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 IM 70.3 Chattanooga: Quick Recap

 

After fifteen years of endurance racing, I thought that we have experienced every possible type of setback. But this was a first. As you may have heard, Karel had a hard fall on his mountain bike on Tuesday May 18th, which happened to be five days before our scheduled event, IM 70.3 Chattanooga. Although Karel never broke a bone before, he instantly knew that something was seriously wrong with his hand. I will go into more details on his accident in a future blog post but for now, here's how the week went for us. 

Tuesday late afternoon, around 5:20pm, I received a call from Karel but didn't answer it as I thought he was just driving home and I was finishing up my trainer bike + treadmill run workout. A few minutes later, I gave him a call and he was driving home - explaining to me that he needed me to take him to the hospital. 

From ~6pm until 9:30pm we were in the ER waiting room (well Karel was, I had to wait outside due to COVID rules) and then from 9:30-10:30pm, Karel was admitted into the emergency room patient area. We arrived back home around 11pm and I was able to get to bed around midnight. It was a rough night for Karel as he was in so much pain. Neither of us slept much (especially Karel). 

On Wednesday, I called the hand center as soon as they opened as Karel was in a tremendous amount of pain (and the pain meds were not helping). They told me they would call me back in a few hours to schedule a consult with the surgeon. I waited and waited and around 10am, I decided to go for a run outside. The run was interrupted by a few calls from the hand center to schedule an appointment for Karel. 

Thursday I had planned to swim in the morning but it was another interrupted night of sleep as Karel was in a lot of pain. My heart hurt for him. Around mid morning as Karel was resting, I decided to ride on the trainer for my workout as I didn't have the mental or physical energy to ride outside. In the early afternoon, I took Karel to see the surgeon. After an hour appointment, we were told to wait for a call to see about a time and day that Karel could get surgery. 

Nearing 4pm on Thursday, I still wasn't sure if I would race IM 70.3 Chattanooga. I wanted to be with Karel and take care of him. I didn't feel right "playing" triathlon while he was in so much pain (or having surgery). We received a call from the surgery center and Karel was scheduled to have surgery at 12:30pm on Friday and to be at the hospital at 10am. 

After talking things over with Karel, my mom and our good friend Alvi (who were were sharing an Airbnb with), I decided I would race. But I wasn't there to be competitive but to be there for our athletes. I wanted to drive up on Saturday but with my scheduled check-in time at 2-3pm on Friday, we decided it would be better for me to leave on Friday so I wasn't rushed on Saturday. Plus Karel would be in surgery for 2 hours on Friday morning. After packing up my stuff on Thursday, I mowed the front lawn for Karel, got together some food for him while I was away and made sure the house was ready for Karel to be a patient for the next 72 hours. Thankfully my mom helped out and took Karel to the surgery center and stayed with him all evening - and continued to check on him, walk Campy and feed the cats on Saturday. 

Although I didn't sleep too well on Thursday evening, I went for a quick swim on Friday before driving to Chatty. I felt like I wasn't present in the workout but just going through the motions. It helped that my swimming partner Kristen was there. I joined the master swim group and just kinda did my own thing. 

Karel was picked up by my mom around 9:20am and Alvi and I left at 9:30am. We arrived in Chatty around 2pm, right as Karel was getting out of surgery - which was a huge relief for me as I was really worried about him and just wanted to get the news that the surgery went ok. 

Normally when I write my quick recap blog post after a race, I like to share the highlights of the race. Although I'd share the nitty gritty details of the race in my next blog post, I found it important to share how my typical race-week was anything from typical - and far from normal and stress-free. Although the craziness of the week adds to the disbelief in my overall race performance, this past week/weekend has been a good reminder that there will always be speed bumps and detours on the road to success. The key is not to turn obstacles into road closed signs. 

If you are always wanting, hoping or wishing for the perfect situation or scenario on race week/day, you will always be waiting. No matter what is thrown your way, have trust in your ability to perform optimally, despite the circumstances you are given. 

Had it been more serious, there was no way that I would choose a race over Karel's health. But seeing that his injury was not life-threatening, once I knew he was safe out of surgery and on the road to recovery, I approached the race with no expectations and I prepared myself to just enjoy the day and to stay in the moment. I wasn't racing for me, but for our athletes and for Karel. 

And to my shocking surprise, things turned out pretty okay. 

As if I didn't already learn enough lessons from this experience, this was a helpful reminder to never race with expectations. Expectations often lead to disappointments. Expectations cause frustration when you feel like you aren't performing to your potential. It is either black or white. You either succeed or you fail. When you have an expectation and you don't meet is, you get disappointed, you feel less than and compare yourself negatively to others. When we focus on the process - on the execution - we can do the small things well. And that is how the best outcome possible is achieved. This doesn't mean you have low expectations or you are lowering the bar. This means you are getting rid of the bar completely. 

I didn't feel any pressure on race day. I didn't need to prove anything to anyone, to Karel or to myself. All I focused on was being in the moment. Be. Here. Now. To perform at your best, you must let go of the outcome focus and learn to become optimally focused  and apply your best effort in each present moment. 

3rd Overall Female
3rd Age Group
FULL RESULTS

It's (almost) race day - how to get in a positive headspace

 The past 12+ months have caused a lot of uncertainty and instability, bringing on a lot of emotional distress. If you have had difficulty concentrating, experienced hopelessness or have felt anxious, nervous, frustrated or stressed out, you are not alone. And with an upcoming race on the schedule, you may find it difficult to get yourself into a place of positive thinking so that you can stay confident and focused under pressure. Instead, you may find yourself lacking self-belief due to irritational or distorted thinking. 

To feel more optimistic and empowered, here are a few tips to help you get in a positive headspace before your upcoming event: 

• Avoid energy suckers - it's not easy to deal with negative people who suck the energy from you and leave you feeling discouraged, upset and drained. Because you can't completely shut everyone out of your life (ex. acquaintances, family, co-workers), it's important to set boundaries and minimize contact in the days leading up to your race. If you are unable to get away from energy suckers, avoid participating in their negative conversation or try to divert the conversation completely. 
  
