2025 Patagonman Race Report

Karel and I had a fun time reflecting on his Patagonman extreme triathlon experience. If you'd like to hear about his race experience (the highs, lows and everything between), you can check out his race recap video (HERE)

As I was editing the video (adding pictures and videos from the race), I couldn't help but think about the journey that Karel went through to get to the start line.

For athletes, it’s easy to believe that everything comes down to one day.....the race. The months (or years) of training can feel like a means to an end - an unfulfilling road that hinges on a race day outcome. But here's the truth: it's not about the race result. The fulfillment happens in the preparation. 

The Trap of the Finish Line Mentality
Goals are essential. They give direction, motivation, and structure to training. They help you get out of your cozy bed and power through a workout when there are distractions all around you. However, when your self-worth is centered around a result, that finish-line-only mindset can drain joy from the process of preparation. A missed workout, an injury or a small setback can feel catastrophic because it threatens the outcome you’ve attached all your happiness to. 

Preparation Is Where You’re Built
The event reveals what you’ve built, but preparation is where the building happens.

Every early morning alarm, every physical therapy session, every mile when motivation is low—these moments shape you as an athlete and as a human. Discipline, patience, optimism and mental toughness are not developed on race day. They are earned quietly, over time, when no one is watching.
When you begin to value these moments, training stops being something you have to do and becomes something you want to do. 

Redefining Success on a Daily Basis
If you ever struggle to enjoy the preparation for an event, it's important to redefine what success looks like. Instead of judging your success by an outcome (one that you can’t fully control), focus on process-based: the execution, the focus, listening to your body, nailing your nutrition, recovery. These daily successes are always available to you, regardless of available time, fitness level or circumstances. 

Setbacks Are Speed Bumps, Not Detours
Injuries, low motivation and performance plateaus are not signs that you are failing. They are important chapters in your journey. Athletes who enjoy the process understand that setbacks are often part of the process. Each challenge forces adaptation—physically, mentally, or strategically. When you view obstacles as teachers rather than threats, you stay engaged instead of discouraged. 

Identity Beyond the Event
When athletes tie their identity solely to the result of an event (qualifying for a world championship, placing in the top percent, setting a personal best, finishing in a certain time), preparation becomes psychologically risky. Your happiness on race day is decided by a result. Race day becomes pass or fail.
You’re not just “preparing for a race.” You’re becoming a better human - more resilient, more self-aware. Those qualities don’t disappear after the event—they carry into your next goal and beyond sport altogether.

The Event Is a Celebration
When you truly enjoy the journey, the event becomes something bigger. The event becomes a celebration of the work you’ve done and all you have achieved to get to the start line.
Win or struggle, the sense of accomplishment that comes from the process is available regardless of the final result. 

Final Thoughts
Preparing for an event is all about the experience. It’s where you learn who you are when motivation dips, when distractions are around you, when a setback occurs and when goals feel out of reach.
Enjoying the journey doesn’t mean lowering your standards or caring less about outcomes. It means expanding your definition of success to include the daily struggles, the lessons learned, and the person you become along the way.

We often tell our athletes that race day goes by quickly. When you stand on the start line, the race will be over before you know it. The journey, however, stays with you long after the horn blows to start the race.

'25 Ironman Chattanooga Race Recap - Finding Strength on an “Off” Day

Pre-Race 

We started our drive to Chattanooga around 1pm on Thursday. Sunny has been keeping me busy with his new "job" as a therapy dog and we spent an hour in the morning at the Children's Museum. 

The drive was uneventful with on and off rain. The quickest route was through the mountains and the drive was very beautiful. It was a new route to us and we loved it. We arrived around 6pm to our Airbnb (1/2 mile from the race start) and unloaded the car. I ordered Chipotle online and picked it up around 7pm. My body was feeling great all week but I was very tired. It was as if I couldn't get enough sleep to feel rested during the day. I was supposed to get my period on Monday but I was feeling stressed and anxious all week which contributed to a late period (it arrived Friday afternoon). 

On Friday morning we went to the Dam for a swim. It felt good to be in the water (which was warm). I wore my swim skin and swam for around 30 minutes. I included some faster efforts throughout. It was nice to see some of our athletes (Lindsey, Greg and Jiri) at the dam. Karel was in Nice and Czech for a week and a half and his mom came back to stay with us until December (she can stay up to 90 days in the US). It's nice to have her here. I'm so grateful for all of Sunny's obedience training because last year in Chatty Sunny was so anxious and fearful and it would have been impossible for his mom to walk him. Now, Sunny is a well behaved pup and he is so good on the leash with Karel's mom (who is 80 years old). 

As for the rest of the day, I checked in for the race, walked around the Expo with Sunny and got some work done. Karel went for a 2-hour mountain bike and picked up groceries in the afternoon. 

For dinner I had my typical pre-race pizza (from Community Pie) - which was delicious. 

On the two nights out from a race, I try to get as much sleep as I can knowing that I won't sleep well the night before the race. I slept around 11 hours and it felt amazing. Karel put my disc wheel on my bike and I rode out to St. Elmo to meet up with our athlete/friend Yannick. While I was out biking, Karel went for an hour run. I rode for around 75 minutes and threw in a few efforts while staying on Yannick's wheel. We rode on some of the old course, which is just beautiful. 

After the ride, I went for a short run (11 minutes) and felt really good while running. I then prepared my bottles and my transition bags. I packed up my nutrition in baggies before I left for Chatty so it was easy and quick to prepare everything. I also brought extra nutrition in case I spilled anything. I also used the extra sport nutrition (~150g of carbs each day) to help carb load on Fri and Saturday (drinking some of my carbs instead of trying to eat everything from solid food). 

Run Nutrition: 

45g Never Second C30 Berry in 10 ounce flask (consuming every 45 minutes) + ~275mg added sodium (~1/8tsp salt) 

Never Second Gels as needed

Sips of Ketone Aid as needed

Bike Nutrition: 

1 x 26 ounce bottle per hour with 90g INFINIT Fructose (Fruit Punch and Grape flavors) - each with 1/8tsp added salt. 

I dropped off my bags and bike around 2:30pm and watched "You're Cordially Invited" on Prime. I like watching a movie on my iPad on the afternoon before a race (while enjoying a brown sugar Pop Tart) and this movie had me laughing out loud. I was feeling blah since it was the first day of my period so carb loading was a bit uncomfortable. I had my normal bagel, waffles, PB and eggs in the morning/lunch, Pink Lemonade (instead of OJ - easier on my tummy) and for an early dinner  rice w/ Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup. I snacked on pretzels throughout the day, a banana and a yogurt. I also sipped on INFINIT (~90g carbs) and had Never Second (~60g) in my bottle during my warmup ride. 

As I mentioned, two days before the race, my period started, and honestly, I just felt off. I wasn't excited to race. I was very nervous. I wasn't feeling terrible—just not feeling 100% in my body and mind. And that’s the thing about Ironman: you can prepare perfectly and still wake up to challenges you didn’t plan for. My training over the past few months has been incredible and I'm so proud of what my body has been able to do (consistently) for the past few years. And that’s why I love this sport—it teaches us to adapt, to problem-solve, and to show up with what we have. 

Race Morning 

I've raced with my period many times but over the past 8 years, I find that my blood pressure is very affected around my menstrual cycle. For those who don't know, I have fainted 3 times on race day morning (in 2017, 2021 and 2025) - all of which happened around my menstrual cycle (either right before, during or soon after). In December, I fainted during a mammogram and two years ago, I fainted after being bit by fire ants after a gravel event. Both incidents were around my menstrual cycle. Since this is happening more frequently, I am starting to look into things more seriously (if anyone has any advice/suggestions/resources please let me know). As you can imagine, this has me feeling extremely stressed on race day morning. I try to take my time getting up and I'm extra careful when I go to the bathroom (going from laying, standing to then sitting). Thankfully all was ok on race day morning in Chatty. With the race starting at 7:30am, I didn't have to set a crazy alarm time so waking up at 4:45am wasn't too bad. I had no problem eating my pre race meal of a bagel w/ PB, banana and a few sips of a yogurt drink. I also had a few sips of coffee and did some foam rolling/stretching. Around 5:30am I gathered my bottles from the fridge and Karel and I walked down to the race start with Sunny. Having Sunny with me helped me a lot as I could focus on him and he helps me feel happy and less nervous. I did a bit of jogging and walking as we were going to the transition area. The nerves started to subside when I got into the transition area. I pumped up my front tire (the disc was fine) with my electric pump and put my bottles and computer on my bike. I then went to my run bag and put my two flasks inside the bag. After I was done, I saw Karel and Sunny, gave them my love and boarded the bus around 6:20am. I had plenty of time once I arrived to the race start (I should have waited to board the bus) as an hour was a long time to wait around. I did more jogging and put on my swim skin around 7:15am and continued to sip on my bottle of Never Second (30g carbs). I now keep salt with me in a small baggy in case I feel dizzy and it seems to help (I take a tiny lick of it) so I had a lick of salt before I dropped off my morning clothes bag. 

