If our athletes were chasing a time goal, we could  have easily sat at home and tracked our athletes to see if the time was achieved after 140.6 miles of racing. 

But that's not why our athletes train. 

Our athletes train for success. And sometimes success is found by having a great day and other times a successful performance is one in which you have to overcome obstacles, adjust the plan and dig really, really deep to finish.

All of our athletes (including Karel - who raced only the swim and bike...more on that soon) had a successful day. It may not have been the day that they envisioned but that's all part of the fun of being a long distance athlete. If you can't handle the unknowns and uncontrollables that happen during a 140.6 mile, all day event, then long distance racing is probably not the best event for your body and mind.

It is a special gift to call yourself a long distance athlete and I firmly believe that to be a successful long distance athlete, you don't need to be fast or chase a time goal but instead, be the smartest athlete you can be on race day. 

Our Trimarni athletes (and friend Chris) got up around 3:15am on race day morning. I woke up around 4am. Although my athletes don't mind me around, I didn't feel they needed their coach and dietitian with them at 3:30am as they were getting into the zone. 

Around 4:45am, Campy and I drove the guys a few blocks down the road by the oval (next to Crown Plaza) so that they didn't have to walk and sent my good luck vibes to the guys before heading back to our house. The atmosphere in our house was very calm and there was a lot of positive energy in the house, which was nice. 

The other ladies in the house (and my mom) walked down to the race around 4:30am and then I walked myself down after I returned the car and dropped off Campy (it was early for him so he had no trouble going back to bed). 

We met up with our group down by the water after transition closed at 6am. 

There was open water swim time available for the athletes at 6-6:30am so after the guys lubed and suncreened their bodies, it was time for a quick pic before saying "See you at the finish line!"

Thank you Xterra Wetsuits for sponsoring the Trimarni team!! Our athletes just LOVE the comfort and speed that comes with their Xterra wetsuits

It's been a while since my mom has seen me race in an IM (last race was Kona 2011) so it was great to have her at the venue to watch Karel's 114.4 mile race (this was the first time she saw Karel race in an Ironman). She is a great spectator and sherpa. She was out all day cheering for everyone!
It's not the same without my dad being present with us but we always feel like he is watching us on race day. 

Aside from this amazing race venue, I just LOVE the rolling start at IM Lake Placid. It took about 20 minutes for everyone to get in the water but with the self seeding based on anticipated swim times (ex. 1:05-1:10, 1:10-1:20, etc.), it made for a very smooth start to the race. 

The water was calm and the weather was perfect. Although it did sprinkle on us spectators near the end of the swim, it wasn't too hot or too cold in the morning. Of course, the weather always changes in the mountains. 

Love swimming in Mirror Lake!

At 6:30am, the athletes were off, starting with the sub 1-hour swimmers.
All of our athletes did great in this 2 loop (get out of the water for a few seconds) course. I managed to squeeze my way to the barricades after the swim suit peelers so I could cheer for our athletes after they exited the swim. 

Because I didn't know exactly where our athletes started, I wasn't sure on their swim times.
Karel was the first from our group out of the water and my watch said 1:07....well, he ended up swimming 1:05 which is a GREAT time for him (and a PR swim)!!
Looks like I need to step up my game because as I try to drop seconds as a life long swimmer, Karel is dropping minutes as a newer swimmer!

I cheered for Adam, Joe, Heidi and Mike (I missed Chris somehow) and everyone had a great swim to start the day. 

I knew that once our group was out on the bike, everyone would feel more relaxed. 

The temps were in the 60's and there was cloud  cover when the athletes got on their bikes so that was a good start to their day. 

After our crew was on the bike, I walked back to the rental home (it took about 20-25 minutes) to eat breakfast #2 and to track our athletes. 

As an Ironman spectator, you have to do a lot of math to anticipate when your athlete may arrive in the case of a two loop course. I figured that if Karel had a great day on the bike, it would be safe to arrive around 2:20 on the bike. So with a 1:07 swim (chip time 1:05) plus transition time (in this race, the transition is quite long so a 5+ minute T1 time is normal), I was thinking that I had 3.5 hours before I would see him (or around 10am). 

Well, as I was chillin with Campy (who was exhausted from his early wake-up call), I started to get a bit worried I would miss him so around 9am, I headed out on my bike (with my Oakley backpack filled with snacks and my running shoes) with my cycling shoes and helmet on (as well as yoga pants and a tank) to ride toward River Road to catch everyone on 86 as they were making their way up from Wilmington before climbing "the Bears."

It took me a while to get to River Road as I took some back roads to avoid traffic and closed roads. I got a little worried that I was cutting it short so when I got to River Road, I put myself in TT position (note to self: next time don't wear yoga pants on the bike, wear cycling shorts!) and pushed hard for 4+ miles. 

When I finally got to River Road, I saw 2 guys pass by and I hoped I didn't miss Karel. I put my run shoes on and leaned my bike against the railing on the side of the road and got my phone camera ready. 

And just a few minutes later...there was Karel!!! 

I acted as if I had been waiting there for forever :) 

Now let me tell you how awesome it was to have so many sherpa's on the course. We had my mom at the rental home tracking the guys and Taylor, Erin and Erica were by the oval. My mom would text me when the guys reached 44 miles (timing mat point) and then I would text Taylor when I saw one of our  athletes. 

After I saw Joe and Adam, I biked my way up the climbs to the cheering section at "Papa Bear" and then cheered for Heidi and Mike. 

I was so happy to see all of our athletes on loop 1 of the bike before I made my way back to the rental home. 

Taylor did an amazing job capturing some great action pics of everyone! 

                           

Our athletes were easy to spot on the course in their Custom Canari Trimarni outfits. 

Here is what everyone was wearing (which they had all practiced in their race day outfits several times, especially during this mini "training camp" which we have them do 4 weeks out from race day):
Karel - Kona edition short sleeve tri suit
Joe - Green short sleeve tri suit
Adam - Green tri top and tri bottoms
Mike - Green cycling bibs and cycling jersey (changed into tri shorts and tri top for the run)

Heidi - Pink run top and tri shorts

Apparently, Karel forgot that he was racing in an Ironman and took the section around the oval and behind transition as if it was a crit course. I think he gave the volunteers a bit of a heart attack feeling as he was flying around the corners and barely touching his breaks down the hills behind transition area. Needless to say, the situation was a bummer that Karel made the decision not to run off the bike but he had a lot of fun riding and pushing hard on the bike. 

I was tracking everyone back at the house and my plan was to drive and drop off the girls and my mom on the run course (around mile 1.5) by taking some back roads after Karel finished the bike (since the rest of our group would arrive at least 15-20 minutes behind Karel). 

As I was tracking Karel, I noticed that one of his bike segments was very slow so I thought that maybe he got a flat tire (even though he can change one very quickly). As always, I wouldn't know the real story until I heard from Karel so I waited and waited and waited and while watching the live feed of Bike entry on Ironman.com, I saw Karel arrive into transition. 

It was sad to see him just walk to the side and not run to the changing tent. With Karel hurting his foot 8 weeks prior to Placid, he did everything he could to believe that he would be able to race in Placid. Although Karel is still planning to race in Kona (and run), Placid was Karel's A-race where he wanted to place top three overall. It is the perfect course for him and he was in great shape to do so. However, part of being an athlete is learning how to overcome tough situations and I am certain that with this being Karel's first injury (in cycling racing, the only times that Karel was hurt was when he was stuck in a crash), this was and has been a very tough time for both of us. Injuries are no fun and it's easy to make the wrong decisions which can delay healing. Not running off the bike was a hard decision for Karel but the right one. It would have been just too risky to take the chance to run in Placid and to possibly not race in Kona. 

Thanks Trimarni athlete Dan for this great pic!

So now a behind the scenes moment (actually two of them!):
When Karel returned home (he had his run shoes in T2 so he could walk home after he turned in his chip) from his 114.4 mile "race", I wasn't sure what emotions Karel would be feeling. I stayed at home hoping to see Karel before I headed out to cheer for our athletes on the run. 

Karel said he was riding behind/with Dave Mirra (former Pro BMX racer turned triathlete) on the second loop as Karel was moving his way up in the field of top male athletes (no pro athletes at this race).  Dave was hauling a$$ according to Karel. As Dave and Karel were riding on the first turn around on the second loop, they spotted a male athlete who was passed out, lying on the ground - he was one of the guys in front of Karel on the bike. 

Karel said he thought he was 8th overall at that point and was continuing to move himself up. Karel and Dave stopped to help the guy on the ground and Karel told Dave to continue on with the race since he wasn't running and he would wait until help arrived.

After Karel got back on the bike, he had a hard time getting his rhythm back after the long stop. His body was cramping from the stop and it was a tough effort to get himself back to the transition area.

Karel said he waited about ten minutes for the ambulance to come. He was very happy with his swim and was on course to ride around five hours which he was also happy about.
With his long stop, Karel rode 5:16 (21.24 mph average) and moved himself up to 2nd place AG and I think top 10 overall. Karel said if he was racing the run, he would not have biked as hard as he did.

It's a bummer that Karel couldn't run but Karel's ability to remove himself from competition to help out another athlete was very thoughtful.
In the end, Karel was happy with his decision not to run, even though it was a very hard one to make before the race and even in the moment during the race. 

With one of our cheering sections down by the ski jump on the run course (great sign Erin!!), Karel and I walked toward the "climb" back into town to wait for our athletes. 

Dave Mirra having fun out there!

Since our athletes had already made their way out on the run course, Karel and I heard from Erica (Joe's wife) who told us that she talked to Adam (who was out on the run course) and said the he saw Joe walking his bike after he got two flat tires. Uggh. Joe was in a great place physically and mentally for this race (his 2nd IM distance and first Mdot IM race). 

Finally, Joe finished the bike so we were relieved that he was ok. He ended up getting a flat early in the race and quickly fixed it with a gel wrapper to "seal" the hole in the tire. However, Joe got another flat and it nearly shredded his tire so there was no way to fix the flat. Joe was in the moment and started walking and removed his bike shoes because it was hurting his knees. We don't encourage our athletes to ever walk with their bike but instead, just wait until help arrives.
Joe finally got help from bike tech support and they gave Joe a new tire so he could get back into town. Despite the major setback, Joe still started the run. 

However, by the time he was heading back into town around mile 10 or so, he told his wife Erica that he was ready to quit. His feet were hurting so bad (from the walking on the hot pavement with his bike) and he wanted to just call it a day and save his performance for Beach to Battleship Ironman in November (which he is registered for). 

Karel and I didn't know that Joe wanted to turn in his chip so we were just cheering for our other athletes as we waited to see Joe to hear the full run down.
It was so awesome to be on the "climb" into town because we knew our athletes needed us at that point. It's a heartbreak of a hill in that it is long and then there are still ~2 more miles of running before making the descend and then running 2 miles toward River Road (which is a lonely road of 4 miles out and 4 miles back before heading back into town, climbing back up to town and then 2 miles before reaching the finish on the second loop). 

Heidi was looking SO strong!!! She had to adjust her plan/approach a bit due to the heat - as it was hot and getting hotter out there but she always looked so strong and her form was amazing!) 

Before we saw Joe, Erica gave us a call and told us that Joe wanted to quit because his feet were hurting so bad. 

Karel and I talked about the situation and we both came to the conclusion (it was not a hard decision) that we did not want Joe to quit. It is so easy to just say "there will be another race" but not always is it that easy to get the body and mind ready for another Ironman (even if the race is on the race schedule already). Joe invested too much time, effort and money into this race and although his feet were hurting, he was still able to keep good form and his overall fitness was there. 

He was in a very, very low spot so when we saw him, we gave him a little talk that he had two options. He could wait for Trimarni athlete Mike and run/walk with him or he could get some attention at medical if it was available at special needs or at one of the aid stations to take care of his feet.
Joe was ok with both of the options but certainly it took him a few miles to go from the mindset of "I'm quitting at mile 13" to "I still have 13 more miles to go." 

These are the moments when sometimes we need others to help make decisions for us as athletes. Sometimes the right call is to quit but in this case for Joe, quitting was not an option. Just because your day is not going as planned, if health is not compromised, you have to find your why as to why you won't give up. 

Whew....being a coach is hard work! 

Trimarni athlete Adam was having one amazing first IM experience. Karel and I did some math and with Adam feeling so good, we gave him a little extra motivation that if he could run sub 2:20 for the next 13.1 miles (for his second loop), he could break 12 hours which was one of his race goals. 

The funny thing is that Adam's watch stopped working in the first loop so he had no concept of paces or even his overall time. But he didn't let that get to him. And even though his longest training run was 14 miles (which was on purpose), he was still in-tune with his body and running with great form. 

Adam accepted the challenge and we purposely gave him a time goal to keep him digging deep when times got tough in the later miles. 

Another first timer Ironman - Mike - was hanging in there. He had plenty of reasons to not give up and he really stayed determined for all of the run. It was so great to see his awesome body in action! 

Energy break!! Ice cream for Karel.....

Then pizza!! (sadly, the beer had to come later the next day as Karel was out and about for the rest of the day Sunday cheering for our athletes). 

Once again, it was great to have so many Trimarni sherpas on the course. My mom would text me when they saw an athlete and Karel and I would be ready by the climb. 

When all of our athletes were on the 2nd loop, Karel and I started to make our way back to town, near the finish line. We figured that Adam would be in first around 12 hours and as we were sitting on a curb, we saw Adam...wow, he was WAY under 12 hours!!!!