  
• Avoid social media - a lot of time and emotional energy is wasted on social media. Obtaining a sense of self by comparing yourself with others can increase depressive symptoms, negative body image and poor self-esteem. Because social media tends to prioritize the "highlight reel" of the lives of other people, it's easy to slip into a negative state of mind by comparing yourself with others. It takes great discipline to not let social media steal your time and energy. Don't let social media drain your valuable energy that can be used on race day. 
  
  
• Stay processed driven - many athletes view a race result as the primary indicator of whether or not you've had a successful race. Expending a lot of mental energy on an outcome will increase anxiety, nerves and pressure, because once you start thinking about results, you can't ever get your mind away from them. As a result, in order to deliver a certain result, you need to focus on that result. This outcome focus mindset puts all the energy into the end result but the paradox of outcome focus is that it can actually reduce your chance of having a great race. Why? Because you can never predict what will happen on race day. Ultimately, you are going to perform at your best when you focus on what you need to do to perform at your best. 
  
  
• Welcome your pre-race jitters - pre-race butterflies are a normal part of racing. They help you focus and perform better because it means you are excited  and amped-up to race. Embrace your pre-race jitters as this is your body's way of helping you feel prepared. Trust that once you get the race started, you will get into a state of flow, which allows you to stay calm, confident and focused. However, performance anxiety can make you physical sick to your stomach, worried, anxious, drained, exhausted and stressed - none of which will help you get into a good headspace before the race. Many times, pre-race anxiety or worry comes from a place of fear of failure. Worrying about what others may think, not meeting expectations, not feeling fully prepared, negative self-talk and focusing on an outcome or result will only put you into a negative state of mind before the race. Remind yourself that racing is fun and it's a celebration of training. 

If you are in need of help: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. 1-800-273-8255

How to pack for a half ironman distance triathlon

Anytime I think about the stress of packing for a long distance triathlon, I am reminded of this picture - from my very first half ironman. My first half ironman was in May 2006 in Orlando - at Disney. The event is no longer at Disney, but is now in Haines City - and is now called Ironman 70.3 Florida (the event we are competing in this weekend). For the past few years, Karel and I have returned to Florida to kick-start our triathlon season in Haines City. Every time I race IM 70.3 Florida, I am reminded of that first scary unknown experience of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles and then running 13.1 miles. It was a humbling experience to feel like a beginner and to have no idea what I would experience over 70.3 miles. 

Despite feeling physically prepared for your upcoming long distance triathlon event, lacking actual race experience may leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed. And with the logistics of racing for 70.3 miles, a lot of "stuff" is needed to get from start to finish line. 

Whether you are doing a local race or an Ironman branded 70.3 event, I will share with you my race day gear for my upcoming half Ironman. I hope that these packing tips will help you feel more prepared and confident with your race day gear selection. 

            

Product links: 
Roka wetsuit
Roka swimskin
Project Stingray transition bag
TYR special ops 2.0 goggles
Roka GP series sport sunglasses
Hydration band
Lace locks
Cooling towel 
Swim tether 

Tugaloo Olympic Triathlon Race Recap - Part 2

 

1.5K Swim
Marni: 24:38 
Karel: 25:14

With the time trial start and small participant list, the water never felt crowded. I was able to swim through a small group of athletes who started ahead of me and soon after the first buoy, I found myself swimming alone. I was passed by a few speedy swimmers and tried to stay on their feet but wasn't able to swim at their speed. I'd call this more of a half ironman effort as I felt like I was swimming strong but the effort was very familiar to me as it's what I know from endurance racing. Karel passed me in the first few hundred yards but I was able to pass him back as I always build my swims on race day. I felt myself getting stronger as the swim went on but couldn't find another gear to pick up the speed. 
The water temp was warm but since it was raining, it never felt hot but instead, just perfect. There were a few buoys on the course but as I was swimming back to the shore, I couldn't sight the finishing arch. I kept looking and looking and couldn't see it. I finally decided to stop and look to see if I could sight exactly where I needed to swim. Well, turned out the arch deflated so I had to do my best to sight where the volunteers were signaling the athletes to get out of the water. 
Seeing that Karel and I are only swimming three days a week (primarily because we don't need this time of the year to feel like full-on race prep where we would swim 5-6 times per week), Karel is really happy with his swim and how he felt in the water. Karel still struggles with his swimming - he mostly feels off in the water and sometimes feels great. It's a constant mind game and physical battle for him as an adult-onset swimmer. 

T1
Marni: 2:20
Karel: 1:34

Well this wasn't as rusty as I thought it would be. I ran up the walking path and unzipped my swim skin and removed my cap and goggles. I made my way into the transition area and quickly found my bike on the rack. My helmet was filled with water so I first dumped it out before putting it on my head. I had my visor on the helmet as I knew I didn't want it down to start the ride in the rain. I decided to put socks on for the bike (instead of only for the run) so that did take me a few extra seconds. I also put on my shoes in the transition area since the bike exit was right by my rack and there was a hill to climb right after the mount line. I felt like my transition was fast but I guess it wasn't as fast as it felt. Karel made his way quickly out of the transition area and he rolled his bike to the mount line just in front of me. 

26 Mile Bike
Marni: 1:09.20 (Garmin had 1:08.45, 26.2 miles, 22.8 mph)
Karel: 1:07.09 (Garmin had 1:06.55, 26.1 miles, 23.4 mph)