2.4 mile Swim (current assisted) - 45:38

When I learned it would be a non-wetsuit swim on race day morning, I was so happy. As a former competitive swimmer, this was a great way for me to start the race. I’d put in a lot of specific swim training for this race, even though it's a current assisted swim, and I was excited to put it to good use. The river was a comfortable temperature at 76 degrees. I lined up near the front and entered the water less than 3 minutes after the age group start at 7:44am.  Once I entered the water, the nerves went away. I was happy to be in the water. I wore my clear Rona goggles since it was a little cloudy and the sun was behind us. The only downside of this swim (for myself) is I have a hard time feeling the water with my catch. I actually felt like the swim was slow and I wasn't moving anywhere. I don't wear a watch when I swim on race day and I never knew my swim time (until after the race). I guess it was a fast swim! 

Swim Takeaway: Preparation pays off. The work you’ve done always shows up when it counts.

112 mile Bike - 5:10

As of last year, IM Chatty has a new course on the highway. It's a scenic and rolling hills, 3 loop course. Last year when I raced, the course was only 107 miles. The new-new course (this year) was 112 miles and had some added some challenges—an extra long hill before starting the 2nd and 3rd loops. On top of that, the headwind was reversed compared to last year and much stronger on the way out. But despite that, I felt strong and steady throughout the entire ride. I was happy that I was able to push good power but I was also mindful not to go too hard. I felt like I paced the ride well, feeling stronger as the ride went on. As a bonus, I didn't have any low points or struggle moments. The ride went by rather quickly and I liked that I could break down the course into short sections within each out and back section. 

I nailed my nutrition plan by consuming 5.5 bottles of INFINIT (each with 90g carbs). The stop at special needs to replace my 3 bottles was quick and smooth thanks to the amazing volunteers. My highlight of the course was seeing Karel out there (he rode his mountain bike to the first hill) and seeing all of the spectators around special needs. Karel's updates and encouragement gave me something to look forward to each loop. 

Honestly, I didn’t feel “excited” about racing until that last loop. That’s when things shifted. Passing a few female pros on the 2nd and 3rd loops gave me such a mental lift and my competitive spirit kicked in. This made me feel like I was racing, not just riding. 

Bike Takeaway: The spark doesn’t always come right away. Sometimes you have to wait for it, trust your training, and let the fire build when your body and mind are ready. 

Run

Coming off the bike, my legs felt fluid and strong. My run fitness has been at its best lately and after 10+ years of run related injuries, I haven't been injured since 2019. I've had an up and down relationship with running over the years and this year we've been in a good place. And while my splits may not show it perfectly on paper, I know all that training made the difference in keeping me steady throughout the marathon, especially in the 80+ degree temps. 

It was windy and warm, and with my period, I just couldn’t get comfortable. I had to work through a side stitch, hot spots on my feet and I just felt off throughout the entire run. I made the call before the race to unzip my kit in T2 and run most of the marathon in my sports bra—as that is how I normally do my run workouts. I stayed on top of my fueling with Never Second: 45g carbs each 45 minutes, plus I sipped on a Never Second gel  through the back half of the first loop. I used special needs (2 more filled flasks) and sipped on coke to help spread out the Never Second. With me being on my period, I knew I had the potential for gut issues but thankfully I didn't have any major issues. My stomach behaved (just one bathroom stop), and my energy never tanked. Even though it was hot out, I never felt like I was overheating. Karel was out and about on the course on his mountain bike and he gave me great encouragement. Whereas in IM Lanzarote in May, I had no idea how I would make it through the marathon, I never felt like I wanted to quit in Chatty. I love certain sections of the course (the hills and neighborhood across the river and the path by the river) so I was able to break the course down into small sections and focus on one mile at a time. 

I did need to walk through aid stations on the second loop as it was the only way I could keep myself focused but I kept moving forward. The volunteers and crowd support (as usual) were incredible—every cheer and smile helped me through the uncomfortable stretches. Even though I didn’t feel my best, I still felt strong and durable. 

I never felt totally comfortable on the run (thanks, period), but my energy stayed stable and I didn't have any major issues that kept me from moving forward. 

Takeaway: Your run fitness may not show itself by paces or times on race day. But it's in the preparation that allows you to work with what you are given on race day. Running strong doesn’t always mean running fast. It means managing the conditions, staying steady, and refusing to give up on yourself, even when you don’t feel your best.

The Finish - 10:01.55. 3rd female amateur. 1st AG (40-44). Personal Best at the Ironman Distance. 

That finish line feeling never gets old. I’ll never take it for granted. As I was making my way to the finish line, I had no idea of any of my splits. I felt like I had prepared myself for my first sub 10-hour Ironman so I sprinted to the finish line with everything I had left but I fell short by less than two minutes. In looking back at the race, there were several moments that cost me time that had nothing to do with my fitness. The biggest moment was when I called out the wrong bib number as I was running to get my T1 bag and got handed the wrong bag. A little mix-up in T1 probably cost me two or three minutes. When it happened, I just laughed it off. I stretched, used the bathroom (pee), and let the volunteer superheroes save the day by finding my actual bag. 

I am a little bummed I missed breaking 10 hours, but this was still a personal best for me at my 22nd Ironman (25th Ironman distance, counting 3 XTRI events). My fastest Ironman time was in 2016 (at the age of 34) at Ironman Austria (with a shorter bike) of 5:16. At the age of 43, I'm pretty proud that I am still improving with a course best swim, PR Ironman bike (time/speed) and personal best at the Ironman distance. 

In the end, this race was about resilience. Even when I didn’t feel like myself, I stuck to my plan, I managed the conditions, I used my experience to troubleshoot and I felt strong. I’m really proud of this race—not just the PR, but the way I handled everything that came my way. 

Takeaway: Perfection is not required. Progress is. Every finish line is proof that you can handle more than you think—and sometimes it’s the “off” days that make us the proudest.

Final Thoughts
Chattanooga is one of my favorite race venues. I love the community, the town, the volunteers and all of the familiar faces I get to see on and off the course. This race had me feeling lots of emotions before and during the race. 

Ironman Chattanooga reminded me that training for an Ironman isn't about times, paces or results. It’s about resilience. It’s about becoming someone you never thought you can be, discovering new strengths (and limits) and finding joy in the effort, regardless of the outcome.

If you’re training for a race, remember this:

• You don’t have to feel 100% to give 100%. 

• Strong doesn’t always mean fast—it means steady, focused and committed.

• The finish line will always be worth it, no matter how the day unfolds.

I walked away with a PR, but more importantly, I walked away with a deeper belief in myself. And that’s what keeps me coming back to this sport. During the race, I 100% convinced myself that this was my last Ironman and I would take a break from the distance. But of course, that feeling always changes after crossing the finish line. I'm officially un-retired and I can't wait to start planning my 20th year of long distance triathlon. 

'25 IM 70.3 CDA Race Report

Coeur d’Alene has been on our race bucket list for several years. Back in 2019, Karel registered for 2020 IM CDA but it was cancelled due to Covid. In 2021, the Ironman did not happen and instead, Karel was able to change his entry to IM St. George. A few months later, we learned that IM St. George would be the host of the 2021 Ironman World Championship. In 2022, Karel was once again registered for IM CDA but a month before the event, Karel broke his hand mountain biking. After 2023, the Ironman distance in CDA was discontinued but the 70.3 remained.