Karel and I made our way inside the oval and nearly 20 minutes under our anticipated finish time for first-time Ironman athlete Adam, there he was!!! Not only did Adam have one amazing race but he ran a 3:55 marathon (his fast marathon ever!) with no watch and a long run of 14 miles!! 

Way to go ADAM!!! Finish time 11:41.23!

Then it was time for Heidi to make her way in. This was her 10th Ironman so experience was in full force as she knew how to adjust her plan with the warm temps and a few minor tummy grumbles. 

Way to go Heidi!! Finish time 12:35.03!!!

Our Trimarni photographer Taylor finally gets to be on the other side of the camera with her Ironhubby Adam!! 

YAY!! You are an Ironman Adam! (And love how the coke says Superstar!)

We waited on the grass for a little bit before Karel and I headed back out on the course to bring in Joe. Nearly 5 hours on this feet after being out on the bike course 1+ hours more than planned.....it was finally time for Joe to finish his day. He absolutely earned his Ironman medal!! 

With good reason, Joe was disappointed but in the end, it was the right decision to keep on going even though it took Joe 13 hours and 16 minutes. The easy decision is always to give up when times are tough and Joe fought through and overcame the obstacles in his way.  

And the best part is that after he took care of himself and got his mind into a better place (which as we all know, isn't easy when you are racing and in the moment), he ran strong for the last 10 miles and averaged around 9:14-9:21 (with walk breaks)! Way to go Joe - we are so proud of you for finishing!

Karel and I had one more athlete to bring home and we were so excited for Mike to become an Ironman for the very first time!!! 14 hours and 4 minutes later....Mike heard the words he had been wanting to hear for the past year......Mike - you are an Ironman!!!! 

After all of our athletes (and our friend Chris) crossed the finish line, we all headed back to our rental home. I just love the post-race talk where everyone tells their stories and we (coaches) finally get to hear the inside details. 

Much later that evening (around 10:30pm), our athletes went out to celebrate and by 11pm, Karel and I were passed out in bed, exhausted from all the excitement and emotions. 

So there you have it. The inside details and behind the scene moments of racing for 140.6 miles.
It's one thing to see a time on a piece of paper but it isn't until you hear the details from the athlete (or see them in action) that you really understand what happened on race day and what the athlete had to overcome to make it a successful day to earn a finish medal. 

Congrats to everyone who raced IM Lake Placid - it may be a beautiful venue but it is one tough course!

(And a big congrats to IM Lake Placid Trimarni nutrition athletes Meaghan, who placed 5th AG 25-29 and a HUGE PR of 12:03.30 and first time IM athletes Bret, Angelie and Rachel!! Thank you for letting me work with you on your IM and race day fueling.)

IM Lake Placid travel day

Tues morning we were off to Placid. 1100 miles, 2 days and 17 hours in the car, we arrive to Lake Placid!

The drive was long but it was really neat to be able to see so much of the west coast. 

My mom, Karel and I took turns driving and Campy enjoyed the scenery in between mini naps. 

We broke up the drive with a stop in Cross Junction, VA to visit/stay with my Katie Morales who is a professional triathlete and friend of mine. It was nice to spend some time with her parents and husband Chris and sleep in a comfy bed in a house and not in a hotel room. 

We unloaded the car around 4:30pm and when Katie arrived home from work, we all (her parents, my mom, Campy, Karel and me) drove down the community lake for a 30 minute swim. The water was warm and it was so refreshing to be in open water (and in the sun) after a long day of sitting. 

After the swim, it was time to eat and we enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by Katie and her dad of couscous, roasted veggies and potatoes and pork. 

Around 10pm we were ready for bed and it was lights out for an early morning to hit the road. 

At 7:45am, we were off for our  last day of driving. It was a very long drive with a bit of construction traffic on the way to Albany but by 6pm, we were finally in Lake Placid. 

The scenery was unbelievable for the last few hours of our trip.
Campy loves seeing the mountains just as much as we do. 

After we arrived to our rental home just a few blocks from downtown, we were greeted by one of our athletes Mike. When Karel signed up for Lake Placid last year, we had several other athletes who wanted to race as well so we thought it would be fun to have everyone stay in the same house. I rented a 6 bedroom home for everyone to share. 

We were hungry when we arrived despite a day of snacking/eating so we headed down to Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood to enjoy dinner with Mike, his girlfriend Erin, Campy, my mom and Karel.

After most of our crew arrived in the evening, it was time for bed before our first official day in Lake Placid. 

Here are a few pics from our trip.

Campy taking a nap - sitting up. 

Welcome to Virginia!

I'm in no rush to get there. I'll just nap, says Campy. 

A delicious dinner at Katie's house. 

We had a delicious breakfast of homemade granola, fresh fruit and yogurt. 

Food break in NY. I got a salad from Panera - kale and quinoa (minus the chicken to make it Marni-friendly)

Yum!

Campy loves his IM Lake Placid road trip!

Look at those big mountains!

Getting close!!

Even closer!!

Driving up the descend to Lake Placid. 

Those ski jumps are impressive!

Love our kitchen in our  rental home. 

Dinner out in downtown Lake Placid. Karel's plate (fish).

My delicious wheat berry salad. 

Stay tuned for more pics! 

IM Lake Placid new swim start: Thoughts

Ironman Lake Placid (2013) was the first time Karel and I shared an Ironman event together...on the same course. Talk about an emotional day for us both, me competing in my 6th Ironman with Karel on the sidelines for 4 of them (IMFL, IMKY, IMWI, KONA) and now sharing the same course together for his very first 140.6 mile event. I can't believe it was almost a month ago!

My hubby is amazing in many ways and makes my life so much fun (even in the most stressful of times). But if there is one thing I can brag about Karel is that he is one hard worker. Not limited to athletics, instead of complaining about situations, he figures out how to survive with the best effort possible.  

I loved watching Karel in cycling races (cat 1) and always loved to hear about the race afterward for cycling is the type of sport where you never know how the race will turn out until ever rider crosses the finish line. 

Webster Roubaix was one of those races that I remember as a real suffer fest for Karel. Dirt covered roads for 112 miles and far from a casual conversational bike ride with sag stops. 

                                                

When Karel signed up for IM Lake Placid, he knew that he could push when running and that would make him a faster runner. It doesn't work for everyone that way but luckily for Karel, he adapted rather quickly and even surprised himself that he actually liked running training (and not just running for beer at the end...although, the beer is still welcomed to him anytime).

As for swimming, Karel continues to improve in the water but he knows he still has a ways to go to reach his goal of qualifying for Kona as it is a goal for both of us to compete on the big island together. Karel continues to work hard in the water for he is a hard worker who refuses to make excuses for things within his control.

When Karel signed up for Ironman Lake Placid, he was concerned about the mass start and not being able to find his rhythm in the water. For someone who just learned how to swim 13 months ago, this was always on Karel's mind for no matter how strong of a cyclist or runner he was and no matter how much he loves to suffer, push and hurt with training, swimming was of his #1 concern on race day ("just survive") for it is not yet comfortable for him to swim in open water around 2000+ people. I'm sure he is not alone. 

When Karel heard about the new rolling swim start, he was happy. It didn't ruin his first IM experience at all as he prepped for race day. If anything, it was a relief for him mentally. 

For myself, I have done 4 different types of swim starts (IMFL, Kona 2x, IMKY, IMWI) so I accept any challenge at the beginning of the Ironman.. Realizing that in a running race, self seeding (or corrals) allows runners of similar abilities to pace of each other, I gladly welcomed the idea of a new swim start at IM Lake Placid. Although many people did not like the new change, I don't see how a different start with the same distance covered is any different than standing among the masses with a group start, among athletes of varying finishing times. For if a race director is looking for a safe and fun race day experience, who are we as athletes to complain about a change without experiencing it first hand. 

Leading up to the race, as a coach and a wife to a soon-to-be first timer Ironman, it was important to me that my husband, who can suffer harder than anyone I know, was safe and comfortable in the water. 

As silly as it sounds for me to be concerned about my hubby and the 96% of other athletes in Lake Placid who were racing for a finishing line (and not a Kona slot), my only concern about this new swim start was not being able to know where my age group standing was throughout the race. I was fine to self seed and challenge myself among swimmers of a similar ability for I ended up with a PR swim and a 10 min PR for the day (and a Kona slot). The new swim start did not take away my enjoyment for the day and sharing the race course with my hubby and 2500 + athletes. 

I feel as a society, people love to waste energy on uncontrollables and love to voice their opinions when things change. Certainly, freedom of speech is welcomed and often brings good change but many times, it is the opinionated person who is unhappy that ends up putting thoughts in the heads of others and creates an all together negative situation/experience for many. 

I try to surround myself with people who give me energy and not take it away from me. That's why I stay away from forum-reading.

Looking back and thinking about a race/event situation that had me feeling worried before the start (yet still signing up for the challenge) was 6-gap in 2009. I love to climb but I am absolutely terrified of the descends in 6-gap. Hearing the horror stories of riders not being able to manage their bikes on the zig zag descends totally freaked me out but I welcomed the challenge with my some-what ok cycling skills. 

I can only imagine what it would be like if a race started at the top of a mountain and all athletes, of similar abilities started together in a mass start and had a time-cut to get down the mountain. I'm sure for many, myself included, would struggle with this start but somehow we'd all find a way to get to the bottom (hopefully safely) to receive our finisher medal and t-shirt. A race director can not stop athletes from racing based on skills but instead provide the best situation for every athlete to have a safe and fun experience. 

The Ironman is not for everyone but it is for the ordinary person who wants to do something extraordinary. It takes a lot of commitment, time and money and certainly a lot of training. I find that for many athletes, training is rushed and athletes need more than a year to prepare. As for Karel, since his body only allowed him to finish in 13th place at his first IM (10:03 - which is still amazing and he is happy), his goal is to qualify for Kona 2015 which means an entire year to work on his skills in the water and to learn how to be a smarter triathlete. For us, this is a lifestyle and not something that we need to rush or to take over our life (and disposable income). 

When I was contacted by Ironman to write about my experiences with the new Ironman Lake Placid swim start, I was excited to share my perspective as a coach and athlete. For my philosophy with life is to keep things balanced with diet and exercise and to live a quality filled life. 

I feel that in order to live a great life, we must spend our energy wisely. Just like I don't waste my energy discussing diet fads or trends or do give-a-ways or discuss products that I don't personally use or believe in, I felt that the best perspective I could offer to others with my article was to give others a better understanding of what the Ironman is all about...in 600 words or less. 

When my article Ironman Lake Placid Swim Start  was shared on Ironman.com I re-read it to Karel and he loved it. We discussed the article when it was in the works and I really valued Karel's perspective as a first-timer. However, when article was posted on the Ironman facebook page, I read a mix of positive and negative comments. I was not surprised by any of the comments except for one which talked about my piece being a "PR piece for Ironman and that it is all about the money". 

My friend and editor Jennifer approached me with the piece by asking:

"What did you like? How was it different? How did it affect your overall race, and feeling about your performance? What are the benefits? Did it change your training?"

A few weeks after writing my 2.4 mile race report from Lake Placid, I gathered the thoughts in my head to be put on paper as to how I wanted to write this article. I was never forced by Ironman to say anything positive about the swim, just like Ironman does not force me or anyone to sign up for Iroman-branded events. I have had amazing experiences at every Ironman-branded event I have attended and because of Ironman (corporation), I get the opportunity to discover  new cities/states with my family and friends and even compete at the World Championship in Kona Hawaii! There aren't too many sports that have the opportunity for adults to compete at a national or world event. Thanks to USA triathlon and the largest growing sport (triathlons) many of us have the opportunity to dream big with a safe and fun venue to do it in (with amazing spectators, race directors and volunteers)

I did not have to write this blog today in reference to my recent article on Ironman Lake Placid Swim Start . As a writer on various websites and in magazines, I realize that no matter how I say something, there will always be happy and unhappy people with very strong opinions either way.

I hope that through my article and my blog, I can continue to inspire others to dream big, to not sweat the small stuff and to make the most of your days, months and years here on Earth.

Happy swimming and don't worry, be happy.

Looking forward to buckling-up for my 3rd Kona Mass swim start in October!

Ironman Lake Placid RR: 140.6 miles post race

(Photo from Megan Wiseman - 3rd place)

It's been two weeks since Ironman Lake Placid and thankfully, the body remembers nothing of the race. 

                       

But because there has been minimal working out and no structured training for the past 14 days, there hasn't been a chance for the body to notify me of any residual micro tears in my muscles and fibers that would cause me to experience lingering fatigue, soreness, burnout and aches post Ironman. Now I will say, 6th time around, I am very in-tune with my body after racing for 140.6 miles and knowing what to do post race is just as important as considering what not to do post race.
Here is how the exercise routine looked for the past two weeks, with no structure or alarms to tell me that I had to do something. Everything felt good when I did it and I stopped when I wanted to stop.
Mon - Wed post race: nothing
Tues post race: Walking around on Whiteface mountain for an hour
Thurs - 45 min swim
Fri - 45 min Swim
Sat and Sun - 2 hour road bike, EZ spin
Mon - 45 min swim + light core/hip work
Tues - 1:45 road bike, EZ spin
Wed - 45 min swim + hip work

Thurs - 45 min run (5 min walk on incline 5% @3.5mph, 5 min running @ 6.5 mph (ran by feel) w/ no incline. Repeated this 4 times for a total of 20 minutes of running + 5 min walk cool down. 3.5 miles total, no soreness, fatigue or issues before, during or after the run or the next day. 