This was fun! I really enjoyed this course. Although there were a few cars on the course, I felt like the course was safe and well marked. The course was primarily rolling hills with no major climbs (nothing steep). It had a really nice flow to it with the rollers. It rained on and off throughout the bike but it never felt dangerous or unsafe. I kept my visor on the helmet (instead of over my eyes) as it was cloudy and a little bit rainy and I didn't feel I needed the visor. I had my ventum hydration system filled with 200 calories of fruit punch INFINIT (Trimarni endurance base formula), topped with water. I also had a bottle between the aero bars with only water (just a few ounces if I wanted to sip it - which I didn't). I sipped my drink ~8-10 minutes (2-3 big chugs) and sometimes every 5 minutes depending on the course. The bike course was primarily country roads which is something we are familiar with in Greenville but unlike in Greenville, the pavement was super smooth. This was so nice! There were a few police helping to navigate traffic throughout the course and a few volunteers helping us to stay on course. Since I was near the front of the race after the swim, I passed a handful of athletes in the first few miles of the bike and rode the rest of the bike solo. I had Karel in my eye sight waaaay ahead of me for most of the bike until around 10 miles to go. At this point, my mind started to wander and I found myself easing up. Thankfully, the Spinners time trial events that I did this past summer really helped me understand what a "hard" effort should feel like. I had no power goals or metrics to abide to during this race (I never race according to metrics) so I just focused on going hard and strong. My legs were burning but I was able to recover on the downhills (while taking advantage of the free speed). It turns out the overall female accidentally made a wrong turn out of the transition area so she added 1.5 miles to her bike. When she passed me on the bike, she was flying and although I tried to stay close to her, there was no chance. I was already seeing high power numbers and there was no way that I could push any harder. She was super strong so I just focused on my own effort. The sprint triathletes were merging on our course for the last few miles (we all shared the same course in and out of the transition area) so I was passing carefully and needed to be a bit more alert with more people on the course. 
I was really happy with my ride and I felt like this showcased my current bike fitness which has improved a lot over past two years. I think the biggest improvement is just feeling more confident on my bike (I LOVE my Ventum - I have been riding it since 2018) and I am more confident being uncomfortable with my efforts (trusting my fitness that I can still run well after a hard bike). 
Karel was really happy with his bike. He has been very frustrated with his bike fitness and back issues over the past few years but he felt like this performance was well executed, he had no back pain and he was happy with his effort. Sure, he wishes he could be faster but any ride without back pain on the bike is a great ride for him. 

T2
Marni: 1:36
Karel: 1:18

Well this was rusty! I dismounted my bike with my shoes still on the bike and rolled my bike to the rack. I put on my run shoes (which stayed dry because I put a bag over my shoes before the race) and then slide on my Naked Run belt. I tried to put the bottles in the belt but I couldn't find the pockets. So I put my race belt and grabbed my visor and sunglasses. I put on my visor and sunglasses and then started to jog as I put my bottles into my belt. I missed one of the pockets and bottle dropped to the ground. I stopped to pick it up. I felt like I was a hot mess in T2 and I was happy when I finally exited the transition area with all my gear on. 

10K Run
Marni: 46:09 (7:40 min/mile, 6.02 miles)
Karel: 37:31 (6:13 min/mile, 6.02 miles)

As much as I would love to be a faster runner, I am really happy with this run. This is actually a "fast" run for me as I've done no speed work or anything tempo this summer. I've just been running happy and enjoying staying injury free with my running. I loved this run course. Aside from the camber in the road, the course was a lot of fun. It was up and down, twisty and curvy and nothing flat. My type of run! Whereas Karel would prefer a run where he can settle into a rhythm, I love the runs where there is a lot going on within each mile. It was so great to see Yannick leading the race and Karel and Alvaro not too far behind. As the race went on, I was able to see more familiar faces which made me so happy. Since I had two flasks with me (one with NBS Carbo-hydration and one with water), I didn't need anything from the aid stations. There was one aid station with an energy drink (which I passed on) and a few tables with water bottles for us to grab. The course was a little tricky to navigate through as there were signs for the 10K run (Olympic distance) and 5K (sprint distance) - with so many turns, it was sometimes easy to doubt yourself - am I going the right way? But thankfully I always had an athlete in front of me to keep me on course. Around half way I was passed by another girl and I cheered her on. I was giving my best effort on the day (which felt more like half Ironman effort as I am just not a speedy runner) and I wasn't going to let myself be disappointed with my effort (especially when I am injury free). I loved getting cheers from a few spectators on the course (thanks Thomas and Laura) and it felt great to know that I was almost close to crossing a finish line - for the first time in 11 months. 

After I crossed the finish line, I felt really accomplished. I was happy, joyful, grateful and had all the feels that I missed. I was greeted by Karel (who cheered me on in the last 1/4 mile) and met up with Alvi, Yannick and eventually Josh. We waited for more of our athletes to finish before we grabbed some food in the pavillion. We all kept on our masks throughout the post-race experience (there were masks on the table right at the finish line).  

Total: 
Marni: 2:24.02 (3rd overall female, 15th overall)
Karel: 2:12.42 (2nd overall) 

This race was just what we needed. More than the experience to allow us to put our season of training to good use, it gave us something to look forward to, it gave us purpose for the day and it allowed us to connect with the triathlon community - which we have missed so much. Even though I love long distance racing, it was nice to finish a race before 11am and be home by 2pm. And I loved seeing our athletes on and off the course. 

I am calling 2020 the year of the unfamiliar. I am embracing new opportunities, welcoming new experiences and exploring new events. And I'm happy to say, we actually have four more events planned for 2020! 

Tugaloo Olympic Triathlon Race Recap - Part 1

 

Pre-Race
I had all the normal nerves going into the event. It was a welcomed experience to feel these emotions as I hadn't felt them since last October at the 2019 Ironman World Championship. Eleven months without racing felt like an eternity but one thing felt familiar.....I was super excited to race. 

Since Karel and I registered for this event around two weeks ago, we didn't have any expectations for this event. There was no Olympic specific training. As endurance athletes, our strength is being great at not slowing down. Fast is relative but we certainly didn't feel "fast" going into this event. Not having expectations helped to eliminate any pressure that we needed to prove something at this event. 

The day before the event was a normal day. We both went out for a pre-race workout (~45 min interval bike followed by a ~20-minute run) and then went straight into work mode. Since the event was only ~1:15 away, we opted to stay at home and head to the race venue early on race morning. In typical fashion, I packed for the event several day before the event and Karel packed on Friday. It was a weird feeling to pack our transition bags as it wasn't as cumbersome as an Ironman but we felt a bit rusty planning our gear for a short course triathlon race. Karel tuned up our Ventum bikes and got them race ready on Thursday. 

Nutrition was pretty standard (except no pre-race pizza as I normally do - instead we had pasta with a veggie packed marinara sauce with tofu on Thurs) on the day before the race. We went to bed earlier than normal and fell asleep around 8:30pm. Campy was not complaining about this early bedtime - although the cats were a bit confused. 

Since this was a new race course for us, we reviewed the course map for the bike by looking at Google Earth. Karel went through the entire course so it was nice to see the actual course. We also looked at the running file from an athlete of ours who did the race a few years ago. 