Finally, in 2025, we were going to check IM 70.3 CDA off our bucket list but Karel had two knee surgeries this year for a torn meniscus (each knee) and since the last surgery in April, he has been having complications - which have impacted his ability to run. We were disappointed that we both couldn’t participate in the race but we decided to make the most of it - I would race and Karel would turn the trip into a mountain biking train-cation. Karel ended up riding over 15 hours over 4 days which made for a great ‘training camp’ as he prepares for his second Breck Epic MTB stage race in August.

We arrived to Spokane on Wednesday late morning (3 hour time difference to the east coast), and made the quick and easy 40 min drive to CDA. I rented a SUV (Audio Q7) via Turo.

Our Airbnb was located on 18th street, which was on the bike and run course. Although we needed to drive the 1.5 miles to and from the race venue, it was the perfect location for easy access to the course. The house was very spacious and had a great layout. We had Trimarnis Diane, Jeannie, Gin and Coach Joe staying with us, which made for great company and lots of laughs. We did a big grocery shop at Safeway when we arrived.

Around 5pm, Joe, Gin and Diane went for a spin and Karel and I drove to the race venue for an open water swim. We parked at the paid parking ($3/hr) at the beach area. It ended up being very windy that evening and the water was super choppy. It felt like an ocean! It wasn’t a relaxing swim but rather an exhausting swim. But Karel and I made the best of it and ended up “swimming” for ~1000 yards. 

On Thursday, Karel went for a 3-hour mountain bike ride at Canfield Mountain Trail System and Joe and I went out for a bike along the first part of the bike course. We started at the race venue (from our house) and followed the course. There is a nice trail system in CDA which is alongside the road. The road was fairly quiet so I stayed on the road. I did some out and backs along the course with a few intervals. I ended up riding ~80 minutes. After the bike, I went for a ~30 min run on the back part of the run course (which is also the start of the bike course). Later that day morning, we went for an open water swim and the water was perfectly calm. Compared to yesterday when I averaged 1:51/100, I had a wonderful ~2100 yard swim averaging ~1:29/100 pace. The water temperature was perfect around 68-70 degrees. 

Far end turnaround on run course

On Friday, Karel did a 5 hour ride with over 7,000 feet of climbing at Mt CDA. I kept the day very easy and went for an open water swim in the morning. Once again, it was very windy. Whereas the weather was very nice in the 60’s-70’s on Wed and Thursday, a cold front started to come through on Friday. After watching the weather all week, it looked like the weather would stay as predicted for race day - cold in the 40s-50s and a chance for rain on Sat evening and early Sunday morning. We went for a swim on Friday morning and once again, it was very choppy. I swam for ~1000 yards and once again averaged over 1:50/100. 

Around 2pm we checked in for the race. There was some confusion with my AWA placement as they didn’t have me as an AWA athlete so I ended up with a higher number than planned - which in the end didn’t matter as I had a good location on the bike rack, near the sidewalk and a few rows from the transition exit. In the evening, we ordered out (and enjoyed) pizza from Fire Artisan Pizza. 

On Saturday, Karel went for another 3-hour ride at 4th of July Pass. This was an “easier” ride for him (less technical than the other two days) but still a lot of climbing. I did around an hour bike in the morning and it was chilly out. I dressed very warm with leg warmers, toe covers, base layer, jacket and gloves. I included a few short intervals to get my legs going and my legs felt really good. After the ride, I did a quick loop on the run course so I could see the first few miles of the run. The course was well-marked starting on Wednesday. I really liked the run course and I was getting really excited to race. I went for a 15 min run and my legs felt amazing. I couldn’t decide which shoes to wear for race day so I started off in my New Balance and then did a few minutes in my Saucony’s and decided on the Saucony’s. Although they are old shoes, I’ve had my best two runs in the recent years in those shoes.

Joe and I checked in our bikes around 3pm (bike check in closed at 4:30pm) as we were watching the weather and trying to figure out the best time to go to miss the rain. The rain ended up coming in the evening so in the end, it didn’t matter. I had all my gear ready on Friday so all that was left on Saturday was to finish my carb loading and prepare my bottles.

Because this race was cold, I didn’t fill my bottles all the way with fluid as I knew I wouldn’t be drinking a full 26-ounce bottle per hour. I ended up only filling my bottles up with around 22-ounces. I prepared 3 bottles, each with 90g INFINIT Fructose per bottle. For the run, I had 2 x 10 ounce flasks, each with 45g (1.5 scoops) Never Second + 1/8 tsp salt (for an extra 250mg sodium) I’ve been playing around with my run nutrition over the past few weeks and this strategy has been working well for me.

I did a lot of laying around on Saturday evening and went to bed around 7pm. I watched a cute movie (Instant Family) on Friday and finished it on Saturday as I was laying in bed. I had an ok night of sleep - not bad but not super restful.

My alarm went off at 3:45am and we planned to have Karel drive us to the race venue at 4:45am for the 6am race start. I woke up feeling good and looking forward to the race. My only concern was the weather and still feeling a little undecided as to what to wear for the bike. I had a few different options - either arm warmers and gloves or a tight fitting jacket and gloves.

After I got up, I went to go pee and made my way downstairs. I made my instant coffee and sat at the kitchen table with everyone as I sipped my coffee. Around 4am, I started to feel a little dizzy while I was sitting at the table. The room started to get a little fuzzy so I rested my head on the table. I started to feel a little better so I got up to prepare my pre race meal of yogurt and waffles w/ PB and syrup. But as I was about to get up, I got really dizzy and could feel a faint coming up. Before I knew it, I found myself near the couch. I can’t remember if I landed on the floor by the couch or on the couch but when I finally woke up, I was laying face down on the couch - exhausted and wanting to sleep.

This was my third incident of fainting on race day morning. The only trend is that it comes after I pee first thing in the morning. The first was in 2017 at the IM 70.3 WC in Chattanooga. Unfortunately, I hit my face on the kitchen floor when I blacked out and couldn’t race. I went to the doctor and cardiologist a few days after the event and they couldn’t find anything wrong. I ended up signing up for IM Chattanooga 2 weeks later (last minute decision to register) and placed 1st overall amateur. In 2021, I fainted on race morning at IM 70.3 Haines City. I ended up participating in the race but I felt really tired during the race. I was really frustrated that this happened again. Karel saw me on the couch and I told him what happened and he stayed calm and tried to help me out. He prepared my 3 waffles w/ PB and syrup and when I started to feel better, I was able to get in everything. It was nearing 4:35am and I had less than ten minutes until we needed to leave. I tried not to rush myself so I took my time, gathered my things and by the time we got in the car around 4:45am, I started to feel more normal again.

I dressed very warm for the morning - my race kit, pants, long sleeve shirt and jacket, along with a hat and gloves. Karel was cold in the morning but I found it very comfortable. I decided to use my gloves and arm warmers for the bike. I came up with the idea to wrap the top part of my tri kit in a baggie and tuck inside my shorts but in the end, it didn’t work and the top ended up getting wet. I was hoping it would stay dry for the bike. I also used a piece of mylar blanket under my sports bra for the swim and bike to keep my chest warm.

After setting up my bike with my bottles, computer and pumping my tires, I did a short jog around the park and went to the bathroom. I felt normal tried to forget about the early morning fainting incident.

I wore an old pair of socks before the swim to keep my feet warm as we were standing along the beach. I opted not to do a swim warmup in the water but instead, did some dryland exercises for my arms. I stood in the 27-30 min corral for the swim and at 6am, the race started.


1.2 mile SWIM - 28:52

The water temperature was 64 degrees. I found it to be comfortable - I never felt warm but never felt too cold. The swim course was easy to navigate with 8 buoys on each side of the rectangular course. The water was calm. I felt really good in the water. I found myself swimming by myself for most of the swim as I was passing people but not able to catch up to the faster swimmers just ahead.


T1 - 5:05
I tried to make my transition as quick as possible but I really wanted to get myself comfortable before the bike as I really struggle biking while cold. I did a quick dry with a small towel, put on the top of my tri kit, put on my arm warmers and gloves and put on my shoes (which had toe covers on them). I was a little cold starting the bike but I felt comfortable after a few minutes.