Fri - 20 min swim
Sat - 2.5 hour social ride w/ my friend Heidi
Sun (today) - plan is 1.5 hour bike + 30 min run (1 mile run + 1-2 min walk). Not a "brick" but just using the bike to warm-up my legs

Mon - back to training, easing in slowly with 9 weeks until the 2013 Ironman World Championship.

After I crossed the finish line and fell into the arms of two amazing volunteers (who were strong enough to catch me and my jello legs), and they asked me if I needed medical.
My reply in a joking manner "No, I'm ok. I'm just tired because I did an Ironman!"

They laughed and asked me what I wanted/needed. 

My reply "I need to find my husband, he just did his first Ironman."

And there he was, right in front of me. With his Mylar blanket keeping his body temperature warm after taking a dip in Mirror Lake to rinse off all the gels, sport drinks and sweat from his first-timer Ironman body, Karel gave me a big hug and said "WOW - you did awesome babe!" 

The first thing I asked him was "How was your race?"
Such a funny question since we were both on the course together and saw each other several times on the bike and the run, but never did I guess, think or wonder what Karel's finishing time would be. 

He replied "10:03"

I couldn't believe it. I kept telling him that was so amazing and he told me he was really happy and proud. The best part of it all was when Karel was running down the finishing chute and heard Mike R. call his name as a first timer from Jacksonville, Florida, Karel said he got emotional as he has been anticipating this day without knowing how the day would ever turn out. I was so happy that he experienced that finishing line to the fullest because that is what the Ironman is all about. 140.6 miles and no matter how the race goes, it is all turned around in those last few tenths of a mile as you approach the finishing line as a member of a special group of individuals who can officially call themselves "Ironman finisher". 

As I hobbled my way with the volunteers to some chairs, I noticed there were a lot of guys around me and many who were making their way to the medical tent. I couldn't take in any solid food as usual, only water. 

After Karel told me about his race, I managed to look at Garmin for the first time in the history file and after switching over from swim, to bike, to run, I told Karel that I ran a 3:48 marathon! I couldn't believe it! Of course, this is after I told him that it was the hardest run of my life, I had to sprint to the finishing line and I am not sure if I am 4th of 5th (if I will get a Kona slot but I may have a chance), my quads were burning the entire race and I really dug deep to finish strong.  I kept looking at my watch as I read 

"10:43, 140.6 miles."

It's funny that in an Ironman, you can go into the race with your current level of fitness and anticipate a finishing time. But the only thing that is certain is how many miles you have to cover until you get your finisher medal, hat and t-shirt. Never can you chase a time for 140.6 miles is a long way to go.

For Karel, his two goals were to qualify for Kona and to break 10 hours. Of course, big goals for your first Ironman. Karel and myself are motivated by our goals and we love to put in the work for them in a balanced way so that are action plan has results. I would never tell Karel or any of my athletes to not dream big, even if the goal is not possible at this point in time. The key is making sure that your goal/dream motivates you but does not distract you from enjoying the journey. Karel never put too much pressure on himself that he would need to compare himself to the crazy fast guys in his 35-39 age group (with only 6 Kona slots) who can swim, bike and run their way to a sub 9:30 Ironman or that he would hate his training because he can't get faster quick enough. What Karel experienced with the Ironman journey is that his body only let him do so much throughout training and he was only allowed to accept his current level of fitness within 24 hours of the race and what he could do to execute a strong, well-paced race. He did just that and without taking too many risks, he is motivated to improve his swim and to learn to be a faster triathlete.
Never would I want anyone to not dream big but at the end of the day, your race day performance is not titled good or bad just because of a finishing time. After sitting around in the finisher area for a good 15 minutes until my body felt semi-OK to take a picture ...

I told Karel, just like I did at IMWI when I crossed the line in 4th place, 90 seconds behind 3rd place and only 3 Kona slots again, that I was so happy with my performance that I wouldn't care about not getting a Kona slot. I did exactly what I trained myself to do and that was to race a strong race. You never know how the cards will be dealt on race day and when things are going well, I recognize them and don't expect things to go even better. Sure, I got ran down by many girls but I was racing a strong race for me and my body and that was worth celebrating.

Toughness comes from overcoming personal limits, obstacles and doubts. You have to argue against the internal voices in your head that scream at you to slow down. Your body gives you feedback that you are not able to maintain this effort to the finish line and that your energy levels are falling. No one but yourself can experience these feelings and no one but you can overcome them.....unless you choose to give in to the pain.

No matter the distance of your upcoming race, how you choose to execute the race or your finishing time, you are a tough, strong athlete because you have prevented barriers which would have stopped you from reaching the finish line and have shut-up the thoughts that tell you it is not possible.

After grabbing our phones from our transition bags and getting our bikes, I checked my phone in my pre race gear bag and was overwhelmed by the messages from our friends and family. Absolutely shocked is a better way to put it as I couldn't believe how many people tracked us throughout the day. Deep inside, I think I heard everyone so we thank you!!

We got on our bikes and painfully (ouch!) rode our bikes 3 miles down the road to our cottage while cheering for the athletes on the course. And this is why I love the Ironman...athletes still with over 13 miles to go on the run and they are congratulating us for our accomplishment. Just amazing!

When we arrived home, we both collapsed on separate beds and chatting with our families. Karel's family in Czech were tracking us all day and you could only believe how excited his parents were since all they knew of Karel was him as a cyclist. 

I took a cold epson salt bath and spent some time dealing with my tummy post race (nothing abnormal) and finally managed to get in some nutrition - pretzels, fruit, glass of milk, leftover small slice of pizza.

I packed some pringles, tums and saltines for later as well as 1 FIZZ in my water to replenish electrolytes. 

Nearing 10:30pm and completely exhausted, sore and aching all over, it was time to head back to the race to cheer on the last hour of finishers. 

It was dark on River Road and on our bikes, pedaling super duper slowly, we cheered for the athletes and told them we expect to see them at the finish line when we get there. Volunteers still on the course, it was all becoming so real that we really just did an Ironman together!

We met Laura and her boyfriend and family at her place and I could finally congratulate her for her amazing first timer 6th place age group finish and we all walked to the finish line for my favorite part of the Ironman..the last hour. 

Thank you again for all your support, cheers and kind words over the past two weeks.

I look forward to sharing my 7th Ironman journey with everyone.....starting tomorrow!

Ironman Lake Placid RR: 26.2 mile run

(source)

I wish there was a way to make the Ironman Lake Placid run course come to life as it was not easy and this profile does not do this course any justice. When a race director tells you that if this was a standard marathon, no one would sign up, you know you are in for a fun day if you signed up for a challenge. Oh - I have an idea. Take a hammer, start banging it on your quads and then when you can't take the pain anymore, keep doing it until you see a finish line in front of you with permission to stop the torture. Now you can feel what this course is like. Only kidding....well, not really. 

There are great runners and then there are great triathletes. To be a great triathlete, you must be able to execute with your swim-bike-run body and have the mental strength to quite the voices in your head that make you think a million things besides the feeling of "easy" on race day. Regardless of your prior fitness as a triathlete, when you plan to complete an Ironman, your body must be trained to go the distance. Your heart has to be strong enough to stay elevated for a certain amount of time and all organs and metabolic processes must be nourished, hydrated and healthy to go that extra mile...or 140.6. But more than anything, you have to want it. You have to know how to manage negative thoughts and bottle the positive ones. You have to answer the many why's that circle through your mind as to what you are choosing to do on this very special day. And most importantly, you have to check your ego at the door for the Ironman cares only about your ability to manage the controllables on race day and how you overcome the uncontrollables on race day. 

With only two "long" runs in my legs (13 and 15 miles off a 2 hour bike) in the past 10 weeks prior to race day due to our 10-day May trip to Czech as well as three months of no running due to my hip/back issues, I was relying on experience for this Ironman. I know I can do the distance and I reminded myself that in training that I can only race with my current level of fitness. I didn't need to prove anything to myself in training but instead, save my best effort for race day. You can only imagine the thoughts in my head as to me thinking I was not ready for this race but as I approached race day, I searched really hard for the one and only reason why it may all work. 

Patience. 

I stuck to my strategy of run/walk, knowing that that was how I trained my body and that is how my body would perform the best on race day. Kendra (2nd amateur) ran past me on River rd and she encouraged me to go with her. She was in my age group and I knew she would run me down and fly right by me but her encouraging words were great but I had to turn down the offer and tell her to run strong without me.

After a PR swim and one of my best executed 112 mile rides on a very challenging course, all I had in front of me was 26.2 miles of running. However, with my quads screaming at me for 25 of those miles, I had over 3.5 hours to remind myself how much I love what my body allows me to do. Not always does my body corporate and I have to accept that. Racing the Ironman distance is a gift and I never take that for granted. I love to push my body but it doesn't always respond the way I imagine and that's just part of the journey. I believe that the Ironman is a special event in that only the athlete can figure out how to get to the finishing line. Fatigue is going to be your #1 enemy on race day but without good mental strength, nutrition and pacing, there can be a lot more problems than your muscles getting tired. 

As I approached the transition tent, I looked around and saw only volunteers. I had the tent to myself and it occurred to me that I was in a great place for a Kona spot. I was aware of some of my competition but of course, I can't predict everyone's race and I can only spend energy on my own. There were very few bikes in the transition area and after an hour of swimming and around 5:45 of biking....it was time to execute my plan. 

I thanked the volunteers after I put on clean socks, my Brooks Launch running shoes, my visor and race belt w/ number and grabbed my two handheld flasks, each with ~150 calories in them (+ 3 gels in my pockets). As I left transition, I saw a mass of spectators and my legs knew it was time to run. I felt great!!

My Garmin 910xt continued to run on multisport zone and I switched over the screen to see the same things I see in training:
Current pace
Lap pace
Current HR
Lap time

I don't know why but when I race, I am always keeping an eye on my time...that is for swim and for bike. I always think about the time of the day and do some math in my head throughout the race as to what time of the day it is (it goes by quickly!) but for some reason, in 5 Ironman's, I have never looked at my watch for my total time or run time. 

In my opinion, the marathon run in an ironman is not to be "raced" for most athletes. It is to be paced in a way that your body resists fatigue as much as possible. I always say that IM racing is not about the fastest athlete but who slows down the least. In my case, I knew what my current level of fitness was going in and that I had endurance. What I didn't have was a few 16 milers that I would have liked to have complete in my training (Even with a healthy body, I do not recommend more than 2.5 hours of running in prep for an IM). But the past was gone and all I could do was to pace myself the best possible and rely on experience and what I know about the Ironman. 

What I know is that when you race an Ironman, you are often handicapped by physical limitations. Not so much by lactic acid being produced as very little of the IM is anaerobic (maybe parts of the swim) but instead, your aerobic capacity is limited by your ability (or lack thereof) to fuel and pace yourself in order to maintain good form and focus throughout 140.6 miles. With 5 Ironmans behind me, I know what it feels like to dig.....really really deep. When the body is hurting so bad and the mind says enough is enough. It's a constant arguement in your mind, over and over for the mind to shut-up about the pain, aches and fatigue and to just let the body do its thing. Amazingly, I have learned that I am only limited by my mind on race day and that is why I never push myself with training through an injury. I LOVE having my mind as my only limiter on race day for I know if I can overcome those thoughts, my body can continue to move forward and that's what the IM is all about. Move yourself mile by mile until you cover 140.6 miles and cross a finishing line. 

As for Karel, this was all new territory for him. But, I had so much confidence in him that he could do it. I just couldn't wait to see him on the course to know that we were going to do this together. 

This is what happens when you do your first IM....you feel GREAT on the first 6 miles....and think this is going to be a walk in the park...

Oh, hello second loop! Karel told me that all he thought about was wanting the run to be over. 

Digging deep....

I So wish I was there to see Karel cross the finish line...almost breaking 10 hours in his first Ironman!

Congrats Karel!!!!
66th overall
13th age group (35-39)
Swim: 1:10:20
Bike: 5:16:26
Run: 3:26:19 (first marathon!)
Total: 10:03:26

Despite the constant ache in my quads....

The doubts in my head....

And the 26.2 miles ahead of me. 

I managed to find that painful place where I could just dig deep and zone out. I was receiving cheers from the crowds (Thank you Ange, Mary, Jennifer, Mike, Duran, Laura and anyone else who cheered) as well as the pro and age group girls who were cheering me on during their race,  as I know they knew that I wanted a Kona slot and I was willing to work hard for it. 

Although I respect the distance, I love to race the Ironman. The course was so beautiful that I tried to enjoy it but it was not as enjoyed as pre race thanks to the emotions and fatigue I was feeling throughout the run. With a mix of walking and running (~11 minutes of total walking when I reviewed my Training Peaks file, with no more than on average, about 20-30 seconds at one time and my longest walk being 43 seconds at mile 15 and 3 walks at mile 22 for a total of 1:30 within that mile) I can't really describe what got me through this run aside from trusting my body that it knew what to do on this day. 

I knew I would not be able to run a "fast" marathon so I decided if I wanted to be in the running (literally) for a Kona spot, I had to run on the hills, walk before I really needed to walk and find a very special reason why I wanted this Kona slot and why all this pain would be worth it. 

With a few miles to go, my body was tired. It was empty despite a perfect fueling strategy and no nutrition issues. I had some coke here and there, I only drank water at the aid stations and I received electrolytes and carbs from my sport drinks and gels. 