As usual, I found myself sleeping a bit light on Friday. A mix of excitement and nerves and wonder of the unknown kept my brain a bit awake as I tried to keep myself asleep throughout the night. Campy slept like a rock. 

Race morning
The alarm was set for 4am but we both woke up around 3:45am. Madison and Ella (the cats/girls) were super excited about an early breakfast and Campy was a bit frustrated about his early wake-up call. After feeding the furry crew, Karel and I got everything ready and around 5:15am we left for the race. Karel ate his pre-race oatmeal at the house and I ate my typical waffles + PB + Syrup + Granola + Banana in the car. Karel also enjoyed a small guava pastry on the way to the race. 

Of course - fitting with the theme of 2020 - it rained as soon as we left the house. It rained for about 15 minutes and then it stopped. And then it rained again. And then it stopped. Spoiler alert: This was the theme for the rest of the morning. 

I felt a bit nervous as we made our way to Tugaloo State Park but it was a different type of nerves. The nerves were from a place of unknown and excitement. It had been a few years since we raced in an Olympic distance triathlon event. But once we arrived to the race venue, the nerves went away and all I felt was excitement. Karel felt some nerves earlier in the week but on Friday, he felt super calm and relaxed. 

As far as the race changes due to COVID, we picked up our packet at the entrance to the park. We payed $5 to enter the park and then drove to a tent to get our packets. We turned in our signed handout (for COVID reasons) before getting our packets. The two volunteers had on masks and Karel (who was driving) also wore a mask when he got our packets. It was a very smooth process. There were volunteers directing us to a gravel parking lot which is where we parked (about 1/4 mile from the race venue/lake). Once we parked, we got our gear ready with the contents inside of the race packet (helmet sticker, bike sticker, disposable chip, bib number) and then made our way to the race venue. At this point, we saw many familiar faces including several of our athletes (we had 9 other Trimarnis racing). It was such a great feeling to be in the race environment. So far, everything felt normal - except that we wore a mask for the entire morning until we entered the water. 

After walking our bikes to the transition area, we waited in line to enter the transition area. Another change due to COVID was only allowing 50 athletes in the transition area at once. The transition area also had bike racks where only 3 bikes were on each rack to ensure distancing. I know that many people are wishing for things to return to normal but this is a new normal that I would love to stay! It was great to have so much space in the transition area. There were no volunteers for body marking but they had markers available if we wanted to mark ourselves. The race officials and staff all had masks and every athlete (and spectator - although spectators were not encouraged to attend) had on a mask. It was great to see everyone following guidelines. 

After laying out our transition area, it started to rain. Karel and I made our way to the pavilion area where we went to the bathroom (public restrooms) and got ready for a warm-up jog. I did a bit of dynamic stretching and then jogged around the finish line parking lot (away from people) for around 10 minutes before getting ready for a warm-up swim. I wore my mask for my warm-up jog as I was running by people at times. It was raining on and off all morning before the race. It was great to see more and more familiar faces and despite wearing masks, everything felt familiar and normal. 

After putting on my swimskin, I made my way to the water which had a light layer of fog on it. The water temp was mid 80's so not wetsuits were allowed. Since it was raining, it wasn't hard getting into the water for a warm-up. I swam out to give a closer look at all the buoys on the course. Some of which were hard to see with the rain and light fog. My total warm-up was around 25 minutes (run and swim) and by the time I was finished, I was ready to get the race started. 

We lined up 6-feet apart in rows for the time trial start. Masks were required until you started the event. There was a trash can to dispose of your mask at the start. Karel and I positioned ourselves near the front, a few rows back from the very front. The race director started two people at a time, around every 5 seconds. As soon as you reached the race director (who had on a mask) you could remove your mask before entering the water. 

After this point, everything else felt normal. We swam, we biked and we ran and we crossed the finish line feeling accomplished and proud. In my next blog, I'll go into details about the race itself. 

If I could offer a bit of hope to all the athletes reading this race report, don't give up. Although your training may look a bit different and you may feel lost with your self-identity and purpose as an athlete when there are no races on your schedule, the moment you step onto a race course you will remember why you never gave up on your training. If you have the opportunity to race in a safe environment, I encourage you to be smart but take advantage of the opportunity. 

The best opportunities are the ones that come at the most unexpected times. We don't immediately see opportunities as they are often viewed as something inconvenient, unrealistic, impractical or too difficult. Karel and I could have easily passed on this race because we would have much preferred a long distance event and we know Olympic distance racing is not our specialty (or what we are training for). But right now, a race is a race. We are calling this the season of new opportunities. If you are constantly hoping for something better or living in the past, you may not be taking advantage of the  opportunities that are presented to you at this point in your life.

Opportunities allow us to experience something new, something different, something exciting, something scary or something unknown. Unfortunately, opportunities don't last forever. Seize the moment when it happens. Don't just wait for the "right" time.

This year is teaching us so much. Resilience, patience, flexibility, compassion, empathy. But it's also forcing us to take a chance at an opportunity.

Executing a tune-up race

Hello from Augusta! This is my first time in Augusta and the downtown streets are packed with triathletes. I am thinking it's not always this way but this weekend is the 2018 Ironman 70.3 Augusta event and the town is booming with multisport lovers.

To be honest, I really wish I was racing. I bounced back really quickly from IMWI and feeling fit, healthy and strong. While I only have two "fun" races left on my racing calendar, I have a feeling my FOMO from Augusta may lead me to look for one last triathlon race in 2018. We will see if I can find anything for Karel's racing calendar is keeping us busy over the next 7 weeks as he still has a lot of racing left. Speaking of Karel, it's his birthday today!! Today we are celebrating Karel's 42 years of life!

While IM Kona is Karel's big key race of the season in 3 weeks time, and he is then following it up with IMFL 3 weeks after, Karel is racing Augusta 70.3 tomorrow as a tune-up race as part of his Kona training. Racing in the final prep of his IM Kona training is not for the faint of heart as it requires a no-ego and courageous athlete who can keep things in perspective to execute a tune-up race properly just before the Ironman World Championship. Karel is a smart racer and never chases times for validation of his fitness so I know that no matter what happens tomorrow on race day, he's going to be race ready for IM Kona.