Starting the bike

Finishing the bike

56 mile Bike - 2:40.52
The first 15 miles of the bike were very familiar to me as I had ridden that section of the course on Thursday and Saturday. I got myself through the turns of the downtown streets and when I got to the out and back section by the lake, I started to ease into my race effort. I found myself being passed by a lot of guys and couldn’t seem to get my power up. I didn’t try to force it so I waited for the first climb by the lake to see if my legs would come around. I didn’t feel strong on the climb but just told myself that I needed more time to get warmed up. I actually felt really comfortable and to cold on the bike. I saw a few girls ahead of me and I expected myself to catch them in a few miles but as I continued to make my way back into town, my legs felt like they had no power in them. I saw Karel and he gave me a cheer but later he told me that he noticed that I wasn’t riding like my normal self. It’s usually feel strong on the bike and can extend my lead after the swim but instead, the opposite was happening - I was losing time to the leaders and being outridden by other girls in my age group. I thought I would enjoy the bike course with the long climbs but instead, I found myself struggling to hold power. I liked how the course was broken down with ~20 miles out and back on the highway. It was actually a very scenic ride. The road condition was a mix of chip seal and some smoother segments but overall, it wasn’t fast pavement. I enjoyed seeing Diane, Gin and Jeannie on the course and getting a cheer from Joe as he passed me. Thankfully, no rain. It was nice to have the entire road of the highway to ourselves but there were some tight sections with cones that made for some sketchy sections. Thankfully I didn’t have anyone around me for the no-passing descend that lasted over a mile so I enjoyed that section. I kept up with my nutrition and I was trying to keep my mind calm but instead I found myself feeling defeated that I was being passed by so many guys and couldn’t ride like my normal self. I found the bike to be windy with cross wind - not Lanzarote windy - or perhaps it was just me that felt slow. I never looked at my overall time throughout the ride but I could tell that I was not going to get close to 2:30 - which is what I was expecting to be competitive in the top of the overall standings. As I was nearing transition, I took my feet out of my shoes and took a look at my overall time (I had been lapping my computer so I was only focusing on my lap time, power and speed for each section of the course that I was on). I knew I was not having a good ride as I only passed one female in the last mile of the bike.

T2 - 2:21
When I got into the transition area, I debated if I should even continue but I knew that quitting because my legs didn’t feel good on the bike wasn’t a good decision. I didn’t know my swim time as I don’t wear a watch when I swim so I didn’t know that I had one of my best swims in a 70.3 in a very long time. I took off my arm warmers and gloves in the last 30 min of the bike as I was starting to get warm and tucked them in my pockets. I also tossed the mylar sheet from under my sports bra at one of the aid stations. When I got into the transition area, I emptied my pockets, stepped into my Naked band, put on my shoes and grabbed a plastic bag that had my flasks, sunglasses, watch and hat inside. As I was exciting the transition area, I put on the stuff in the bag and started my watch.

13.1 mile Run - 1:38.11
The first mile of the run didn’t feel great but I really enjoyed running through the park. The two loop run had everything I like in a run - spectators, dogs, great volunteers, nice scenery, hills, turns and nothing too long and flat. After the first mile, I started to find my rhythm and I felt really strong. As the miles went by, I found myself feeling really good - surprisingly good after not having power on the bike. I never felt low in energy and never felt like I was having a low moment on the run. I was passed by two females but also found myself extending my lead in my age group. Karel told me that I had a 3 min lead when I started the run (which had me worried) but I ended up extending that lead - which almost never happens. The weather felt really comfortable - I felt warm (not hot). I finished both my flasks within 75 minutes and took a few sips of water at two aid stations. My energy felt really stable throughout the run. I was planning to take some coke in the last few miles of the run but didn’t feel like I needed it. I never knew my overall time on the run but I was doing some quick math as I was running and I felt like I had a good chance of breaking 1:38, which would have been one of my best half marathons in a 70.3. I ended up running just over 1:38 which is still a really good time for me.

I met Karel at the finish line and although I was disappointed in my bike performance, I was really pleased with two of my best times in the swim and run in a 70.3. I know there is going to come a time in the next few years when I don’t experience “best ever” times anymore so I am really grateful to my body that I can still get close to my personal bests.

Karel and I (and Joe) waited for Gin, Diane and Jeannie to finish. We cheered them all on to the finish line. We were all a bit cold at the finish line so we changed into dry clothes and got our bikes (and gear) and rode our bikes back to the Airbnb (and Karel drove back. He was on his MTB for the run to cheer us on throughout the course.

At 3pm we got our awards. Jeannie was 6th and Gin was 8th. Diane got on the podium in 5th (55-59), Joe was 5th (35-39) and I won the 40-44 age group and placed 5th overall female. 

Although I am disappointed in my bike, I am grateful to have reached the start and finish line. I really enjoyed the CDA course and venue and Karel had a great time mountain biking. I am hopeful that he can get himself healthy to run again as I miss racing with him. Right now I am not sure what is next for me (in terms of triathlon) so I am going to reflect on my last two races (IM Lanzarote and IM 70.3 CDA) and figure out what excites me for the rest of the season.

View this post on Instagram

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

'24 IM Chattanooga Race Recap

Race Week 
We left for Chattanooga on Thursday September 26th around 11am. Most of the drive was in the rain. We drove through Asheville and Knoxville as it's so scenic and our favorite way to go Chattanooga. It rained most of the drive. Two weeks ago we adopted Sunny - a 1-ish-year old, 16 lb terrier mix from the Charlotte Animal Control and this was our first road trip together. My mental health hasn't been the best this past week because I have been really missing Campy (it's been 10 weeks since he passed away) and I wasn't sure how I would be able to put together a good race in Chattanooga. I gave myself a lot of grace going into Chattanooga as I didn't specifically train for the event with Norseman XTRI as my primary focus. I signed up for Chattanooga because I love the course and I love the community/spectator support. I also love hot and humid races. Seeing that the weather was cool and the bike course was entirely changed a month out from the race, I was having trouble getting myself excited to race. We arrived after 3pm and went right to athlete check-in. I was given bib number 218 and it was a quick process to get in and out of the registration tent. We drove to our Airbnb (next to the Whiskey building) which was located ~0.6 miles from the transition area. After seven years of racing in Chattanooga, this was the first time that we stayed in this location and we loved being within walking distance of the venue. After we unloaded the car with all of our stuff, we drove to Whole Foods to get a few groceries. Karel walked Sunny around the parking lot while I did a quick shop (I brought most of our non-perishable foods). We ate dinner and went to bed around 10pm. 

On Friday morning we woke up to texts from our neighbors that the power was out due to strong winds and heavy rain. We never expected the strength of storm that came through Greenville (especially since we live close to the mountains). Thankfully we have incredible neighbors (and a great pet sitter that we just hired for this trip) and they took care of our house (and animals and fish) for the next few days. Sadly our generator had old gas in it so it didn't work when the neighbor tried to start it. We need it to power up our 70-gallon fresh water fish tank so the cichlet fish can breathe. Karel has a portable bubble maker so our neighbor used that instead (the only downside is our fish couldn't eat for 3 days due to no filtration system running but thankfully they all survived). We were very stressed about our house after we heard that a tree broke our wooden fence in the backyard. On Friday morning I found out that the 2.4 mile river swim had been cancelled due to the predicted fast flow of water from the dam. This was a major bummer since swimming is my strength. After 18 years of triathlon, this was my first ever bike-run "triathlon" which was a strange feeling because it felt so different to what I had mentally prepared for (and what I know after racing 19 Ironmans). 

On Friday, I opted to ride the Kickr trainer (which Karel brought from home) for around 80 minutes. I did an over-under workout to wake up the legs. I didn't realize the Y was open (and free for IM participants) but if I had, I would have swam first as it's where I can zone out and relax before a race. The trainer workout felt good and got my mind into a good place. The rest of the day was uneventful. We walked to pick up pizza in the evening. We invited our friends Yannick and Katie over for pizza from Community Pie and enjoyed pizza in our Airbnb. I always get Margherita pizza two nights before a long distance race. 

My mom arrived with our athlete Scott around 8pm. Scott was supposed to come on Friday morning but he had a tree fall in his driveway which blocked him in - and he was without power.  He was able to get the tree removed and they had a suprisingly smooth drive to Chattanooga through Atlanta. I was happy that my mom was there to help us out with Sunny as he is still new to us and has a few anxieties/fears that we need to work on (he was abandoned in an apartment). 