The first 6 miles were comfortable, I managed to stay steady. Miles 6-10 were hard. My quads starting to hurt badly from the pounding, likely from the downhills that occurred within the first few miles. Then miles 12 and 13 were fun...hard, but fun as I was craving the cheers from the crowds to give me energy that I didn't have. I am not quite sure when I was passed by Megan (3rd place) but it was somewhere in the first loop. Then as I made my way back down the hills to start the 2nd loop, I knew this was going to be a strong race for me...not for the finishing time that I had no idea of, but instead, because I was actually digging deep when I could easily stop, walk and drop.
I managed to break down each mile just like I do in training and I gave myself my opportunities to walk to shake out my legs and take in nutrition. I then looked forward to running again as I was quickly moving closer to completing this Ironman. No mile was easy but some miles came faster than others. The volunteers were great and with more people on the course for the 2nd loop, I was thankful to be around so many other inspiring athletes reaching the same finishing line.
Every time I walked, I looked behind me. Luckily, no one in sight. I remembered getting passed by a few girls but their bib numbers assured me that they were not in my age group. I was looking for the 600-700 bib numbers as those were my competition for the day.
Passing mile 15 was an exciting time as that was my longest run in training. I welcomed mile 20 because that seems to be the point when you can mentally grasp that you only have a 10K to go. Yes, with 120 miles behind you, only running 6 miles is possible yet still a distant thought with what's to come on the course.
I wanted to see mile 22 so badly as I knew I was on the home stretch. Finally off the painful rollers of river road which was often lonely yet peaceful. Nearing town, my body was talking to me yet I felt like I was still running strong or at least, moving forward (same thing, right? I thought to myself).
I shuffled my way up the hill which supposedly had a 16% grade and then made a left turn to shuffle up another hill to see the chute to the finish, only to make an annoying left turn for 2 more miles which in my mind was just evil with less than 2 miles to go. Uggggg....here I go!!!
With 1 mile to go, I stopped to walk as my legs had nothing. I stopped right in front of the mile 25 sign and just begged my body to hang in there.  After running back up a series of climbs for the second time to get to mile 25, I felt like I had given everything to hold my 4th place position after the bike (being passed twice on the run). Still not knowing the times of others for when they started in the rolling start, I knew that my 4th place position was likely in jeopardy. Three Kona slots for my age group and Katie already receiving her slot at Eagleman. That means 4th place is the "worst" place I can be in with 1 mile to go. Absolutely NO room for error and certainly my decision to walk at mile 25 was on my mind but I had no other choice. 

I made the turn around just over 25 miles and with less than a mile to go, there they were. Jessica and Lesley. I had never met, seen or heard of these girls til the award ceremony but I knew them well enough at the turnaround that they were coming to get me. 

I knew that with the rolling start I would 100% get to race my own race but I wouldn't know when others started and how their finishing times with affect my times (in other words, would I finish ahead of someone to have them bump me out of my place due to me having a faster swim but not a faster bike or run).
They were running fast, almost effortless and I knew it was time. As much as I wanted to cruise the last mile and enjoy my 6th Ironman finishing line...I sprinted as hard as I could, with everything I didn't have. 

It was time....I switched over my Garmin before entering the oval for the last run to the finish line and my clock read 10:40.....OMG!!!
My legs exploded with energy as if I was starting mile 1 of a 5K. Could this really be true? Am I really going to have an almost 10 minute PR? 

Athletes always say at the finish line that there was no possible way that they could have gone an inch further. I completely collapsed at the finishing line but did not need medical attention. I officially gave my body permission to stop. 100% stop. At mile 25, I stopped but had to move forward. 140.6 miles completed in 10 hours and 43 minutes. 

Swim: 1:01.02 (PR)
Bike: 5:46:11 (strong ride on a tough course)
Run: 3:48:36 (PR)
5th age group (30-35)
179 overall 

12th amateur female

A few more pics from friends...thank you!

Oh, and my competition chasing me down.....

4th place (Jessica): 10:43.08
5th place (me): 10:43.14
6th place (Lesley): 10:43:26

Never think about the reasons why it can't work. There will be a reason why it will...you just have to believe in it...or spend 140.6 miles figuring it out.

Kona bound for the 3rd time. Thank you body.

Run splits for me:
8:43 pace, 3:48:36 finish time
Best 3 hours (including walks): 8:37 min/mile pace (20.88 miles)
Best 2 hours (including walks): 8:28 min/mile pace (14 miles)
Best 90 minutes (including walks): 8:29 min/mile pace
Average HR 147

Mile 1: 7:27
Mile 2: 7:48
Mile 3: 7:43
Mile 4: 8:10
Mile 5: 8:00 (started walking here for 20-30 seconds at a time)
Mile 6: 8:18
Mile 7: 8:38
Mile 8: 8:37
Mile 9: 8:56
Mile 10: 9:12
Mile 11: 8:58
Mile 12: 9:13
Mile 13: 8:22
Mile 14: 8:15
Mile 15: 8:40
Mile 16: 8:21
Mile 17: 8:54
Mile 18: 8:45
Mile 19: 9:20
Mile 20: 9:17
Mile 21: 8:53
Mile 22: 9:27
Mile 23: 9:36
Mile 24: 9:21
Mile 25: 9:45
Mile 26: 8:28

(all splits include walk breaks - I reviewed my Training Peaks file to look at my walk breaks and although I started walking around mile 3 or 4, I ended up walking 25 times and from my math guessing, it was around 11 minutes of total intentional/planned walking. Not to shabby to still end up with my best run off the bike!)

Love it when a plan works. The hard part is trusting yourself that you have the mental strength to execute.
Never stop working hard for your goals and believing in yourself that you can get to where you want to be in life.

Ironman Lake Placid RR: 112 mile bike

There's really no way to know what to expect during the bike portion of a race, until you are actually on the course...on race day. Karel and I always do our homework before races so we watched lots of Youtube videos and read other links describing the Lake Placid course to better understand how to properly train and race in Lake Placid. Of course, every individual has their own opinion of a course as those of us from Florida will describe the mountains much differently than a local. Many people have asked me how we train for hilly courses since we live in flat Florida and my first response is always that we love to climb. If you don't love climbing, there is no need to seek out challenging, hilly courses for the mind is not going to be on the bodies side during the race when the legs are burning and the mind says "why are you doing this?" But what we do have is wind...lots of it. For every ride that we do, our legs never stop unless we stop the bike and put our foot on the ground. Sure, we can coast but what we do not get are descends or rollers. We have no opportunities for free speed for even if we get tailwind, the body is still working to produce power to move us forward. Gravity is not on our side unless we are on a bridge and we'd rather do intervals which simulate race day conditions instead of doing a bunch of bridge repeaters on the bike. 

I always enjoy seeing my Training Peaks file after a race. I choose to hide the other variables that I review on my file so I could show the similarities to the Ironman.com race profile compared to my training file. To the eye, the two course profiles make you believe that are only a few challenging sections of the course (2 loop course) but despite a view like this.....

This course requires more than just a strong heart, muscles and mind. You better have the right climbing cassette, know how to change your gears properly, check your ego at the door to properly pace yourself, have a great fueling strategy (and be comfortable grabbing your nutrition on climbs, descends and bumpy roads) and you have to constantly remind yourself that you have to run a crazy hard marathon after riding 112 miles in the Adirondack mountains.  

Here's my condensed version of the course.

You leave the transition area and go down a little hill veering left a little and then make a right turn down a steep hill which you can hardly see the bottom of the hill from the top. You then ignore the hay barrels in front of you which are there for those who overshoot the turn and make a sharp left turn after coming down a steep, short hill. You then go up a little, ride along the streets of down town placid toward the ski jumps and you finally approach mile 1.
You then go down another hill which is the same hill you run up twice across from the ski jumps and then do a little climbing, up and down and anticipate the long descent into Keene which covers a few miles at flying speeds...all before mile 15. You know you are approaching the descend because before you reach the Cascade Mountain trailhead and see the Cascade Lakes you  are forced to see a bright colored signs that warns you that the descend is steep enough for trucks to flip. For those of us who would rather be a chicken than a dead duck, you do not have to squeeze on your breaks as the road does level itself out but if you have the need for speed and forget that you are in an Ironman but instead, a competition to clock the fastest time, you can be like Karel down the descend at 49 mph. Karel said he could have gone faster but it was wet out.

After the first 15 miles or so, if you still have all your bottles from the roads that take a beating from the NY winters, you welcome a nice long section of rollers through Keene and Upper Jay/Jay on Route 9N. This is a nice place to wake up your legs but you have to be patient for you are approaching the climbs in less than 20 miles. 

The out and back section through Ausable Forks breaks up the course and continues to follow the trend of beautiful sights and views. This section is about 5.6 miles each way so it gives athletes a chance to see competition ahead and behind but also to ease up and gain any free speed if the wind is on your side. 

Nearing Route 86 in Jay, your legs wake up by climbing and climbing and climbing and climbing until you reach the top of this never-ending climb. It's not long, just annoying if you don't love to climb.

There are a few more rollers and then you reach Haselton road which is a nice 1 mile out and back to again scope out the competition or take a few breathers before the hard part of the course....as if the course wasn't challenging enough already.

You see a few flags and they are blowing toward you which is not the way that you you'd like it if you could use your magic and control the weather. But, it is what it is and off you go in Wilmington towards Whiteface Mountain.

12 miles of rollers, false flats, climbs and the notorious baby, mama and papa bear climbs. Nothing on this course is impossible, unless your body and mind think otherwise. Despite fabulous signs, spectator/volunteer support and beautiful views, this course presents difficulty between every mile marker and before you know it, you are back at the transition area....to do it all over again.

Karel and I both loved this course. Here are a few of my favorite things from my race.

-My body and mind enjoyed this course so much that by the end of the first loop, I felt like I had only just warmed up for my main set. I choose to purposely take the first loop comfortable, focusing on my IM power zones (upper Z2-low Z3) which I had done many times in training for our intervals and sitting on Karel's wheel. I focused on areas when I would get free speed and I didn't try to beat the wind (I've never won before in training and I didn't want to try again during an IM). My nutrition was spot on, my mind never wandered and my body never hurt.
-My body did fine on the descend but I purposely planned to save my energy for the climbs since I knew that I would be able to use my strength of climbing (primarily out of the saddle).
-There weren't animals on the course for me to say hi to like IMKY and IMWI but the views were amazing....despite the rainy weather on the first loop.
-My favorite sign read "I bet you wish you were off your bike right now" on one of the last climbs of the loop. I then saw another sign on the run with the same handwriting and graphics "I bet you wish you had your bike back right now". I couldn't stop laughing.
-I saw an elderly man around the Keene area sitting in a lawchair ringing a bell for both loops (over 3 hours of me riding). As the Ironman athletes were trying to speed up the day and go as fast as possible to get to the finish line, this man was perfectly content doing nothing and letting minutes turn into hours. It reminded me to really enjoy the day and by the 2nd loop, I didn't want to get off my bike, I was having so much fun.
-Not being passed by Karel until I headed toward Whiteface mountain. I saw Karel on two out and backs and as much as I wanted him to catch me so I could talk to him, I also wanted to show him that all that bike training had paid off thanks to his help. Of course, aafter we exchanged some words about our swim times, I yelled to him "I Love you" as any wife would do while racing 140.6 miles...and off he went with a few guys trying to stay on his wheel...good luck with that.
-I stayed within my own race day box. I remembered Gloria telling me that when she did IMTexas (her first IM) she told herself that if an athlete passed her she would only think positive thoughts that that athlete at that moment was having a good moment. It didn't mean she wasn't having a good moment and it didn't mean that the athlete (or her) wouldn't have a better moment in 5 miles but she told me to just focus on myself and to not waste energy on things out of my control, such as others being faster than me at certain points of the course. I really trusted myself and my skills on the bike and I feel I raced this bike course the best I could have raced (and have ever raced) by finishing the bike feeling hungry to run and so happy with how I felt (mentally and physically).
-I loved seeing my competition on the course as well as other athletes. I receive so much energy when I cheer for others and the same is true when others cheer for me. It is this never-ending wave of energy that comes when you help to pick up others and others do the same for you. I gave a thumbs up and some cheers to my competition infront (Katie T. ) and behind me (Kendra) as well as to the pro women who were looking super strong as well. Despite racing for a Kona slot, I felt like all the ladies in the course around me were loving the day just as much as me and I didn't want to wish a bad race on anyone for at the end of the day, if the girls who are better than me don't have good days, then I am not pushed to a higher limit.