Speaking of tune-up races, many athletes will race before a more important race. Often, these tune-up races will occur a few weeks (3-5) or months (1-2) before a goal race. Most of time, athletes will race a shorter distance or the same distance as the big key race.

To execute a tune-up race properly, there are a few important strategies that athletes should apply to ensure that a tune-up race helps and does not sabotage the upcoming big race training or performance.

• Many athletes will use a tune-up race to test current fitness. It is important to recognize that fitness is not linear. In other words, if your goal race is the most important race of the season, don't get too attached to the results or metrics of your tune-up race. You don't need to PR or see improved watts, paces or times to feel "race ready." While a tune-up race can assess how effectively your training is or isn't going, your tune-up race should ultimately help you gain confidence for your more important race. Therefore, if your tune-up race occurs less than 4 weeks before a goal race, the preparations have been done and there's little time to change your training before your more important race. Thus, you need to race with a smart mindset that this tune-up race is seen more as training than as a validation of your fitness or race readiness. If a tune-up race occurs more than 5 weeks out from a goal race, there's more time to adjust training to continue to move in the right direction, if needed. As I mentioned above, don't get too attached to your tune-up race results. Many athletes have had a sub-par performance at a tune-up race only to excel at their upcoming key race because they were able to race smart, bounce back quickly and have trust in the final training preparations, while nailing the taper and nutrition for the upcoming race.
• Although you may not be able to drastically changed your training between two races (the first being your tune-up and the second being your key race), you can change your nutrition (pre-race, race morning and during the race), specifically if you found yourself with a nutrition-related issue in your tune-up race. Reach out to a Board Certified Sport RD, who specializes in your sport, for help. 
• Because every race is different (ex. weather, course, terrain, etc.) there's little benefit in testing paces at your tune-up race to determine what paces you you should hold at your upcoming key race. Instead, check that ego at the door and race by feel. Feel what you want to feel at your more important race, even if that means racing below the intensity that you feel you should be racing at. While it's ok to take some risks with pacing, be mindful of how those efforts will impact your recovery, especially if you need to quickly get back into structured training.
• Tune-up races are great for going through the racing motions and emotions. Never in training can you experience the nerves, anxieties, worries and excitement that you will feel on race day. Tune-up races are perfect for practicing your race day routine (including the days leading up to the race) and what you will do before, during and after the race. This includes waking up early, dialing in your pre-race meal and pre-race warm-ups, racing in/with your race day clothing and equipment, going through pre-race rituals and dealing with racing stressors like traffic, bad weather, delays, waiting in line, feeling rushed, idol time and race-day adrenaline. You can also practice and test race day nutrition in race day conditions.
• Many athletes struggle to pace a race well in race day conditions, despite having great fitness going into a race. This can cause fear, worry and lack of confidence for the upcoming race. Many times, athletes underperform on race due to fear of messing up (or failure) whereas others overperform, blow-up and race below their potential. To develop confidence, be ok with holding yourself back and then building into an effort. Many times, this strategy becomes the perfect race strategy for you to nail your nutrition, pacing and form for a well-executed race. 

Remember, racing is about putting your physical and mental abilities to good use on race day. To do so, you need to master your nerves, expectations, emotions, self-control, ego and self-belief. Many times, this is more mental than physical. Far too many athletes have the fitness to perform well at an important race but fail to understand how to use that fitness properly at a tune-up race. With your big key race in mind, do what you need to do at your tune-up race to gain confidence, familiarity and excitement for your upcoming big goal race. 

IM 70.3 FL - Race Day Gear Specs

KAREL

Pre race: 
Kit - 2 piece Canari Trimarni kit
Calf sleeves: none
Warm-up shoes: NB 1400
Body glide/Sunscreen: Chamois cream, EMJ Sunscreen
Nutrition meal/drink: Oatmeal, banana, Osmo pre-load in water. Coffee. Espresso. 

Swim: 
Goggles: MP Xceed, blue - clear lens
Wetsuit: Xterra Vengeance
Gadget: Garmin 735

Bike
Bike: Ventum one with dura ace Di2 w/ 165 crank
Wheels: Alto 56 front CT/Tubular Disc
Helmet: Giro's Aerohead MIPS Helmet
Tires: Specialized turbo all round tubular tires
Other: Ceramic speed oversized pulleys, Garmin vector pedals, Dash custom saddle, 3D print bento box (made by our assistant coach Joe).
Shoes: Bontrager Hilo
Socks: No
Gadget: Garmin 810
Fuel: Levelen lemon

Run: 
Shoes: Nike Zoom Fly
Hat/visor: Boco Gear Trimarni trucker hat

Socks: Yes
Hydration belt: Naked Sports Innovations w/ 2 x 8 ounce flasks
Fuel: Enervitene, Osmo
Sunglasses: Oakley radar EV
Gadget: Garmin 735

MARNI

Pre race: 
Kit - Canari Trimarni kit one piece
Calf sleeves: Compress sport
Warm-up shoes: NB 1500
Body glide: Pjuractive 2skin
Nutrition meal/drink: 2 waffles, syrup, PB, yogurt, granola. Osmo pre-load, 1/2 scoop Klean BCAAs, coffee. Throw away plastic water bottle for pre-race warm-up with 2 scoops Osmo)

Swim: 
Goggles: 2.0 special ops femme transition clear lens
Wetsuit: Xterra Vengeance
Gadget: no watch

Bike:
Bike: Trek Speed Concept w/ dura ace Di2, Cobb 160 mm crank
Wheels: Alto CC 86/56
Helmet:  Giro Aerohead MIPS Helmet
Tires: Specialized Sworks tires 24mm
Other stuff: Ceramic speed oversized pulleys, Garmin vector pedals, ISM PN 1.0 saddle
Shoes: Bontrager Hilo
Socks: Yes
Gadget: Garmin 810
Fuel: Infinit Trimarni custom formula (2 bottles), Carbo Rocket Black Cherry Half Evil 333 (1 bottle)

Run: 
Shoes: Nike Zoom Fly
Hat/visor: Boco Gear Trimarni trucker hat

Socks: Yes
Hydration belt: Nathan Trail Mix Plus 2
Fuel: Carbo Rocket Hydration (1 flask kiwi lime, 1 flask raspberry lemonade)
Sunglasses: Oakley Flak 2.0
Gadget: Garmin 920

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  

Get the most out of your race day performance

Race day. 