We woke up to wet roads and light rain on Saturday. I didn't want to risk any issues the day before the race so I rode the trainer for ~45 minutes and did a few short efforts to wake up the legs. My legs felt a little tired during the ride but I felt surprisingly good for a 12 minute run off the bike (1.6 miles - I ran until I was ready to stop). As for the rest of the day, I prepared my bottles for my bike and flasks for the run, got all my nutrition ready and collected my gear. It felt strange to not have to think about getting ready for the swim and to not drop off a bike gear bag (due to the time trial start we wore our bike gear to the transition area on race morning). Karel got my bike ready in our Airbnb and for the first time ever, I used a disc wheel on my tri bike in an Ironman. Because of rain in the afternoon, Karel taped over the box that holds the wires for my electronic shifting so that they wouldn't get wet after leaving my bike in the transition area. Around 1pm we walked down to the race venue and I dropped off my run bag and bike. 

I eat the same foods the day before every Ironman and half IM, which makes it easy to get in my carbs as I don't have to think about what (and when) to eat. My typical day before race meals are: 

• Before workout: 2 piece bread + peanut butter
• During workout: 1 scoop Never Second C30
  
• After workout: Glass of milk + handful cereal. Then bagel + PB + banana + 2 eggs
• Lunch: Pasta + marinara + veggie burger 
• Afternoon snack: Pop tart + Chobani black cherry yogurt 
• Dinner: No chicken noodle soup (Amy's Organic) + 1 cup rice + saltine crackers

Race morning
Surprisingly, I slept really well the night before the race. With my alarm set for 6am due to the delayed start (cancelled swim) the race nerves felt nervous. I was curious to see what type of fitness I brought to the race since I didn't specifically train for this race but I didn't feel any pressure or expectations. The race also felt a little anticlimactic without the swim, which also made me feel less nervous. Even though I love to swim and was looking forward to the 2.4 mile river swim, the race just felt different. I was worried that without the swim, I wouldn't place as high in my age group as I usually need the swim and bike to make up for my slower run time, relative to other ladies in my age group. I laid in bed around 7pm and fell asleep between 8:30-9pm. Although I was in bed for close to 10 hours, we woke up to the sound of a car being towed outside our building around 3am. Sunny thought it was time to get up with all of the noise so Karel had to take him outside. It was an eventful 30 minutes but I was able to go back to sleep (and felt very rested at 3am). 

For my pre-race meal, I had the usual: Cinnamon Raisin Bagel w/ PB and banana. I ate around 6:30am and had no issues eating. I also had my Nescafe instant coffee and some water. I kept telling myself that this was similar to typical weekend - a long brick (bike-run) workout. Sunny stayed with mom when Karel and I walked to the transition area around 7:20am to drop off my bottles for my bike (and run bag), check my tires (which were fine from the day prior) and drop off my special needs bag for the bike (which had to be dropped off by 7:45am). We walked/jogged back to the Airbnb and Karel set up his gravel bike on the trainer and adjusted it for me so I could do a 10 min EZ spin on the trainer. This really helped to wake up my legs and got my mind in a good place to feel ready for the race. I didn't feel nervous but rather, I just wanted to get the race started. 

With the age groupers starting at 8:40am, we walked back down to the transition area around 8:20am. I was able to see some of the professionals start while on the trainer and walking to the transition area. I put on my cycling shoes and helmet outside of the transition, gave Karel my running shoes and went to my bike. I stood in line for a few minutes and before I knew it, I was standing in line, almost ready to start the bike. They had us stand in a row of 4 and two athletes who start every 5 seconds. The line moved very quickly. Although we were supposed to line up by bib number, there was a mix of numbers in the 200's (I was 218). 

BIKE
107.4 mile bike (5211 feet) 
4:40.06, 23 mph
Normalized power: 162W (IF .84)
Average cadence: 86rpm

I wasn't sure what to expect from the bike course since I had never seen it before. Our athlete Yannick drove the course and told me about it and I did a little research online looking at the terrain. I didn't have any set watts to target and I don't wear a HR monitor when I race but rather I like to race by feel. I know my body really well and I know what I can quickly recover from and what I can sustain. Since we didn't do the swim, Karel told me I could push a little harder on the bike since I would have a little extra energy to start. 

4.96 miles - 15:18, 195NP, 19.4 mph
I really pushed the first few miles. I knew I could settle in once I got to the 3 "loops" of the course. This section made my legs burn as I went hard from the very beginning. The warm up on the trainer really helped so my legs didn't feel like total bricks when I started. 

16.3 miles (out) - 38:24, 170 NP, 25.5 mph
I started to settle into a good rhythm really quickly on the bike. After a few miles, I found myself near the front of the race with only an athlete or two ahead of me. I could see our athlete Scott in the far distance, leading the age group race. I knew I would be at a slight disadvantage starting near the front because I wouldn't get the natural draft effect of passing people if I had started later on but I wanted to race my own race and see what I could do on my own. Plus, when I race and I have a lot of guys around me, it's hard to settle into my own rhythm as I have to pay more attention to staying draft legal or accelerating to pass versus focusing on my own effort. This section was really fast and had a nice flow to it. The course was rolling but there was plenty of time to stay in the aero bars. The climbs were not steep but had enough of an incline that I could sit up out of my aero bars (which is my preferred riding style since I do so much riding on my road bike). The downhills were fast and fun. With only two turns (one at each end of the course), there was no need to break, which made the course very fast at times. The rain started to come down (not strong rain but enough to get my compression socks wet) and my visor was fogging with the humidity. I actually liked the rain as it felt more "extreme" and I felt more in my element with the past two years dedicated to XTRI events. 

16.3 miles (back) - 44:43, 168 NP, 21.9 mph
This section felt like more of a drag. There was a bit more climbing to do on the way back. The aid stations were set up between the exits of the highway and the cars had to exit the hwy and then return on the on ramp. This allowed for two full lanes for athletes at the aid stations. I didn't grab anything at the aid stations so this allowed me to keep up my speed. I could feel the headwind in this direction. The rain continued to fall. I rode this section entirely by myself and it was long and lonely. I had a few guys pass me but they were way too strong in the time trial position for me to even stay draft legal behind them. I was able to somewhat keep up on the climbs but they got away from me on the downhills and flats. 

16.3 miles (out) - 38:49, 158 NP, 25.1 mph
I was relieved to make the turn around (which was a little technical over rumble strips and a lot of cones to make it a tight turn on both ends of the loop) as this section was the "easier" section of the two out and backs. At this point there were more people on the course but I was passing those starting their first loop (and being passed by a few more guys). I was also feeling the draft of having some cars in the lane next to us (we had the left lane closest to the medium and cars were coned off to our right) which also helped to keep up the speed. I was worried that the bike course would be lonely on the highway but there ended up being a good handful of people who drove out to the course. This loop felt a little long to me as my mind started to play games with me and tell me that I was biking too hard and that I should just stop after the bike and not run and that I was not having a good race (all normal self-talk that happens when riding for hours in a race). I was able to quiet those voices at times by focusing on my effort and terrain management and keeping up with my nutrition. 

Fueling on the bike
My fueling strategy was pretty simple as it's the same thing I do for all my long rides. 
I started with 3 x 26 ounce bottles of INFINIT Fructose (Fruit Punch flavor) with each bottle having 80g carbs and ~500mg sodium (not exactly 2 full scoops). Every 10-15 minutes I would take 3-4 big sips. I peed 3 times on the bike (the best I could on downhills). I tossed one of my bottles at an aid station and always kept my primary drinking bottle between my aerobars (two bottles in my rear cage). I don't use the aero bottle on the frame as I find it very difficult to grab and put back on the frame). 
I stopped at special needs (mile 62, which was 2:38 into the ride). I had finish 2 full bottles and a little over 1/2 bottle. My special needs stop took about 26 seconds. A volunteer handed me my bag after I stopped, I tossed my two bottles on my bike and put on 3 more bottles (one between the aero bars and 2 in the rear cages). 
In my special needs bag I had 3 more 26 ounce bottles of INFINIT Fructose. Same amount but my favorite flavor grape. I was able to finish 2 1/4 bottles over the next 2 hours (44.8 miles).
In total, I consumed: 
~127 ounce fluid
~390g carbs 
~2400 mg sodium
 
16.3 miles (back) - 44:23 (includes special needs stop), 162 NP, 22.1 mph
With more people on the course, the ride started to feel more fun as there was more to focus on. I was surprised to see Karel as I was nearing the end of the 2nd loop. He told me I was leading my age group and 2nd overall female as a younger female was riding much faster than me. I was really surprised that I was near the front of the race. This gave me a lot of incentive to keep pushing. I never felt tired or had any low moments so my mission was to try to make my third loop strong. At this point in the race, the rain was on and off. The temperature was perfect as I never felt cold. My athlete Jeremy passed me on the bike before special needs and he was riding really strong. It was great to see him out there. The nice thing with the looped course was being able to see athletes on the other side of the median. 