-Both Karel and myself made sure we soaked up this opportunity to ride in the mountains. Because we both love to travel to race and race to travel, we picked this race because of the challenges and being so close to nature. Karel was having so much fun that he contributed to the wheelie count on one of the bear climbs had a group of guys with a sign checking off how many people could/would do a wheelie while climbing. OK, not a Sagan type of wheelie but nonetheless, it counted :) 

Here are a few bike stats from the race as well as what my computer looks like when I ride intervals or in races. You can see from my Garmin 500 stats, how I lapped the course, although on the 2nd loop I didn't lap at the exact same points because I forgot. I tried to fuel every 8-12 minutes from my drink, consuming a 350 calorie bottle within the first 75-80 min of each loop and the rest from a 300 calorie bottle + 300 calorie gel flask. I only grabbed water from aid stations for sipping and cooling. I also included Karel's stats from Ironman.com 

Bike stats:

Marni: 5:45.11 (average 19.41 mph), 3rd division after bike, 184 overall, 17th female
Splits from Ironman.com
distance 30 miles 1:21.5 (22 mph)

distance 26 miles 1:25 (18.17mph)

distance 30 miles 1:23 (21.41 mph)
distance 26 miles 1:34 (16.52 mph)

Garmin 500 splits 

Lap 1:

40 minutes (14.5 miles): Power 152W, HR 137, cadence 81, 21.46mph
1:05 minutes (22.29 miles): Power 149W, HR 135, cadence 81, 20.45mph
16 minutes (5.4 miles): Power 156W, HR 137, cadence 80, 19.61mph
46 minutes (13.75 miles): Power 177W, HR 144, cadence 80, speed 17.63mph

Lap 2:

41 minutes (14.1 miles): Power 149W, HR 132, cadence 74, speed 20.39mph
1:24 (27.7 miles): Power 151W, HR 136, cadence 79, speed 19.75mph
50 min (13.38 miles): Power 160W, HR 140, cadence 78, speed 15.87mph

(max speed 38mph)

Karel: 5:16.26 (average 21.24 mph), 21st division, 91 overall,  85th male

distance 30 miles 1:13.48 (24.39 mph)

distance 26 miles 1:18.53 (19.78mph)

distance 30 miles 1:16.09 (23.64 mph)
distance 26 miles 1:27.36 (17.81 mph)
(max speed 49mph)


And after riding 112 miles, we "get" to run a marathon! As an athlete who has raced 5 Ironman's, I know the hurt, the mental battles and what it feels like to finish an Ironman by running 26.2 miles after swimming 2.4 and biking 112 miles. For most of us, the IM run has nothing to do with how fast you can run a standard marathon or how many miles you ran in your longest run in training (or how fast) but instead, how much you can suffer, dig and want it when the body and mind tell you to stop, sit down and just call it a day, it's not worth it. For myself, I wanted to dig, suffer and show myself that I could do this for the 6th time but for my hubby, this was a new territory for not only was this his first IM but his first marathon and after dismounting the bike, this was the longest he had ever used his body.

Ironman Lake Placid RR: 2.4 mile swim

2.4 mile swim

Back in Feb 2013, I traveled to Utah with Oakley Women for a product testing trip on the beautiful snowy mountains at Snowbird resort. 

As a swimmer all my life, I would consider myself more of a fish than a snow bunny but I am all about trying new things. I have had the opportunity to snowboard several times in my life and I always love the challenge of strapping in my feet and gliding down a mountain. But if I were to race in snowboarding, I wouldn't do very well and probably would be too scared to start. I could probably improve my skills if I snowboarded more often, worked with an experienced instructor and developed a passion for snow more than water, but I will be honest and say that I am not a great snowboarder and I am just happy with my ability to have fun and get down a mountain in one piece (although sometimes with a sore butt afterwards). 

In life, we have many opportunities to step outside of our comfort zone but like most people, we often get really comfortable in our comfort zone. Sometimes we have no choice but to step outside of our normal but I am sure that most would agree that doing something that you don't normally do is not the best feeling in the world....at least when you do it for the first time and aren't very good at it. 

As most people know, my husband Karel decided to move from Cat 1 cyclist to triathlete this past June (2012). 

Karel loves to push like most competitive athletes and for him, running came naturally. Suffering in cycling races transferred really well to running....push hard and suffer and run faster. 

But for Karel, he was often very frustrated by swimming. He found it so discouraging that he couldn't just push in the water. He could push on the bike, push on the run but in the water, pushing meant gasping for air, feeling like he was getting no where in the water and experiencing extreme fatigue. 

Even if something is hard, uncomfortable, scary or new, the most important thing is that you recognize that everything that you are feeling is normal. For if you only did things in life that were easy, simple and effortless, you likely wouldn't get anywhere in life. You have likely achieved things in life because you were willing to step beyond what is comfortable and embrace something that is not easy. But the defining point is knowing that you are not going to give up until you get to where you want to be. Perhaps you can't define where it is that you want to be and when but the most important thing is making sure that you are having fun along the way and seeing yourself grow. You are moving forward for you and for no one else. If you don't like something at first, don't give up. But you have to have the right motivation, passion and commitment ensure that you are doing things for the right reason. 

Every athlete has a a weakness. You can't be good at everything if you want to get better at what you do. There is always a way and reason to be better than you were yesterday but you have to really want it and the work that comes when you get there. 

I don't think I'm ever going to race in a snowboarding event but I know that I will never stop the opportunity to snowboard. I will always be a little scared but I will figure out a way to get to the bottom and get back up again when I fall. For now, I will continue to work hard for my triathlon goals and enjoy every journey that my body and mind gives to me during training and racing. I am willing to be patient as I better understand endurance triathlons and the skills required to race strong and consistent and I will always be sure to have fun along the way. 

source

Once I entered the water, I felt good. I felt comfortable, smooth and confident. This was my comfort zone and I knew what I wanted......

1:07, 1:06, 1:04, 1:02, 1:08....I've been chasing that 1 hour swim time for 2.4 miles for the past 8 years. It's something that drives me to push in the pool, even though I have been pushing in the water since I started swimming around the age of 11. I love dreaming big and having goals helps me jump out of bed, get out the door and see what I am capable of achieving for the day. 

As I made my way to the outside of the crowd of swimmers in Mirror Lake, I found myself with clean water. Knowing that the cable running under the water (visible to the eye) is directing the fastest swimmers (all trying to swim like Andy Potts) on a straight course, I was still spotting the 1-9 numbered buoys ahead of me but really focusing on my catch in the water.

As I neared buoy #4, I felt good. My plan for the two loop swim was to swim the first loop feeling "good". I never wanted to feel exhausted in the first loop and depending on my perceived effort in relation to my time after 1.2 miles, I would decide if I could take a risk or two in loop two. Realizing that swimming is a strength of mine, I always give myself the opportunity to deviate from my race day plan just a tiny bit if I am feeling good in the water. There's something about chasing a time that excites me and at the end of the day, I am 100% responsible for my actions when I race. I can blame nobody but myself and I am willing for the consequences if I let my ego + dreams get the best to me. But then again, how do I ever know if my thoughts will fail me if I don't give things a risky try. 

I was very tempted to look at my Garmin 910XT (outside of my wetsuit) before the right hand turn at buoy #9 but I didn't. I saved that surprise for when I made a slight turn to the right on this very narrow out and back rectangle loop. I took a look at my watch as I started heading back to the start/finish and it said something around 14 minutes. I am pretty sure I smiled in the water not only because I was really excited about my 6th Ironman in Lake Placid (especially since I went from extremely nervous to very calm and relaxed) but I felt like this was the day I could release my inner nemo. 

As I swam back to shore I was careful to not go too hard. The water was smooth and I continued to stay to the outside of the buoys to get cleaner water. I still wanted to draft off other swimmers but I was careful to not get too close to the cable under water as I knew that battling flying arms would only get me out of my rhythm with my stroke. 

The buoys were going by really quickly and all I could remember was the breakthrough big swim set I did in prep for the IM, alongside putting all those individual workouts together for this one very special day. #4, #5, #6....the first loop was almost complete and as I spotted ahead of me, I could see spectators and the dock. #7, #8....I was so tempted to look at my watch and I gave myself permission after #9.....

But I resisted. Just stay steady, I kept thinking to myself. 

I made my way out of the water and ran onto the shore as I cleared my goggles with my fingers. It felt really great to stand up and get some air into my lungs and when I saw 29 minutes on my watch, I got super excited. So excited that I sprinted through the start banner and dove into the water for my 2nd loop. 

Did I really just swim 1.2 miles in 29 minutes and I made it feel easy? 

The 2nd loop was a bit more congested compared to the first due to the seeded start but I didn't let it get to me because I knew I could still have a good swim to start my journey of 140.6 miles. As much as I wanted to pick up the pace, I kept reminding myself that this was a very long day and I can't win anything in the swim. 

I found several pink caps around me which was comforting knowing that I was swimming strong and around similar fitness abilities. As I neared buoy #9, I couldn't believe that I was making my last two right hand turns to finish my 6th IM swim!

I looked at my watch again and I think it was around 46 minutes. I was starting to battle swimmers who were on their first lap but I didn't get frustrated. I coach newbie triathletes, my hubby is competing in his first tri and I know I was not always a great cyclist when I started. We must always respect those who are learning new skills for we have all been there, done that in some way or another.

As I found a few open patches, I looked at my watch one last time. I can't remember what buoy I was at but my watch said 56 minutes. I didn't get frustrated but instead, I gave myself permission to go for it. I picked up the pace, careful to not waste any energy in my legs that I needed for 112 miles of cycling and 26.2 miles of running but I found myself catching the water a little stronger and really focusing on getting to where I wanted to be...as fast as possible.

I started swimming toward the shore and I tried to stand up when I saw others standing....ok, 5 feet tall Marni has a ways to go. I kept on swimming and looked at my watch as I tried to stand again.

1 hour. 

YIPPEE!! But of course, there was a few steps to the arch to stop my timing chip and my final time read 1:01:02. 

Oh well. I'll take it as I felt amazing and I was super excited to get on my bike and anxiously await Karel zooming past me somewhere on the bike to tell him about my swim and to hear about his swim. 

As I ran toward the strippers, I took my arm sleeve over my Garmin and then unzipped my wetsuit and removed the sleeves and pulled it down to my waist. I had my Trimarni kit (cycling shorts and zipper jersey), HR monitor and CEP calf sleeves under my wetsuit and slathered in body glide spray and my timer chip on my ankle (with a safety pin to secure), my body marked body was revealed as I laid on the ground with my feet up for the strippers to pull off my wetsuit. 

I said thank you to the volunteers and ran down a long carpeted chute to the transition area.....it didn't seem very long because the spectators were lined along the chute and cheering loudly for all of us swimmers. 

I noticed that many people had rain coats on and all of a sudden it occurred to me that it was raining! Oh boy, this is going to be an interesting start to the race....just stay calm and focused. 

I ran toward the transition bags and grabbed my T1 bag w/ my cycling gear. 

-helmet (not aero helmet but my regular training helmet which I love)

-Oakley Commit sunglasses

-Pill container (back up pills, electrolytes, endurance aminos, tums)
-Pill packets (electrolytes and aminos) in a baggie
-Gel flask (300 calories of Hammer heed espresso)

-Socks

-Cycling shoes

As I ran to the transition area, there were a few women in the tent (age groupers and pros) and two volunteers dumped out my bag which included separate large zip lock bags for my gear items. As usual, the volunteers were amazing and as I put on  my socks and shoes, one volunteer put my nutrition in my pockets (gel flask in right pocket and pills in left - I asked her to do this and she did it perfectly) and the other put my helmet on my head. Done! What a quick transition and it was exactly as I had visualized. 

I said thank you and ran out of the tent to the end of the transition area and to my bike. 

Transition time: 4:36

A volunteer handed me my bike, I said thank you and powered my Garmin 500 (turned it on) and ran toward the mount line.

I couldn't believe that I was mounting my bike with two professional women around me but I bottled in those thoughts as I felt like this day was going so great....I hadn't even raced more than 2.4 miles and with 112+ 26.2 miles to go, I really didn't want the day to end. As I always say, all that training just for a one day event.

My bike was wet but that was fine. Karel put great bar tape on my bike which made me feel good considering the technical descends and turns heading out of transition. 

And before I knew it, I was on my bike and excited to see if all that bike training, sitting on Karel's wheel, had paid off......

112 miles...here I come!

A little about Karel's race, he felt really good and had no major issues in the first loop. He found the 2nd loop to be a bit busy for him but he stayed calm. Karel said his biggest mistake was having trouble getting off his wetsuit, especially the arms over his Garmin. He said he was really frustrated by the wetsuit but he was able to move on quickly and remind himself that his major goal during the swim was to just swim efficient so he could get on the bike and have 5+ hours to be in his comfort zone. Karel's transition was 6:59 due to the added time from the strippers and him struggling with his wetsuit so although a rookie mistake, Karel still had a great swim considering that he just learned to train for swimming just 13 months ago.

Karel ended up swimming 1:10.20 which I find so funny considering that I swam 1:01.02!! Crazy to just move around the numbers and we swam the same time!!

Here is a great video of the swim start that I found on the internet:

IM Lake Placid swim thoughts and video

Ironman Lake Placid RR: IM Prep and pre-race

Ironman prep
(If you do not want to read my recap of our Ironman prep, scroll down to the bottom for pre-race)

If you could work less hours and get all your tasks completed in less time and still get paid the same amount, would you?

If you took a road trip and could drive an easier route to your final destination, instead of one that was of more difficulty, but still arrive to the same place at the same time, would you?

If you could study for an exam a little every day for a few months and get a B+, instead of cramming it all in over 2 weeks and get a B-, would you?

As athletes, I find we think differently than many people. For when you finish a race and your garmin lets you know that the race course was shorter than advertised, you are quick to let others know, almost as if you are disappointed that you didn’t go the full distance (albeit, likely it was a matter of tenths but still it matters). But when a race course is long, it’s easy to complain and let others know that the finish time is not accurate, feeling frustrated that your time is not comparable to similar distances and past results.

But when it comes to training, it seems as if many athletes do more than necessary often spending more time doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. Often taking the longer route and feeling impatient by the journey ahead.

In preparation for Ironman Lake Placid, Karel and I gave ourselves a 10-week training plan to specifically focus on the Ironman. 1 week being taper followed by 1 week of active recovery and 8 weeks of solid Ironman training. Not too much, but just enough of quality training to prepare our body and mind for race day without compromising the many other areas in our life that require focus, energy and commitment.