This is what you train for!
So why do you often feel so disappointed with your race day performance(s)? 

Rarely will race day provide the perfect conditions for a PR performance.
It's likely that you won't feel "fresh" legs all day long.

Understanding that there will be obstacles and really dark/low moments on race day, it's important to approach race day with a positive can-do attitude that race day is all about performing with your body.

When was the last time you said to yourself "Body, let's see what we can do today!" with no expectations or assumptions?

With a good mindset, and accepting the reality that racing will not be easy, it's important to deliver yourself to the finish line knowing that you gave your absolute best. What more can you ask for by your body? 

Here are a few of my tips to help you get the most out of your race day performance so that you can feel proud of your race day performance. 

1. Race day is not a test of your athletic merit/worthiness but instead, an opportunity to celebrate your hard work. Race day is the reward of all your training! Whether you were able to dedicate 100% to your training throughout the entire season or you experienced a setback, injury, sickness, life event or other obstacle that detoured you from consistent training, race day gives you an opportunity to race. Regardless of your current fitness status, race to your full capabilities at this point in your life. Knowing that there will always be another race, do not let one race define you as an athlete.
   
2. Remove any unwanted pressure that may prevent you from rising to your potential on race day. Remove pressure that you need to prove something to your spouse/family and certainly don’t feel that you need to validate that your coaching was worth it by putting together the perfect race. Race for you!
   
3. Don't change the formula. Losing weight, training more/harder or suddenly changing coaches is not how you get better overnight. Remind yourself that you are constantly evolving as an athlete, which means your development occurs over time. Many times, patience is the only key that unlocks great future race day performances.
   
4. Don't stress what is out of your control. Trust yourself and do what has worked in training and in past races. Every race, you bring experience.  You can control your pacing, how you react to situations, your nutrition and your attitude.
   
5. Enjoy race day! Sure, race day is tough but you have to love what you are doing. Find joy in exploring your boundaries, being very uncomfortable and stretching your limits.
   
6. Do not attach your race day goals to a time or place. Racing requires you to take care of yourself from start to finish. You can't predict the future. Accept the challenge and be proud of what you accomplish at the finish - regardless of the results. Focus on the process and the outcome will take care of itself.
   
7. Never overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. Race day will teach you that you are capable of so much more than you ever thought was possible by your mind and body.
   
8. Invest yourself into your race day performance and then move on. So you had a bad race, oh well. Time to move on. So you had a great race - yippee! Savor the moment! Always make sure to learn from your mistakes and bottle up those amazing race performances to build motivation and confidence for your upcoming training. Workouts do not define you as a person and neither does race day. Remember - this is your hobby, it should be fun and memorable. 

 Stay passionate about your sport, never stop having fun, be courageous and brave, take risks and inspire others. 

Don't be afraid to be competitive on race day

On race day, every athlete will have a reason for enduring the pain and the physical challenge that comes with racing.  I encourage you to love competition for competitive feelings help you feel energized, confident and ready to take on a challenge. 

Far too often, athletes get in their own way before and on race day. Nerves, anxiety, fear, self-doubt can shift a race ready body into a frozen body that is unable to perform.  

The thoughts in your mind may play ping-pong between positive and negative but this nervous energy is totally normal and needed. Gloria (Dr. G, my mental coach) believes that nerves are a good thing as it means you are ready and that you care. 

The beautiful thing about competition is that the stress that is felt before a race is a sign that you are willing and able to face a big challenge. This nervous excitement can be a great thing as it is a sign that you are ready and willing to stretch your physical limits and possibly, do something that you have never done before. 

  

Embracing the competition means that you will let other athletes have the race that they trained for without feeling bitter, jealous or upset. Never should you compare yourself to someone else and decide that you are too slow, too heavy or that you will never be that good and you don't belong out on the course.  Every athlete at a race can be competitive. No matter how long it takes you to get to the finish line, not only do you deserve to be there but you worked hard to be there. 

It's good to put a little pressure on yourself with a no expectations attitude. Never lose trust in your abilities. Be confident and enjoy the race experience. 

In a recent article by Dr. G, she discussed some simple tricks to stay mentally tough, no matter what obstacles get in your way. 

For anyone who is racing in the near future, here are my two favorite paragraphs from the article (I recommend reading the entire article):

"Only you know what got you to the race and will get you to the finish line. Everyone has character strengths and experiences that they can capitalize on in challenging situations. First, have awareness of what your strengths are and secondly, use them. Embrace your competitiveness, your humor, your grit. Remember, it was your time, money, training, and planning that got you to the race, so own it. Enjoy the process and focus on doing you on race day!

Successful athletes know their goal so well that they can close their eyes and create a mental picture of it in their mind. The more vivid and clear your goal is, the more your brain and body know where to aim. Motivation increases when you know where you're are aiming your efforts. This means creating a picture in your mind, putting visual cues of your goal in your environment, or writing it out specifically and clearly in your training log. Then leading up to the race, you can recall your goal to help focus and direct all that energy so you're more excited and less freaked out."

Dodge a race day curveball

As a triathlete, I have to be prepared for any and all race day conditions and scenarios. My sport is not singular but instead, a dynamic mix of three sports - swim, bike, run. 

As a coach, I have to be prepared for any and all race day conditions and scenarios to help my athletes overcome race day curve balls. A cancelled swim, a modified bike course, a cancelled, then rescheduled race, non stop rain, freezing cold and windy, extremely hot, two flat tires, GI issues, cramps.....yep, we have dealt with it all by our Trimarni athletes. 

A few scenarios come to mind: 

2014 IMFL - cancelled swim, cold and windy bike

While at the venue, just a short time before the IM Swim start, the swim was cancelled due to swells in the ocean. Karel and I had to think fast and thankfully, our athletes had their cell phones on them as there was a period of time between the cancelled swim and TT bike start that we could re-establish a new game plan. As coaches, it is our job to keep our athletes motivated and focused. We believe our athletes have these qualities as it is but in unfavorable race day conditions, it can be really easy to second guess yourself and even throw in the towel, saying "it's not worth it."