16.3 miles (out) - 39.52, 147 NP, 24.5 mph
Karel gave me one more cheer as I was starting my third loop and then he biked back to the race venue (he biked out on the course since it was closed to cars in and out of town). Although I could feel the natural fatigue of riding strong for the past 3+ hours, I could also feel the draft effect of the cars and other athletes on the course. I never found there to be big groups as there was a constant passing of athletes. I called out "on your left" a lot and everyone was very considerate to move over quickly. I found the course to be very safe. It was smooth pavement and very well controlled with volunteers and police. Although I really enjoyed the old course in the country, I didn't mind this course as it was hilly enough to feel hard at times and it felt safe with all the athletes on the course. 

16.3 miles (back) - 44:22, 152 NP, 22.2 mph
I really tried to push this last section. I felt strong and I was really focused with all the other athletes on the course. I had another guy pass me on a downhill and I was able to keep him in my sights for most of the last loop. This really helped me keep the pressure on the pedals. I never knew my mileage or overall time as my screen was set to lap intervals and I was only focusing on my current speed, 10 sec power and normalized lap power. Even though there were mile markers on the course, I only focused on the lap that I was in. This made the bike go by relatively quickly. This was my first time using a disc wheel in an IM and this course was perfect for it as I could keep my speed up (and validate the effects of using the disc). 

4.64 miles - 14:11, 154 NP, 19.6 mph
It was nice to finally go straight and not make the turn after 3 loops. The last few miles were tough as there was a big climb heading back into town. I didn't remember that climb (or downhill) heading out as my legs were burning. I started to experience my normal worries of "what type of run will I have off the bike" as I always lack confidence in my run. I expected that I would be passed by Elyse and other females somewhere in the early miles of the run so I didn't put any pressure on myself that I had to run fast. My only goal was just to enjoy the run. With less than a mile left, I saw Karel standing with Sunny and he was so cute sitting there (Sunny, not Karel :) I yelled "HI SUNNY!!" Karel told me that I was first overall female and I couldn't believe it. I switched the screen on my bike computer and although I was bummed to see only 107 miles, I was shocked to see my time. I thought I could go under 5:10 on the bike (which would be a big PR for me) so when I saw my time nearing 4:40, I couldn't believe it. I did some quick math as I was riding after seeing my speed for each lap but I had no idea what that would actually come up to at the end. 

T2 - 3:33
When I got off the bike, my legs felt pretty good. I felt like I did a great job with my fueling and although I biked strong, I didn't feel like I overdo it. As I ran to my run bag, my mom was there along the fencing giving me cheers and updates that I was leading my age group by over 15 minutes and I was first overall female. I got a few other cheers from friends and I was quickly reminded why I love racing - I love being part of the triathlon community. I ran into the changing tent and I was the only female there. Two other professionals entered shortly after me (I passed them on the bike). I quickly put on my shoes and Naked Running belt and flasks and grabbed my plastic baggy that had my visor, sunglasses, powder in baggies to refill my flasks and Campy's collar. I really needed to pee as I never fully emptied my bladder on the bike so I went into the porto potty and sat down (without undoing my kit) and peed while I put on my stuff in my bag (multitasking). 

Photo credit: Angela B.

25.7 mile run - 3:33.17, 8:18 min/mile, 1200 feet elevation gain
Mile 1 - 8:05
Mile 2: 7:37
Mile 3: 7:42
Mile 4: 7:48
Mile 5: 7:54
Mile 6: 7:48
Mile 7: 8:02
Mile 8: 8:06
Mile 9: 8:09
Mile 10: 8:20
Mile 11: 7:47
Mile 12: 8:29
Mile 13: 8:25 (half marathon 1:43, 8:01 min/mile average)
Mile 14: 8:33
Mile 15: 8:08
Mile 16: 8:19
Mile 17: 8:18
Mile 18: 8:26
Mile 19: 8:30
Mile 20: 8:38
Mile 21: 9:04
Mile 22: 8:40
Mile 23: 8:53
Mile 24: 9:17
Mile 25: 8:42
Mile 26: 8:00 pace (Last 12.5 miles, 1:47, 8:36 min/mile average)

Fueling on the run 
Like the bike, my fueling strategy was very simple on the run. It's the same thing I do for all of my runs (no matter how long, short, hard or easy). I always use Never Second C30 berry on the run. 

I started with 2 x 10 ounce Nathan hard flasks, each with ~120 calories (30g carbs, 200mg sodium of Never Second C30 Berry). I tried to finish 1 flask every 30-40 minutes. I took a few sips water at each aid station and followed it with 1-2 big sips of my flask. Sometimes I would sip the flask between aid stations if needed. I carried 4 small baggies (jewlery bags), each with 1 scoop (30g carbs) Never Second to refill my bottles along the way. I ended up using 3 of the 4 baggies. 

Total: 
150g carbs
1000mg sodium 
~70 ounce fluid

I didn't use anything from the aid stations besides water. No sport drinks, gels, or coke. 
I carried 1/4 bottle of  KetoneAid KE4 Pro Ketone Ester Drink which is something I don't use in training but I have used it in my last two XTRI events (Norseman and ICON) and it helps to keep my energy stable. I hate the taste so I can only take in a small sip at a time. I had my first sip on the bridge around mile 8 and then as needed throughout (anytime I felt like I needed a mental boost). 

I didn't have any stomach issues and my energy felt really stable throughout the entire race. 

Mile 1-4
As I ran out of the transition and on to the grass, my legs felt good. I do a lot of brick runs (and all my brick runs start uphill because of where I live) so running up the hill toward mile one didn't feel too hard. I didn't worry about my pace but rather I wanted to make it feel easy so that I could start easing into my marathon effort at the top of the hill. The first few miles are on a four lane road. We ran on the left side of the road. The road is rolling to start and then slightly flattens out. This is not my favorite part of the run so my focus was getting to the first turn at the end of this road. I ran with two other guys and the effort felt comfortable. I looked at my watch at the mile marker splits and I was surprised at my pace. I knew I could hold between 8:10-8:30 min/miles so when I saw splits under 8 min, I told myself to try to hold on to that pace for as long as I could. My goal was at least ten miles. The effort didn't feel forced as I was focusing on my rhythm and moving myself forward. I wore New Balance Supercomp Elite V4 shoes (from Run In). I have been wearing New Balance Fuel Cells for years so this change was an easy one (these new shoes only had ~10 miles in them before race day). As I was running, I noticed a few female pros running back on the same road. This had me feeling worried because I didn't mentally prepare to do an out and back on this road (I really looked forward to running on the path by the water, especially over the wooden bridges). Thankfully it was only a short section of around a mile back on the main road between the paths (there was prior flooding on the path). 

Mile 4-8
My energy felt stable, my mind was in a good place and my legs felt good. I was expecting to be passed by the faster age group female runners before the "hilly" section across the river but as the miles went by, I didn't see any other females around me. I saw Karel on the battery place hill before the Veterans Bridge and he told me that Elyse was running a faster pace than me but I was winning my age group by over 15 minutes. I expected Elyse to run past me at any point so I continued to focus on my effort. I never imagined I would be leading the amateur female race (especially at the age of 42!) so I didn't feel any pressure that I had to stay in the lead. My main focus was putting together a marathon run that I knew I was capable of but haven't done in my previous 19 Ironmans. I shuffled my way up the hill and on to the bridge. It felt good to finally have some signficant elevation change as I find it harder to run on flats than hills. 