In those 8 weeks, we never found ourselves not making progress. Maybe the workout didn’t go as planned due to variables out of our control, it had to be shortened for time constraints or we played it smart by modifying the planned workout in order to keep consistent with training. What I love so much about endurance training is that the body adapts over time, not in just one workout.  

We spent the first 3 weeks of our IM prep building our endurance with speed work and no long bike ride over 4 hours (or brick more than 4.5 hours). Every workout had a purpose and of course, with Karel being a rookie triathlete (just starting to train for triathlons last June) and me coming off my on/off hip/back/glute issues, it was important to not do too much too soon. I find every athlete has 4-5 great consistent weeks of training when they start a training plan. Often times, this comes in the early part of the season (often 16-20 weeks before the race) when training is not as race specific but athletes feel too good to do less. 

Additionally, many athletes go into training for a race with the intention of improving health and body composition, which is great. But the idea of the perfect body image or even worse, the pressure of being a certain weight by race day and consequently putting more pressure on the diet and body than the training itself. One of the worst mistakes that an athlete can make is wanting to restrict nutrition around workouts when the body is under the most intentional physiological stress and then “rewarding” the body with food that does not enhance performance later in the day. I see it a lot with athletes that there is this constant pressure to train for a number on a scale rather than for performance. In other words, athletes are not fueling according to their assigned workout at hand and refueling based on the workout accomplished but instead the workout is reflective of past eating habits or a desire for calories burned. Thus, rather than fueling in a way that allows the body to get stronger, faster and healthier, nutrients are restricted and training load becomes too heavy and athletes find themselves entering a dangerous area of overtraining/under-eating.

 I love helping athletes with their nutrition for endurance events because I want athletes to find balance with endurance training, to stay healthy and to reach personal goals. I love doing the same for fitness enthusiasts to see the diet as a way to reduce risk for disease and to maintain a great life with good health. Getting injured, burnout, sick or feeling isolated from friends and family or feeling extreme pressure for your body to adapt  just as fast as your training partners are not normal parts of training for an endurance event. Remember, your body does not have to allow you to do what it does when you train for an event and you can’t expect your body to adapt at the same rate as others. You must be respectful of your body and how it adapts to training stress and realize that you have to be just as dedicated and committed to your training plan as you are to other areas of your life. Never let your race day goal get in the way of you enjoying your journey to get to the starting line.

So after the first block of our training, we then spent another 5 weeks of periodized quality training with Monday being an easy swim or full recovery day and a bit more time on the weekends for the longer brick (long bike + short run). Nearing the end of our training, we were careful to not go too hard during the week, Tues – Sun knowing that the key workouts occurred early and late week (weekend). We never felt burnt out, fatigued or questioned the “whys” as to why we are doing this while rolling out the door by 7am most weekends.  Every workout for bike and run was based on time (not distance) and the swims were based on distance (not time).

We only did 2 rides longer than 100 miles, one being mileage focused (112 miles + 1 mile run off the bike) and the other based on time (5 hours + 2 mile run off the bike). Sitting on Karel’s wheel allowed me to cover more distance in the same amount of time that I could do alone but every workout included intervals where I was training myself to become more efficient in my Ironman zone. Without looking at my Training Peaks files, I have absolutely no idea how many miles I did within each bike workout or how fast I went. On average, we trained around 14-15 hours a week with typically only one workout a day in the morning. Nearing the last 3-4 weeks of peak training, the weekly hours increased to about 18-20 hours due to the longer bricks on the weekends as our training progressed.When we did Branson 70.3 in 2011 where I won as overall amateur female and Karel placed 5^th age group in his first half IM (3^rd triathlon) Karel trained only 10 hours a week and I trained about 12 hours (a bit more strength training and swimming and I often warm-up a bit longer than Karel).

Just like with our half IM training, we did a lot of brick workouts and speed work during the week for bike, swim and run which was totally doable because we were not burning ourselves in the ground during the weekend training.   I walked during every run that I did to simulate aid stations. Karel’s longest run was 20 miles but most of his long runs of 14-16 miles included a bike in between two morning runs (ex. 10 mile run + 2-3 hour bike + 4 mile run). I did 2 long runs, 13 miles and 15 miles as I do not believe in running more than 2.5 hours for Ironman prep. For IMWI (which I qualified for Kona by placing 4^th and receiving a roll down slot), I only did 2 long runs of 16 miles. Also, my long runs occur after a 1-2 hour ride. I strength train year round, however, with IM training, it rarely included lifting any weights. More functional strength exercises than anything, specifically core work and hip focused strength. Sleep and nutrition were priorities as there is no way to be consistent with training if we do not prioritize nutrition on a daily basis to keep our bodies healthy and there is no way to recover and maintain a healthy attitude and mood if we are not able to sleep restful at night. We did not let training get in the way of life and we did not let life affect our ability to enjoy our time training.

I’ve certainly learned a lot since 2006 when I trained for my first IM. I was new to the sport at the age of 24 and worried about the distance, I started with a more is better approach. But now I have my own business where I can help others reach goals and find balance in life with eating and training/exercising.  By applying my background in exercise physiology and being less stubborn and more open-minded to my hubby’s thoughts (cat 1 cyclist as an “outsider looking in” approach) I’ve gradually learned that less is more and I’ve been able to execute in racing with this approach to training. Could I do more and take a risk? Sure, but that would mean that I am focusing more on what others are doing instead of thinking about myself and what I can balance in my own personal life, with my own personal goals.

Ironman training involves so much more than just putting in the miles in training. I find that many athletes waste their best performance in training by doing too much too soo. Training becomes monotonous and lack-luster. It starts as something that you want to do and turns into something you have to do, often at the expense of family/friend-time. The excitement dwindles and all of a sudden, the athlete who had high goals and expectations becomes brainwashed by his/her own thoughts to think that more is better. Never doubt the progress you have made with your fitness, which can potentially bring you to a great race day performance if you keep on doing what is working. If it isn’t working, adjust something but don’t just hope for different results or to be better tomorrow.

There are so many ways to train for an Ironman and that is why I feel so strongly that Ironman athletes should have an experienced coach to guide them along through this amazing journey. Anytime you ask your body to perform during endurance training/racing, it is important to recognize that your race day performance does not just depend on how many miles you covered in training or how much a scale says in your bathroom. Unfortunately not ever body is designed to do endurance racing but also, not ever body has to do endurance racing. Find something that challenges you but also makes you happy to make time for it. Never put so much pressure on yourself that you don’t enjoy your me-time.

We don’t own a scale in our home. We don’t force our bodies to get to a race weight, it happens naturally through training the body to perform. We do not detox, cleans, go gluten-free, paleo or follow any other extreme dietary pattern/fad that is advocated by the masses to change body composition and improve health (although I feel strongly that mass marketed diets are more focused on body image than health). We do not have an off limit food list posted on our ‘fridge and we never feel guilty around food. I am a 20-year vegetarian for animal reasons, Karel is not. We eat real food most of the time which leaves little room for the other stuff the rest of the time. There’s still room for it but it is consumed in a way that is enjoyed and appreciated.

There is no bad body image/food talk, there is no need to compare ourselves to how others train and there is a lot of emphasis on fueling before every workout, during every workout and after every workout. There is a lot of attention to each of our strengths and weaknesses as individuals in all areas of our life, as well as flexibility in our training plan as to keeping things balanced between triathlons and life. We stay active year-round but training is periodized to allow us to peak at the right time, without us burning out at any time. There is a lot of growth, confidence building and fun with every part of our training. There are highs and lows but never do we let training define us or affect how we live. We love what we choose to do for a hobby as it is our lifestyle, not our life.

Taper
The week before the race was our official “taper” – super light, exploring the course, soaking in the Placid community feel and keeping the body fresh for race day. The two weeks before the race included less volume than 3 weeks out but it maintained the same intensity. As the body recovered from the past few weeks of training, it never felt heavy, lethargic, sleepy or bloated. Nutrition didn’t change on a daily basis, only how we fueled around our workouts to support the current training load. We stuck with a schedule of 1 day easy, 2 days “training” during the two weeks out from race day until we arrived to Placid last wed to ensure that as the body started to peak for the race, we wouldn’t waste our best performance during taper as we were holding in all our energy for the race.
Wed – travel day to Placid
Thurs – lake swim (1.2 miles) + afternoon bike on climbs (rode down the last 12 miles or so of the course and then back up the climbs)
Fri – lake swim (15 minutes) to get comfortable in wetsuits (which we didn’t get until Thurs as they were with our bikes at Tri Bike Transport) followed by a 35 minute EZ spin (hard to find easy roads in Placid so we rode the run course on River Road).
Sat – race warm-up which included a 1 hour bike + 10-15 min run w/ a few “fast” efforts of 1-2 minutes on the bike (on the climbs in a high cadence) w/ 3-4 min recovery and a few 30-45 sec pick-ups on the run w/ walking in between. We also drove the descend of the bike course so that by race day we had seen all of the bike course except the two out and back sections.
Sun – 140.6 miles!

Nutrition
With 6 Ironman finishes behind my name and helping dozens of athletes cross endurance finishing lines, one thing I have learned with Ironman racing is that it’s not about preventing nutrition related problems  but knowing how to deal with them when they come about. There is no perfect nutrition plan even if you don’t suffer from nutrition related problems at one race because every race is different and the body is always getting more efficient. Nerves, excitement, swallowing water during the swim, pushing too hard, weather, concentrated drinks at aid stations, daily diet, food choices, not sticking to your plan – there are so many factors that can affect your race day nutrition that I find that the best thing you can do is to trust that what worked in training will work on race day and remembering that your race day performance is not a long training day. On race day, you are using the body that you trained for weeks and months. In other words, your body must be fueled during training in order to execute on race day. You don’t have to train on Power bar perform and coke just because it is on the course. Can you use what is on the course on race day if tolerated? Sure, but perhaps a better fueling regime will help you become more efficient, faster and stronger by race day.

You should know exactly what worked in training with your nutrition to have confidence on race day that you have a plan that should work but keep in mind that it may need to be adjusted based on many factors and sometimes by things out of your control. This is why I feel strongly that athletes need to have a nutrition coach to also help with training for I feel many training sessions are not appropriate for race day and do not allow the body to get familiar with race day situations and fueling. I am not a fan of Ironman “day” of training as I don’t feel athletes need to bike more than 112 miles in training (or 6.5 hours – whichever comes first as I tell my athletes), run more than 2.5 hours (or 20 miles – whichever comes first) or do a brick that is more than 6.5 hours (ideally, a 100 mile ride + 2 mile run or 4 hour ride + 1 hour run or a 2 hour ride + 2 hour run are perfect race simulation workouts that you can do near the end of your IM training plan). I am a big fan of bricks as well understanding your zones for IM racing. But when it comes to daily nutrition, I do not change my diet from what has fueled my training for months at a time. Karel and I don’t believe in using the off season to get lazy but also the body and mind need a break from structure. So really, we are always maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle without the pressure to ever be x-weight, to train x-hours a week or to “allow” ourselves to lose fitness. There is absolutely no pressure with the diet and training throughout the year for us to feel any pressure on the week leading up to the race in terms of how we eat or perceive our body to look. We don’t train for fitness pageants to stand on a stage and model our bodies. We are athletes who use our bodies to cross finishing lines and we can only do that if we stay injury free and nourished. I shared almost all my meals leading up to the race on my Facebook page but my main focus for nutrition fueling on race week included:
-Water (coffee is fine too)
-No energy drinks, new supplements/pills that are promoted as ergogenic aids (performance boosters) or other medications/supplements/pills
-Prioritizing food that is made from mother nature, not in a factory.
-Wholesome food prepared by me (or Karel) as much as possible (for Placid, we didn’t eat out at all before the race and saved that for post race. I controlled the ingredients for every food item that we put into our bodies.)
-Feel confident with food choices –every food should make us feel good after we eat it
-Small meals, eating every 2-3 hours. No big meals but breakfast was typically a very satisfying meal, daily.
-At least 20-25g carbs from a sport drink (ex. Hammer heed) or electrolytes (Hammer Fizz) on race week anytime we used our bodies for training purposes.
-Electrolytes as needed (Fizz or pills) as a back-up for electrolytes
-Lots of fresh produce (fruits and veggies that are well tolerated) for vitamins and minerals
-Low fiber and fat on the 3-4 days leading up to the race. Moderate protein and high emphasis on carbohydrates that make our bellies feel good (fresh local bread, potatoes, rice, granola, honey, raisins, etc.)
-Eat when we are hungry, no clock watching. We ate on our own schedule whenever we wanted knowing that we may be married but we each have different nutritional/fueling needs. For the most part, we ate at the same time but often different food choices.

Pre-race
I always write out an itinerary as to what needs to get done and when, before a big race as it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the race alongside getting yourself ready and the time just rushes by. On Friday after we rode our bikes and before dinner and the mandatory athlete meeting, we spent the late afternoon preparing our transition bags which saved a lot of stress and time for Saturday. We prepared our bike bottles and run flasks with powder only, for easy filling with water on Sunday morning. We put all our individual items into separate zipper bags inside the transition bags in the case of rain (which it did on race day) as well as to ensure that when the volunteer empties out the bag in the changing tent, nothing gets lost or forgotten. I tied a bright red ribbon on my bags for easy spotting in transition. I believe in planning for every situation with transition bags for an IM but trusting myself as to what I used in training will work on race day.