For us, it didn't even cross our mind that our athletes wouldn't continue on with the race. They put in a lot of time, money and energy to train for this one day event so our focus was on helping our athletes (especially our first time IM athletes) get their emotions under control and to establish a new race day strategy. They were told not to overbike just because the swim was cancelled and to stay warmed up before the TT start. 

We had 9 out of 9 of our Trimarni IMFL athletes start the race and 8 Trimarni athletes finished (one suffered hypothermia on the bike). 

Racing is about overcoming obstacles and putting yourself into uncomfortable situations. Even with the cancelled swim, the 138.2 mile duathlon still required the same skills as racing for 140.6 miles. 

2015 IM Maryland

We always tell our athletes that even with a cancelled portion of the race or a modified course, there are still championship slots to be given, podium places to earn and personal bests to achieve. This couldn't be more true for Trimarni athlete Justine who went through a roller coaster of emotions before her second Ironman. It was actually me who broke the news to her of the cancelled event as she was driving the hour to the race (from her house) to pick-up her packet when I read about the race on the IM website while I was in Kona. I called Justine and told her "Don't worry, everything will be ok." She was of course, really confused but when we talked it all through, I told her I had other race options for her that would be ideal for her racing strengths. Since the IM was cancelled, I had Justine train (with a rested body) that weekend with a moderate amount of volume (similar as if she was 3-4 weeks out from a half IM) and then maintain her fitness until we had another IM option. When IM Maryland was back on, we didn't do much of a taper but instead, just sharpened her body and mind, asked her to mentally stay "in it" and gave her constant encouragement that this was all meant to be. 

With more obstacles on race day, like a shortened swim (without Justine even knowing the final distance of the swim as she was swimming), Justine did what she trained to do - race! 

As she stayed focused on completing her goal of starting and finishing IM Maryland, she also kept a close eye on her competition that showed up on race day. As I tracked Justine, I was giving updates to her husband and when it was time, I told her husband Eric to tell Justine that "now is the time to commit." Justine gave everything she had out on the course and finished 2nd in her AG (25-29) to earn a slot to 2016 IM Kona. She also ran a 3:47 "best time" marathon, with her longest (intentional) run as a 12- mile "long run". And just a few weeks ago, she became a 2016 IM World Championship finisher. 

2016 IMMT

At the athlete briefing two days before the race, there was discussion of what would happen on race day if the weather (storm and fog on the lake) would not permit the athletes from starting the swim. The race director did an excellent job preparing the athletes for the two plan options (delayed swim then shortened to 1.2 miles, cancelled swim and delayed TT bike, starting from the exit of the swim) for race day morning. Rather than our athletes (including our first time IM athlete) freaking out and getting upset and wasting energy on the uncontrollable, I prepared our athletes for how to adjust pacing and nutrition (especially pre-race in the case of a delayed swim start or cancelled swim start) to prepare for the possible race day morning scenario. Karel and I also discussed the tactics of racing an IM in pouring rain, which was a good thing because it poured the entire bike ride for all of our athletes (and on the run). I even had our athletes (and Karel) go through a 10-minute visualization where I had them visualize themselves biking through pouring rain (note, I did not have them visualize the small chance that it would be a nice day - I put them in the worst case scenario). 

All of our athletes started and finished the race and now they have extra bragging rights for finishing a tough course in very tough conditions. 

And those who embraced the conditions, excelled. We had strong minded athletes achieve the unthinkable, personal best times, a Kona qualifier and a first time IM finisher. 

--------------
It sure is a bummer when a race distance is modified, especially when it is your first time racing the distance, you dedicated yourself 100% to training for the full distance (for many many months) or you traveled very far to compete in the event.
When there is a course or distance change, it's easy to think that suddenly, it was all for nothing and perhaps, there is a better option at a future date.
Never assume that a future race will provide you with a better outcome. 

As a coach, I want athletes to finish what they started. Sure, there may be some rare situations where a cancelled race or a transferred entry may be a blessing in disguise but anytime you take a risk to move from the present to focusing on the future, your assumptions may not be any more in your favor than the current situations that you are dealing with.

If your race is altered, the weather doesn't make for an "easy" race or part of the race is cancelled, you can still earn your finisher medal. Your race still counts if there is a start line and finish line. The key is that you have to stay mentally committed. When you signed up for your race, you also signed up for the many obstacles and challenges that could come your race before or on race day.
If you are healthy, fit and tapered and you put in the work, get yourself excited to execute.

Regardless of the modifications made for race day, you have to consider that if you pass on your current race and focus on the next-best-thing option, you could 1) get sick 2) get injured 3) have to go through a major life event 4) not peak again 5) lose motivation to train 6) experience a similar situation at your next race.

Racing is always out of your control so it's in your best interest to stay focused and committed to the now.

By keeping the right mindset, you WILL excel on race day.
Don't be one of the many athletes who have excuses for what could have been or should have been on race day.
Racing is racing - it is unpredictable.
If you are in a curveball situation before race day, remind yourself that you still have to nail your nutrition, stay mentally strong all day, be proactive, dig deep and overcome low moments.
If your mind isn't in the right spot, you may likely underperform on your modified course simply because you were unsuccessful with dealing with the new race day situations (that everyone else has to deal with).

I encourage you to be one of the smart athletes who sees the capabilities on race day.
Plus, when you reach the finish line, you will have an extra reason to celebrate your accomplishment.
You didn't give up on yourself when the odds were against you.

For additional reading, Dr. G (clinical sport psychologist) and I put together an article on how to overcome race day curve ball situations. We hope you find our advice practical and useful so that you don't undesirable scenarios detour you from achieving something great on race day. 

Dodge a race day curveball

2016 Ironman World Championship finisher

The behind-the-scenes moments of training for an Ironman are far less exciting compared to highlighted moment when an athlete crosses an Ironman finish line.

Nobody said that training for an Ironman will be easy (or racing in one) so you better believe that in order to prepare for a 140.6 mile event, sacrifices will be made, investments are necessary and you need a lot of determination, dedication, grit and perseverance.

In order to find success as an Ironman athlete, it is important to identify yourself as an athlete. Self-identity is extremely important as your habits and behaviors guide actions. When you struggle to identify yourself as an athlete, it's extremely easy to feel guilty when you make sacrifices and you can often make choices that do not always foster performance improvements.