Mile 8 - 11
I took a sip of the Ketone bottle that I was holding in my hand throughout the run when I was on the bridge. I was really looking forward to the Barton Avenue hills as I knew this was terrain that suited my strengths. I ran steady uphill and tried to work the downhills. At the bottom of the hill, there was a slight false flat that was a little annoying.  I refilled one of my flasks at the aid station at the top of that false flat. I stopped, put the powder from my baggie in my flask the volunteers helped me fill up the flask. I really enjoyed the "loop" at the bottom of Barton Av. as it was rolling hills. I saw Karel before I started the climb back on Barton (which is a bit steeper/longer on the way back) and he told me that I was keeping my lead against Elyse. I asked him how much time I had ahead of her and he told me around 2 minutes. I really enjoyed these miles and I looked forward to them on the second loop. I saw several familiar faces which kept me feeling happy to be running. I will still surprised how good I felt. Karel asked me how I was feeling before I made my way under the Veteran bridge (he was on his bike) and I told him I was feeling good energy wise but my legs were starting to get a little tired (understandably). 

Mile 11-13
I enjoyed the wooden pedestrian bridge back into town as I like running on different surfaces. There weren't many spectators on the bridge (I was looking forward to seeing lots of people) so that was a bummer. However, there were some good cheers from those who were standing there cheering. 

Mile 13 - 16
I made my way out on the second loop of the run. I was really surprised how fast the first 13 miles went. I never experienced any major lows but there were a few low moments over the next few miles as these miles felt very long. My legs were starting to stiffen up but I was still able to hold the same form that I was holding in the first loop. I told myself that all I need to do is finish these 4 miles and then the "hard part" would be overwith. I refilled another flask around 13 at the aid station. The volunteers were amazing. Each refill stop took me ~30-40 seconds. It was nice to have a quick stop. Other than these three refill stops, I didn't walk or stop throughout the run. 

Photo credit: Kayla 

Photo credit: Kayla 

Mile 16 - 20
I could tell that my propulsion wasn't as strong and my legs were feeling tired. The good thing was my energy still felt great and I was actually enjoying the run. With my last 3 marathons taking 5-6 hours due to the extreme nature of extreme triathlons (each of those runs was over 4000 feet elevation gain), I didn't doubt my endurance and strength. I had taken some risks in this race to see what my capabilities were on the bike and run and I wasn't willing to give up now. I saw Karel on battery hill and he was full of positive comments. He told me how good I was running, that I was keeping my lead to Elyse and even extending it on the hills and that he was so impressed with how good I looked when I ran. While I may not be running "fast" I had confidence in my ability to run well under fatigue. I was actually looking forward to the point when my legs were starting to really hurt from the fatigue as I knew I could push through it. 

Mile 20-23
I never focused on what mile I was in or how many miles I had left but rather I used destinations/landmarks to keep me focused. I broke down the race into sections and just focused on a few miles at a time. Once I checked those off, it was on to the next segment. In many of my past Ironmans, the last 6 miles were always so incredibly long and hard and I couldn't wait for the pain to stop at the finish line. But I actually looked forward to the last 6 miles. I saw Karel on Barton and he told me that these hills are were I am the strongest. He told me "no one can run hills like you." He was extremely supportive. Although my legs were hurting on the climbs, I kept things in perspective. These hills were tiny compared to the mountains I climb in extreme triathlons. These were tiny short bumps compared to running up Zombi hill in Norseman, or climbing up a ski slope during Karel's race (in the rain, on snow and ice) or hiking up 3000 feet to the top of a ski slope in Livigno at almost 10,000 feet elevation. Barton hills were NBD (no big deal) :) 

I continued to sip my nutrition and use a few sips of water from the aid station. The weather stayed fairly comfortable in the 70s. Although I was tired, I really tried to run as strong as I could up and down the hills. It was uncomfortable but I felt strong and durable. Karel told me to keep pushing until I got to the end of the bridge and then that was where I could feel like the race was "over." This mentally helped me stay focused up the last big climb. 

Mile 24-finish!
Anytime the run got hard or I had a brief low moment, I would tell myself "If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you've never done." I continued to repeat this in my head over and over as I knew I was on track for a PR marathon run but at any point I could convince myself it was not worth it due to the pain in the legs and I could slow down. I kept on pushing myself. At mile 25, I took Campy's collar out of my hydration belt, gave it a kiss and held it in my hand for the last mile. I thought about pulling it out sooner but it was something that I really looked forward to and that helped me stay motivated until mile 25. There were more people on the wooden bridge which gave me a boost of energy. As I was making my turn toward the finish on the top of the hill, Karel was there and told me "it may be close, you need to keep pushing." I ran as hard as I could to the finish line while still soaking in the atmosphere and quickly reflecting on the day. I switched my watch screen from lap pace/current pace/lap distance to overall time and I was shocked to see my time. Even though the run was short, it was still a PR marathon pace for me (lifetime best!) 

When I crossed the finish line I couldn't believe what had happened. I was the first overall female amateur across the line. I've raced Ironman Chattanooga twice and I won overall amateur female both times. There's something special about Chatty!

Yannick and Karel greeted me at the finish and shortly after, my mom and Sunny came. I saw Karel and we had to wait over 5 minutes before Elyse and a few other females crossed the finish line (they started behind me and we weren't sure if someone ran a faster time than me to push me out of first overall) for the official results. 

I couldn't believe how good I felt all day. I had no idea what I was capable of doing on the day and with so much emotional stress going into this race, I really didn't think I had the mental capacity to suffer. Similar to Louisville 70.3 when I placed overall female, I just felt good all day. It required a lot of mental focus and staying in the present moment but thankfully I had just enough of that left in me for 132.5 miles. 

A few years ago I was feeling like the Ironman distance wasn't exciting me anymore. I needed a change. Xterra racing, mountain biking, gravel biking and XTRI events helped me step out of my comfort zone and feel like a beginner again with new unknowns, new skills to learn and new ways to train (and race). I thought I was stepping away from the "standard" long course triathlons but thanks to all of these different events, my love for the standard distances has returned because I have new perspectives and experiences to bring to each race. 

We went to the awards at 9:30am the next morning and after receiving my award for winning the 40-44 age group, we left to head back to Greenville to get back to our powerless house (and to remove all the food from our fridge and freezer). I did not take a slot to Kona as I am not sure what events/races I want to do in 2025 and I am really enjoying different adventures, race-cations and event experiences. 

View this post on Instagram

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

'24 IM 70.3 Louisville race recap

 
Source

Quick stats: 
Marni: 4:45.14, 1st overall female 
Swim: 29:07
T1: 4:15
Bike: 2:25:57
T2: 3:25
Run: 1:42.30

Karel: 4:33.27, 2nd AG (45-49)
Swim: 31:47
T1: 3:56
Bike: 2:23.20
T2: 3:14
Run: 1:31.10