On Saturday, after we did our race warm-up, we ate a filling carb-rich French toast + fruit and eggs breakfast, re-packed our transition bags, did a double check of everything and then racked our bikes a bit before 12 (I think) and hung our transition bags, then headed back to the cottage for a light lunch. We rested in the afternoon and then around 3 we headed out for one last drive of the bike course, especially the bumpy descend, except the out and back sections (which included about 13-14 miles I think). We arrived back to the condo on sat evening and for our pre race dinner around 5pm, Karel had soup and rice (pasta and chicken and a small salad on Fri) and I had ½ large sweet potato, asparagus, rice, egg and a small salad (pizza and salad on Fri). We were both a bit nervous on Saturday evening and decided it would be best to sleep in separate rooms for a good night of sleep. We reviewed the course maps and we each had our own ways to relax. Karel listened to Czech music that his dad use to listen to when he grew up and after I face-timed with my parents, I watched YouTube videos of Lake Placid Ironman from years past to get me excited about race day.
We both slept very well and went to bed around 8:30pm and woke up with multiple alarms at 3:15am.

Race day
I couldn’t believe how nervous I was! I don’t think I have ever been this nervous for a race but luckily, I have Gloria. I found myself letting a lot of things out of my control get to me which I discussed with Gloria on the phone on Friday. The weather was constantly changing (temps and rain) so although I couldn’t change it, I was concerned how to prepare for it with my clothing. This was a challenging course so of course, I was trying to stay confident with my race day plan. Then there was the unknown of how my body will perform and as any athlete knows, the mind does some crazy things before a race but seems to settle out when you are on the course. My body had been playing a lot of games with me the day before the race which was new to me and very weird. Actually, both Karel and myself. We would have waves of feeling great to feeling like we had the flu.  I continued to trust my plan but I had to welcome a lot of crazy things before a race alongside thinking about my hubby and athlete Laura, both doing their first Ironman. With the coach inside of me, I felt more relaxed helping them than thinking about myself. I joked with them on race day morning as we were walking to the transition area that even with 5 Ironman’s behind me, it never gets easier to feel total calmness before a race.

My pre race meal sat perfectly as I knew it would because of how many times I did similar foods before training. I had 4 rye Wasa crackers with peanut butter, honey and raisins and ½ large banana w/ cinnamon and a few almonds. With training I have milk with my 2 wasa crackers, honey, PB and raisins and banana slices but before races in the morning, my tummy doesn’t like milk. I guesstimated this to be around 450-500 calories but did not measure. I gave my athlete Laura exact amounts of her pre race meal because I didn’t want her to doubt herself with her pre race nutrition. I did not lecture Karel at all about his pre-race meal as I know he eats according to what works in training and neither of us have nutrition/food related issues with training or racing.

Karel started his morning with oatmeal and berries and then had a waffle sandwich with peanut butter and jelly (we choose natural peanut butter and 100% fruit and sugar, no HFCS or “diet” options for jelly). He also sipped on a Bolthouse yogurt based drink (espresso/coffee I think) which has worked well for him in his past few races. We took our time in the morning with our food, coffee and water and kept the morning positive with our thoughts. Karel listened to his Czech music and I read quotes on the internet as we were waiting for our food to digest.

At 4:20am we grabbed our morning clothes bag from home and our prepared bottles (4 bottles for me, 2 with 350 calories for the first 75-90 minutes of each loop since the course consisted of only a few climbs but mostly descending and gentle rollers so I knew this would be the ideal time to take in more calories with a lower HR to ensure proper digestion and absorption and 2 bottles with 300 calories for the back half of each loop. Karel had 3 bottles with him of his custom-made Infinit formula that I created for him which was around 350 calories (around 300 calories per 2 scoops). We each had packets of pills that we made in saran wrap which included 2 Hammer endurance aminos and 1 electrolyte tablet and taped together for easy consumption by just popping in our mouth and biting off the tape. I’m a firm believer in prioritizing liquid calories as much as possible as I find too many athletes having too difficult of a race day fueling plan which requires a lot of time with a hand off the bike to eat, drink, snack, etc. and not enough time to actually digest what is being consumed. I don’t take in any solid food during training or racing but Karel had a sport bar (from Czech when we traveled there in May) for the bike. Since we both planned to use water at aid stations, we both had a gel flask in our pockets (300 calories worth of Hammer Espresso gel for me).

We also had our gadgets (Garmin 500 for me, Garmin 810 for Karel and our 910XTs), a bottle for sipping fluids in transition, sun screen, body glide, wetsuits (Xterra for me and speed suits just in case), change of clothes for post race, shopping/grocery bag (to help Karel put on his TYR wetsuit), goggles (+ backup goggles), swim cap, chip w/ safety pin to secure and bike pump. We both did not have a special needs bag for the bike and run because we both have spare tubs and CO2 on our bikes (I have two of each and the aid stations also had extras as notified in the athlete briefing). I took an electrolyte tablet and 2 endurance aminos before the race while I was eating.

We drove to Laura’s house down the road (1.5 miles, our cottage was on the run course, about 3.5 miles or so away from the race venue) and parked and finally, we both felt at ease with everything. Finally, all the training was about to be executed and the day was finally here that Karel and I had patiently waiting for. The day that he would cross his first Ironman finishing line and race for the longest he had ever raced before.  I was super excited to share the day with Karel, Laura, my nutrition athletes (Fran, Maria, Stephanie) and the other 2500 athletes and as well.

We walked with Laura’s parents and boyfriend Duran to the race venue (about 15 minute walk or so) and I finally felt like I was in a good place. Everything was now out of my control. I made a few swaps with clothing for the race (jersey and arm warmers and gloves were in a backup baggie now since the weather warmed up a tiny bit and went with my Trimarni cycling shorts, tri jersey and CEP compression calf sleeves to wear under my wetsuit), I put my bottles and computer on my bike, Karel pumped up my tires and checked out my bike after he did his and it was time to make a few more stops at the potty and make our way to the swim start after body marking.

Taking a few deep breaths while walking to the swim start helped me feel more relaxed. Also, I bumped into a few people that I knew, one being a social media/twitter friend that I have never met, Kendra, who is a phenomenal athlete and person, also in my age group. Karel, Laura and I made the long walk from transition area to the swim start (on carpet) and put on our wetsuits on the beach area of Mirror Lake around 5:45am. Although we arrive to transition around 5am with the race starting around 6:32am with the new rolling age group swim start, the morning didn’t feel rushed or like we were waiting very long. Bags were racked, the bike was ready and all we needed to do was to trust the training and to let things happen as they happened.

At 6am, the new swim start was in effect as the race director let athletes swim in the side of the lake which was great to get the wetsuit adjusted and comfortable. Karel and I swam a little and I finally felt much more relaxed and ready to go. The energy was about to be released and I was reminding myself that I don’t want this day to be over. I always tell my athletes that in an Ironman, it’s a lot of training for just a one-day event and it will be over before you know it and life will be normal again the next day.

A few other things that made me smile on race day, 2 Chihuahuas that made me miss Campy. They were as loud as could be, barking at two bigger doggies. I couldn’t help but laugh because Campy has small dog syndrome as well. Also, as we were swimming warm-up in the lake, 5-6 ducks were swimming in a line through a massive amount of people in their lake. They were awfully mad, quaking at us but didn’t let a bunch of swimmers get in their way as they somehow managed to find clean water to get to the shore side of the lake.

Around 6:15am, Mike Riley told the swimmers to exit the water and to seed ourselves in our respected anticipated swim times. Rather than a mass starts that I have done in all my Ironman events, I was really looking forward to this new swim start which took place for the first time at IMCDA in June. I feel this is a much better way to start and a lot safer than a mass start and I really looked forward to it as oppose to getting beat up by a bunch of guys trying to swim over me and my pink cap.

I found Karel seeded in the 1:01-1:10 area and gave him a big hug and kiss and wished him a great race and I told him I can’t wait to see him at the finish line waiting for me.  I then seeded myself in the very back of the 60 minutes or less area. With my past 5 IM swim times being 1:08, 1:07, 1:04, 1:02, 1:08 (Kona – choppy!) and feeling confident with my swim training, I decided to challenge myself with the 60 min swimmers since many of the ladies around me said that they anticipate swimming around 60 minutes. Although the swim seeding works like a running race in that you don’t want to put yourself around individuals much faster than you, I knew that with my comfort in the water, it was better for me to get swum over than to try to fight my way through people in the first 100-200 meters of the race.

I couldn’t help but look behind me a few times at Karel, nervous for him as his first time swimming 2.4 miles in open water and starting his first ever Ironman. Laura seeded herself in 1:11-1:20 and I also tried to send positive vibes to her as well knowing that the swim leg is often a scary part of triathlons for many people and often the reason why many people do not sign up for triathlons in the first place. I was so proud of these two, along with so many other athletes for moving beyond their comfort zone by training for Ironman Lake Placid.

After the pro’s went off, we all walked a little closer to the starting banner on the sand for a walking start where our chip would start when we crossed the line on the sand. Around 6:32am, Mike Riley was pumping us up along with the crowds cheering and the techno music playing loudly.

Mike Riley said something along the lines of “have a great day athletes and I can’t wait to call you an Ironman at the finishing line.”

All of a sudden, body marked bodies and wrapped in wetsuits with bright colored caps moved quickly in front of me and I started my 910 on multisport zone and thought to myself….there’s no turning back now!!!

My feet touched the water and I skipped my way to deeper water as I looked ahead at 9 numbered buoys ahead of me. I dived into the water, started swimming and all of a sudden I was in my happy place for the first of 2 loops of this 2.4 mile swim.

Ironman Lake Placid RR - never give up

It seems logical to write a race report starting with the beginning of the race and then progress to the finish. But I want to do things a little bit different this time around for my 6th Ironman. One thing I have learned throughout the past 7 years since starting endurance racing, is that patience, hard work and commitment can bring an athlete very far in his/her fitness, let alone with reaching personal goals. It doesn't matter if you are an athlete racing for a finishing line or a fitness enthusiast that wants to workout for health and fitness, if you want something in life you have to work for it but most importantly, you can't give up when things get tough. Life is not easy and as an athlete for most of my life, I often use similar tools for getting through life and sports as life brings obstacles, just like sports and if you don't have the right mindset, you get yourself no where. 

I am sore, exhausted and drained. But it was all worth it. Yes, in some crazy type of way, we pay money to do this and then walk extremely funny the next day as we remember the highs and lows of race day. This time around, I am able to share stories with my Trimarni Coaching athlete Laura G who placed 6th age group (25-29) in her first IM (11:02) as well as with Karel (hubby) who placed 13th age group (35-39) in his first IM (10:03) and I can't stop thinking about all the amazing athletes, volunteers and spectators who encouraged each other to move forward to get to the finishing line and I am so grateful that we choose this Ironman for Lake Placid became a village of Ironman athletes and the community was extremely supportive. 

Many times in my racing career I am plagued with a chronic injury that keeps me from running for 8-12 weeks at a time. I have seen many doctors, had tests and I am thankful to my PTs and massage therapists who help me stay injury free when I can put all the pieces together correctly. Although I see this often as a limiter in my training and racing, oh what I would give to just have my mind as my only limiter, I have never let it define me or what I am capable of achieving. I know I can only race and train injury free so since I get hickups along the way when I train for races, I find myself forced with three decisions.
1) give up
2) be stubborn
3) focus on the can's and never give up 

I always choose #3 and this time around, it is important to me that I share with everyone that I often a get the flare-ups in my hips/glutes/back and I absolutely want to quit triathlons when that happens. Yes, I want to quite something that I love so much in life. I tell Karel how much pain I am in and that it is not worth it for I don't want to be disrespectful to my body. I have never had a stress fracture or broken bone and I hope to leave this earth with the same body parts that I entered it with. Therefore, I am often stuck with the decision of #1 and #3 which leads me to my message at the beginning of this blog. 

Life requires hard work, patience and commitment. I gave myself a goal when I signed up for Lake Placid Ironman to try to qualify for Kona. I didn't care about times or places but instead, to race to my full potential and to leave nothing out on the course. There are very few athletes out there who can "race" an Ironman and I acknowledge that I am one of a small group that chooses to put a lot on the line to compete for 140.6 miles instead of just hoping for a finish (which I always remember is the ultimate goal). This group, however, still goes into the race with the same dedication, passion and commitment as those who finish in the top 50% of their age group and as those who finish within the 17 hour time limit. Even though some of us use our bodies to race the Ironman, we are all there to endure the physical feat that is the Ironman. 

Through the highs and lows of life that I encountered throughout my Ironman-in-training journey, I reminded myself that the only thing I can do on race day is to race with my current level of fitness. There is absolutely no reason to dwell on the past that can not be changed, unless it is for a reason that was within your control to bring you to a better tomorrow. Therefore, I wanted to make sure I did not give myself any reasons to wish I would have done things differently. 

I feel the Ironman teaches athletes a lot of lessons. Many times, athletes are numb to these lessons and think beyond what is within their control. I like to have control over situations and I feel this is something that has been learned through my history of endurance racing. I like to know what the course looks like, what type of competition is on the course, what the weather will be like, where the wind is coming from, what paces are reflective of my current level of fitness and most of all, that at the end of the day (on race day), my mind is my most powerful weapon. If I don't stay positive, stay in the moment and love what I am doing (have fun and smile!), I accomplish nothing on race day that I trained myself to do in training. You can give yourself a thousand reasons why something won't work but if you can think of the one reason why it will work, you will find yourself doing what the mind believes...and the body will follow. 