Identifying yourself as athlete, especially as an adult, does not make you less of a mom, dad, employee, caretaker, boss or whatever other important role you have in life.

Competing for 140.6 miles is mentally and physically exhausting. It's quite understandable why all the many months of training, and long workouts to build endurance, are so necessary to prepare for the extreme event that is "Ironman".  Commitment to training, along possessing the motivation and discipline necessary for a high level of success in sport, is all based on self-identity as an athlete.

While it is not beneficial to have too strong of an athletic identity where you over-commit to training and lose your purpose of life (parent, spouse, employee, friend, etc.), sport can make you a better person and being an athlete can serve many positive roles in your life.

As a coach to Ironman athletes, a wife to an Ironman athlete and an Ironman athlete myself, I can tell you that having a strong identity as an athlete can improve performance but it also does not have to be at the expense of becoming less of who you are as a human being.

You can be a mom/dad AND an athlete.

You can be an employee/boss AND an athlete. 

You can be a brother/sister/friend AND an athlete.

Being an athlete is part of your lifestyle but it doesn't have to be your life. No one forces you to be an Ironman athlete - it's a choice. You WILL have to make all kinds of sacrifices in order to succeed. It is important to surround yourself with a strong support system, with a supportive team, who all understand your desire to excel in your sport.......because you are an athlete.

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

What a season it's been for Karel. Three overall race wins (Toughman Half, Lake James 50, Mountains to Main Half) and two incredible Ironman performances within 8 weeks of one another (Ironman Austria and Ironman Mont Tremblant). And he topped it all off with a Kona qualifying race (and the fastest amateur male run split) at IMMT.

Just 6 weeks after IM Mont Tremblant, Karel arrived to the 2016 IM World Championship start line with a healthy body (despite a few niggles), a motivated mind and absolutely no expectations.

The nerves were low and the excitement was high.

Another opportunity to race in the Ironman World Championship and a 7th time to race in an Ironman.

Karel put together an incredible race performance to finish a very successful season.

As I mentioned on my Trimarni Facebook page, it may look as if Karel is a really fast Ironman runner based on his 3:10 IM Kona run time, which put him as the 7th fastest AG (40-44) run out of 246 AG finishers.

Certainly, with three "fast" Ironman marathon runs (3:06 at IM Austria, 8 weeks later, 3:08 at IMMT and 6 weeks later, 3:10 at IMKona), it's easy to assume that Karel is a resilient and fast runner off the bike.

But a better way of describing Karel's Ironman successes is that he has raced 7 Ironman distance triathlons since 2013 and he has never had a bad performance.

Karel is an athlete. He identifies himself as an athlete. His life isn't triathlon but triathlon is part of his life.

He is dedicated, disciplined and determined with everything that he does in life, including his sport.

With a well-deserved off-season in front of Karel, there's no other way to describe this season as it was a big SUCCESS.

Karel put together a solid swim, bike and run and outperformed his 2015 IM Kona race by 23 minutes.

Karel finished the swim in 1016th place in his gender (178th AG)

Karel finished the bike in 463rd place in his gender (75th AG)

Karel finished the run in 184th place in his gender (25th AG).

What a performance on a very tough course, under extreme racing conditions, among the best athletes in the world!

Although the finish line and post-race pictures show that all the hard work paid off, Karel and I will both tell you that the behind-the-scene moments included a lot of sacrifices, investments, tough workouts and patience. 

Being an athlete is tough but that finish line experience always makes it all worth it.

Karel's 2016 IM World Championship race report to come....

Race to your full potential

Performing at your best requires an effort that goes beyond your old limits. This new limit (or unexplored territory) means that you will ask your body and mind to do something unfamiliar on race day.

If you are racing this weekend, you are capable of achieving something incredible on race day. 

However, first you need to get past all the self-doubts, fears, insecurities, pressures, anxieties and nerves that are possibly holding you back from achieving greatness on race day. 

While there is nothing wrong with pre-race nerves, it is important that you believe in your fitness and your ability to overcome anything that comes your way on race day.

Trust that you have done the work that you needed to do and be confident in your abilities. 

Do not take your race day for granted, especially if you are not sick or injured. 
Don’t live your life waiting for a better time to do something or assuming you will have another opportunity.  

Racing is hard. It hurts.
Acknowledge it, accept it and embrace it.
Pushing through fatigue, sore muscles, uncomfortable breathing, it’s not easy and it can sometimes be painful. When your heart is racing, your muscles are aching and your body is suffering.....this is exactly what you trained for!
Don't convince yourself that you want to give up or “take it easy."

When you are in the hurt locker on race day (which you will be), this is a reminder that you are feeling exactly what you trained to feel on race and that you are mentally and physically tough enough to hop on the pain train.

It's time to bottle up your energy. Have trust in yourself. You’ve done the hard work.
Race day is your reward.
Racing is fun.

It’s a hobby. Remind yourself how lucky you are that you have friends and family who support you and also who believe in you. There are so many people out there who wish to have the focus, patience, dedication and discipline that you do to put in the work to train for an event.
So many individuals struggle with consistency and balance in life, but not you. You found a way to get it all done. Be inspiring so you can show others, who are just as busy as you, that it is possible. 

There is absolutely nothing else that you would rather be doing on your race day.
You have trained early in the morning and late at night for THIS one day.
You have made sacrifices for this day and you have had a commitment to yourself that you would put in the work, for THIS day. 

While this may not be your only race this season, this is not just another race. 

So what now?
You put in the work and now it’s almost time to put all that training to the test. 

You need your mind to be ready for race day. 

It’s not going to be easy. You will have high moments and low moments. Enjoy the highs and when you have a low, remember all those great workouts that you had in training, even when you thought you weren’t going to have a good workout. 

Don’t forget that race day goal that helped you finish all those hard sets or start a workout when you just didn’t have the energy.  

Focus on things within your control and be prepared for every possible oh-no situation on race day. 

And most of all, visualize yourself succeeding. Believe in yourself and your abilities.

Tell yourself your race day goal - out loud. Be brave.
What is that goal, deep inside your heart, that you want to accomplish on race day?
Is it a place, a time goal, a feeling?

What is it that you worked so hard to achieve on race day?

Don't limit yourself.

Race to your full potential on race day.