                                                  

On July 28th, 2013, I gave my best effort in an Ironman. I raced smart, paced myself well and never stopped believing in myself. I had many opportunities to think it wasn't possible to achieve what I wanted to achieve back in July 2012 considering the setbacks I was given this year. But I know better than to think like that. 

We are often limited in life by thinking of our past instead of staying in the moment. For in the Ironman, we do the opposite as well - we think about what we didn't accomplish that may have made a positive impact on race day and we can easily think about what's to come and worrying how we will deal with it. I admit I did a little of both while I was racing but Gloria (my mental coach/sport psychologist) always reminds me to stay in the moment so I had to constantly get myself to that place over and over for 140.6 miles. 

As athletes, we often compare ourselves to others, wishing for better, more or something different. I did not do that this time around for this Ironman. I knew what I wanted to achieve on race day and I kept within my own box but with a peephole to keep an eye on what others were doing on race day. I did not deviate from my plan or worry about something that was not happening at that point. Why worry about what's to come if you have to be in control of the present moment? 

My 6th Ironman performance landed me in 5th place. Only three Kona Ironman world championship spots were available for my age group (30-34) and I knew I had stiff competition - but amazing, nice and supportive athletes. 

                      
(first and second amateur females which also happened to be in my age group. Katie and Kendra - amazing people and fast, strong, talented athletes!)

                                          

But as usual, I strive to better myself as an athlete and the only way I can do that is by being pushed by those who are better than me. I do not wish to be at the front more than once for then I stop growing as an athlete. I am constantly seeking ways to challenge myself as an athlete and I find I do that best on hard, difficult courses with strong competition.

Before the award ceremony today, I heard there was a chance that there would be a rolldown slot for Kona. That means the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place girls would receive spots because the 1st place girl (Katie T.) already qualified for Kona by winning her age group at Eagleman. But if there was another person to not take her slot, that would mean the slot would roll down to me. Roll downs do not happen that often but that is why you should never give up or count yourself out. 

As always, I did not celebrate until the time would come that I was actually hear my name from Mike Riley, telling me that the slot rolled down to me. 

After waiting and waiting, 11:05am came and it was time for roll down. 

I chatted with Karel about me qualifying for Kona and he was supportive of the decision that if I qualified, he would want me to go as we make all our athletic decisions together for the IM is no easy distance to train and prepare for, not to mention my second Ironman within 3 months and I have a busy August with speaking engagements. 

I couldn't help but think about the possibility of qualifying for Kona for it was something that motivated me every day when I trained and kept me balanced when I questioned if I should do more with training or rush the journey. But then I thought about race day which I will explain more in my race report. I thought about how hard I dug during the race and battled every demon in my body that wanted to give up. All that training, focus, time, money and prep to make excuses and give up? Absolutely not. I raced injury free, with a clear mind and with my hubby for the first time. Nothing was in my way on race day and all I needed was patience, commitment and hard work and I was willing to execute on race day in the same way that I do in training. Have fun and don't give up out until the body gives every reason possible to give up.

What if I would have counted myself out in Feb, in March and in April. Seriously - 3 months of no running and I expect myself to run a marathon after biking 112 miles, let alone race against athletes who have no limiters with their body? 

On July 28th, 2013, I earned my Kona slot which I received July 29th via roll down. I will be heading to Hawaii for the 2013 Ironman World Championships, which will be my 3rd time racing in Kona. Luck was not needed for a Kona slot. On race day I didn't need luck on my side. The answer was simple for Placid. I didn't give up for the past 12 months, I never counted myself out. Believe me - this is never easy, especially when you can't step without pain or you wish things would be different in that moment. But there is always something inside me that believes I can get myself to a place that I feel is not possible at the present moment. Sometimes it doesn't work as planned but I try to do everything within my capability to dream big and work hard for my goals.  

I did all I could on race day and if I would not have given everything I had on that course, I would not have gotten the opportunity for the slot to roll down to me. The entire race came together with my best Ironman racing performance and Kona is just the icing on the cake. Race results are not told by a piece of paper or on the internet but by the athlete herself for what she had to overcome before and during race day.

As I finish the beginning of a series of race reports, I hope today's blog post always motivates you to never give up, to never count yourself out and to always work hard for what you want in life. 

And onto even more exciting things.....YAY - real food from the Lake Placid brewery!!!! Veggie burger for me, real burger and local IPA beer for Karel. We both joined the clean plates club after today's lunch. Looking forward to recovering from this Ironman for the next two weeks and thanking my body for all it went through on race day. Race reports to come.......

2013 Ironman Lake Placid FINISHERS!

You know the saying that sometimes words can't describe what you are feeling. This is not that time. But just in case, I have videos to help.

My quads are killing me, I am in love with the Ironman Lake Placid bike and swim course, the spectators, volunteers and athletes were amazing, I absolutely love what I can make my body do when I train it to perform, I never realize how strong my mind can be until I need it to be strong, I love creating memories with Karel and sharing experiences with other athletes, my quads are killing me (oh - I already said that), I am so grateful to have another IM finish to my name, I never thought I could dig so deep before, cheers from the crowd can be so energy-giving, my husband is amazing.

Sunday was a great day for both Karel and myself. Sure, we trained hard for this day but the day was all about execution, perseverance, determination, confidence and the understanding that we choose to do this and we can do this with our body. There was rain, wind and plenty of difficulty on this incredible course but it was just as beautiful as it was challenging. Never would I think that an Ironman run course could be so hard but Placid didn't let us down as we knew what we wanted in our first Ironman together. Easy is boring, we love a challenge! With plenty of hills, climbs and rollers from the moment we exited the swim, until we finished the run, we certainly got what we paid for...and a finisher medal to show for it.

140.6 miles - 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, 26.2 miles running.

Karel is now a member of a very exclusive club that is not easy to get in to. He has earned his Ironman finisher medal, t-shirt and medal and no one can ever take that away from him. He overcame obstacles on race day and as a rookie, he was still very impressive. Sharing this course with Karel made me so happy as I always need him to keep me going when I race an Ironman but when I could see him pushing hard, I ignored the many voices in my head that tried to convince me to give up, slow down or stop.

We would like to thank all those who cheered for us from afar and on the course, sent us text messages, emails and facebook posts. We are completely amazed by the support of our friends and followers and we are extremely grateful for your support. I only hope that our performance inspires you to set a goal, work hard for it and enjoy the journey along the way.

The race report will come soon as I need to gather some thoughts in my head when they fresh in my exhausted body and mind but for now, a few quick stats:

Marni  race results  - IM #6

Swim:	1:01:02
Bike:	5:46:11
Run:	3:48:36
Overall:	10:43:14

5th overall age group (30-34)
21st overall female (including pros)
12th amateur female

Karel's race results - IM #1!!!

Swim:	1:10:20
Bike:	5:16:26
Run:	3:26:19
Overall:	10:03:26

  13th age group (35-39)
66th male (including pros)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Ironman Placid tracking, thank you's and photos

2013 Ironman Lake Placid

140.6 miles. 

It doesn't matter what the course looks like on paper, 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running is a test of mental strength, endurance and nutrition. There is no "easy" Ironman. Perhaps a course may favor your strengths or just magnify your weaknesses but at the end of the day, every athlete out on the course is committed to the task at hand and recognizes that you become strong when you are forced to be strong. 

The choice to do an Ironman is simply that. A choice. You may feel pressure as a newbie or veteran runner or triathlete to do a longer-distance event and feel as if the Ironman gives you the ultimate bragging right to show how fit you are (or can become). Perhaps the Ironman is the only road you will ever take to become a world championship finisher which is a major accomplishment in and of itself. For others, the Ironman is a way to fund raise, to give back or to race for those who can't. But whatever your choice may be for signing up for an Ironman, it is the commitment you make to yourself to prepare for the event and then execute in a way that moves you forward throughout the day in order to finish in 17 hours. You swim, you bike, you run for 140.6 miles and never forget that race day is the day you dreamed of for 3,6,12 months and when the time finally comes, the only thing you can do is let the day happen as it is meant to happen. 

I feel strongly in thanking my body before every Ironman as I know my body does not have to let me do this type of endurance event. It requires a lot of training and every year, my body gives me a little wake up call that it is a gift to race injury-free. For much of this year, I have battled with my ongoing hip issues and I feel that for this very special Ironman, I have so much to be thankful for. 3 months without running from Feb - April and then on-and-off issues alongside PT until the last few weeks of training. But I never let myself lose focus of my goals, my dreams and what I love to do. The only thing I could do is to find a way to move myself forward. Never thinking about the past but instead, where I want to be on race day. I could have easily complained and tried to do more than my body was capable of doing but then I wouldn't be standing here today, less than 24 hours to race day, with my hubby as he does his first Ironman with me. I am incredibly grateful to my body for letting me train in a way that I can confidently stand at the starting line with my current level of fitness and trust that my body not only knows how to race the Ironman but that it also loves to finish an Ironman. Rather than writing my body a thank you letter this time around, I feel I will be thanking my body repeatedly during the race tomorrow and owe it to my body to give it a big thank you when I cross the finish line and write my post-race race report. 

Knowing that we are expecting rain and wind tomorrow, I am hoping that every athlete will be safe on this very challenging course. A message to all Ironman athlete, race within your own capabilities. Be confident in what you are able to do with your skills and fitness and be inspired by those around you as you like-wise are an inspiration to others. Every athlete will have highs and lows but in order to get to a high, you have to get through a low. I believe that an Ironman forces you to be smart and to be patient and I wish that every athlete has his/her own personal best day no matter what the time or finishing pace. The best race results are not told on paper but instead, by the athlete him/herself after the journey is complete. 

This has been a great past few days in Placid and I look forward to a 3:30am wake-up call to finally release some energy. I want to wish Trimarni Coaching athlete Laura G. a very special Good Luck tomorrow as she races in her first ever Ironman and I can't wait to share this course with her as I have loved guiding her along in this journey. I also want to wish my Trimarni nutrition athletes a great race day as I know each of my athletes have worked hard on their nutrition and even if you can't prevent nutrition-related issues, you have the ability to deal with them when the arise.

And lastly, to my hubby who has been at the sidelines for 4 of my 5 past Ironmans. Thank you for always being there and for supporting me, believing in me and challenging me to move outside my comfort zone. Thank you for letting me know that all I need to do is to just stay on your wheel to get faster, yet my legs screamed to you that I can't. Thank you for letting me share this journey with you as 12 months ago you were a new swimmer who struggled to swim 500 yards and I have enjoyed seeing you improve so much in the water. And lastly, thank you for encouraging me to never give up as I have questioned many many times in the past few years that triathlon's and running was not a sport for my body. But you never let me quit and you always found a way to let me train and to heal my body at the same time. I know you will have moments in your first IM when it will seem tough and not possible as I have them too. The mind will question your sanity and there will be many why's as to the purpose of racing for 140.6 miles. Just think about all the training you did for a one-day event for on Monday, it will all be over. You can wear your medal, your finisher t-shirt and you can walk like you were hit by a bus and think about Sunday as if it was the best day of your life.

Karel, we are a team and I know we will help each other out like we always do, even if we are different parts of the course. I look forward to seeing you wizz by me on the bike, doing what you were born to do. 5+ hours of total enjoyment as I know this bike course is made for you.
And at the end of our day, if I can't give you the energy you need to dig deep because I am working on my own race day issues, I know there will be thousands of athletes, spectators and volunteers that will give you energy that you don't have in order to pull you to the finish line.

GOOD LUCK IRONMAN LAKE PLACID ATHLETES and THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS AND SPECTATORS!!!

A few pics from today and yesterday. 

Trimarni Nutrition athlete Fran (best of luck!!!)

Mirror lake - swim start

Morning swim at mirror lake

Laura and Karel - Karel giving tips like always. So grateful for his knowledge and perspective as a "cyclist" turned triathlete

Biking the run course

Biking the run course

Biking the run course

Biking the run course with views of Olympic ski jump

Biking the run course

Biking the run course - so happy

Biking the run course

Hubby enjoying his morning eats

Morning eats!

Supporting the local small business - Placid Planet Bike Shop

Race ready!

Packing transition bags

Empty transition area

Miracle on Ice! 1980 arena - athlete meeting

Snow from the ice skating rink

Pre-race ritual pizza two nights before the race - store-bought (frozen) this time, topped with my own toppings of mushrooms, nutritional yeast and tofu and fresh ginger and garlic

French toast w/ sunny side up egg, greek yogurt and fresh fruit and honey

Bike check-in

All checked in!

Transition area

Transition area

My hubby and me!

Trimarni coaching athlete Laura

Bike course - descending

For tracking on race day: 

LIVE COVERAGE

Marni: Bib #664
Karel: Bib #1792

A little about our race course:
Slowtwitch: IM Placid guide
Lake Placid bike course


Thank you for your support, your cheers and your encouragement!
We will do our best to race smart and to finish strong.

And lastly - a HUGE thank you to the companies that have helped me along my Ironman journey. I absolutely love being an ambassador for companies that allow me to live an active and healthy lifestyle with their safe, quality gear/products.

Thank you:
110% Play Harder
Oakley Women
Brooks Running
Hammer Nutrition

Oh and last but not least - thank you to my family who supports me no matter what crazy thing I have in my mind to achieve. My parents have never missed an Ironman of mine and I know they are enjoying their time with Campy and cheering from afar. Thank you to my brother and his fiance Dana for cheering out Karel and I and always supporting our very active lifestyle.