Pre Race
We drove to Louisville on Thursday morning. Karel and I were able to get in a short 30 minute swim at Furman before we left around 9:30am. On the 9th, Karel started to feel sick after his morning swim. On Saturday, he went for an hour run and came back feeling awful. He tested positive for COVID shortly after. He did nothing on Sunday as he was exhausted, coughing, stuffy and low in energy. He did no exercise on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday, I started to feel run down and had to stop my bike trainer workout because I was feeling empty. I ended up with a head cold but thankfully I was able to fight the virus but I was left feeling stuffy. Thankfully, on Wednesday morning I felt a little better so I was able to get in a longish trainer ride and brick run in the morning and a short swim in the evening. Karel wanted to see how he felt so he went out for a ride on his tri bike and he felt pretty bad. A lot of that was because he hadn't exercised in four days but he was still feeling somewhat sick. With Karel feeling unwell, me feeling run down and both of us feeling really sad since it was three weeks without Campy, we weren't sure if we should go to Louisville to race. With this being a team race, we wanted to be there with/for our athletes but we weren't sure if either of us should race. Karel was undecided if he would race (he was leaning towards not racing) but I was feeling ok when I exercised, just very stuffy. We decided that we would take it one day at a time. When we arrived to our Airbnb in Louisville (1 mile from the race venue, by the run course), Karel and I did an out and back run on the course. Karel was coughing and felt horrible. We ran for 40 minutes. We got groceries at Kroger and then went to bed after dinner. On Friday, Karel was feeling a little better so he went out for a run. He ended up running 11.4 miles of the 70.3 run course and said he felt low in energy but didn't feel as bad as he did a few days prior. While he was running, I went for a swim at the Floyd YMCA (Indiana). My athlete/friend Claire suggested that I get a once-a-year free YMCA pass and reserve a lane (by calling) which worked out great for a 3000-yard workout. When I returned back to the Airbnb, Karel told me that he would train through 70.3 Louisville as he felt like he missed a lot of training due to his sickness, being in Norway and struggling with recovery after the Stone extreme triathlon. We had talked about this approach going into Louisville since he has Icon XTRI on September 6th. A little before 4pm, Karel and I rode over the Big Four Bridge and biked the Utica Pike Route (suggested by one of my nutrition athletes that lives in Prospect KY). It was somewhat quiet road by the water. The road was a bit bumpy but otherwise it was the perfect road to get into the aerobars and to spin out the legs. I rode for 80 minutes and Karel rode for 2 hours. The riding in Louisville wasn't great (not safe) so we were limited with where we were able to ride. Karel felt better toward the end of his ride. In the evening we had our team pizza party at Claire's Airbnb (which was next to our Airbnb). I purchsed pizza from The Post. The pizza was ok - not amazing but not bad. I really liked the big sizes for our group.
It was so great to be with our athletes. It was exactly what we needed. It gave us an opportunity to briefly forget about our grieving and our athletes gave us so much positive energy. 
On Saturday morning, I went for an almost 90 minute ride. I rode a little on the beginning/end of the bike course, checked out the end of the run course and then biked the run course in the park. After the ride, I went for a 17-minute run (13 minutes of feel good running off the bike and then another 1/2 mile to get me to/from the Butchertown Bakery to get Karel a croissant and pastry. As I was doing my pre race workout, Karel rode the bike course. I was a little nervous for him being out on the bike course since we heard the course was mostly on busy, narrow two lane roads and Karel said there was a lot of traffic on a Saturday morning. Karel rode 61 miles (he missed one turn because of cars on the road) and came home feeling tired. But he was happy that he was able to put together a few days of "training."  
I checked in my bike around 1pm and spent the rest of the day relaxing. I stuck to my normal pre-race foods/meals:  Bagel, waffles, eggs, milk, yogurt, pop tarts, Amy's No Chicken Noodle soup, basmati rice, pasta w/ marinara. Karel checked in his bike closer to 3pm. Karel and I prepared our bottles in the late afternoon and spent the early evening relaxing in bed. We both shut out the lights around 7:30pm to try to go to sleep. It was a somewhat restless night of sleep (typical pre-race) but it was nice knowing we had a 4:15am alarm (and not 2am like the extreme triathlons :). 

Race morning 
We woke up not feeling too excited to race. It was a strange feeling as we love racing but this past week was so exhuasting for us. We constantly felt this constant weight of sadness that we struggled to shake. Karel didn't feel nervous as he was using the race as a training day but I felt a bit of nerves because I did care about this race. This race was in my homestate and being so close to Lexington brought back a lot of memories and emotions thinking about my dad. 
Karel had his oatmeal and espresso and I had instant coffee and a cinnamon raisin bagel w/ peanut butter and maple syrup. We left our Airbnb around 5:30am, parked a few blocks away (on the street behind the big parking lot across the race expo, free street parking on Sunday) and then walked to the transition area. It made me happy to be in the transition area as I really enjoy the race day vibe and being around other athletes. Karel likes to be in and out and isn't one for small talk. I do all the talking :) We set up our transition areas and then walked the 1.2 miles to the swim start. We prefer walking when there is an option (instead of taking the bus) as it's a nice warm-up and it puts us in a better mindset when we can keep our bodies moving. When we arrived to the swim start area around 6:30am, we put on our ROKA swimskins, dropped off our morning clothes bags and then walked a little further down the paved path to the official swim start. There was one big corral for all the swim waves so we had to jump over the fence to get into the sub 30-minute swim start area near the front. I was looking forward to the swim whereas Karel was worried about the swim because of his previous sickness and feeling tight in his chest. He was going to take it very easy to start so that he wouldn't get his heart rate up too high. At 7am, the race started.

Swim
The swim was point to point with sighting buoys every 100 meters. What a nice treat compared to the 1, maybe 2 buoys that we get an extreme triathlon events. I really liked how we started the swim. Rather than jumping off a dock, we walked down a metal ramp into the water and could somewhat dive into the water at waist high. I wore clear ROKA goggles since it was a little cloudy. From the first few strokes, I could feel a bit of chop. It felt more like we were swimming upstream than downstream. After getting pased the first buoy, I was really excited about this swim. Non wetsuit and choppy - I felt like this was the perfect swim for me. Karel started a few seconds ahead of me and I passed him after the 2nd buoy. He looked good in the water which made me feel relieved that he was ok in the water. I didn't find the water quality bad but instead, I really liked this swim. It went by quickly and I used each buoy to count how far I had left as they were numbered. I made the left turn around the final red turn buoy toward the stairs to exit the water at Waterfront park. It was very choppy by the exit. I felt great getting out of the water and I had a few people tell me that I was in the top 10 of females. I saw my mom and she was cheering for me, which made me happy. Karel's mom stayed back at our Airbnb as she was worried that she would get too tired being on her feet all day. 

T1
It was a long run from the water exit, up the concrete ramp, over the stairs and into the grassy transition area. I sat down to put on my compression socks and shoes. I decided to tighten my boa on my Bont tri shoes in the transition area as I spent too much time fiddling with my shoes in Gulf Coast trying to tighten them as I was riding. I put on my Rudy project helmet (with visor on the top of the helmet as this helps it avoid fogging and easier to get on) and then grabbed my bike to start the 56 mile ride. 


Bike
I was really looking forward to this bike. I rode most of this course back in 2008 for IMKY but back then I was not a confidence (or strong) cyclist so the rolling hills felt like mountains to me back then. In addition to Karel's feedback from his ride on the course, I watched a Youtube video of the course (car driving the course), looked at maps and studied the mile markers and Karel's file from his ride to understand every mile/corner of the course. This really helped so that when I got on the bike, I felt like I was riding on a course that was familiar to me - even though I had not ridden the course since 2008. 
For nutrition I had 3 bottles on my bike, each with 70g INFINIT Fructose. I started with fruit punch in my first bottle and then had two bottles of grape flavor. I had a never second gel and Power bar gummies in my bento box on my frame in case I dropped a bottle but I didn't need to use them. I went through two full bottles and around 1/2 of the 3rd bottle. I felt great energy wise. I passed a few ladies in the first few miles and nearing the first climb (I think) was leading the women's race.
The first 10.5 miles were fast! I averaged 24.5 mph. We then hit our first longish climb and this started rollers for the next 10 miles. We made a right turn to start the "loop." I broke this loop into 4 sections. The first section was 4.75 miles and it was net uphill. My legs started to open up at this point. I didn't feel like I could push on the first climb but in this section, I started to feel so much better. I didn't try to ask my body to do more than it could do earlier on but rather, just rode within my abilities and listened to my body. The next section was 3.56 miles and although there was some climbing, it was a faster section. After the turn in La Grange, we had another 3.8 miles. This was another fast section. The last section was 3.95 miles and this finished the loop. I loved the rolling hills and it was a little cooler to start but warmed up nicely. Perfect riding temperature. I found myself around the same guys and made sure to stay draft legal behind them. It was hard at times because of the cat and mouse nature of this course that I would have to surge to pass on the uphills and then I was passed on the downhills. There was a official around my group throughout the entire bike ride (the motorcycle would ride past us, stop and then go again and pass us throughout the entire bike). Karel passed me as we were finishing the loop and I was able to keep him in my sights for most of the rest of the bike. I was really happy that he was riding well on the bike. He was tired from his sickness and training going into this race but also happy that he was ok enough to participate in the race. Karel and I love riding our bikes in new areas so we thought of this race as an opportunity to enjoy riding on different roads. Overall the traffic wasn't bad and the volunteers and police did a great job controlling traffic as my group was rolling through. I think the traffic picked up as the race went on. I do worry about the safety of this bike course because a good 13 miles of the course is on a two lane busy road which means there are cyclists in both directions which means cars are backed up for 3+ hours. The bike felt effortless for me. I was really happy that my legs showed up for this bike. I didn't feel good at Norseman two weeks ago and I reminded myself that I had a really great race at Chatty 70.3 in 2021, just two weeks after IM St. George. I finished the bike as the lead female. 

T2 
The dismount/mount to the bike was on the street and then we had a loooooong run on the grass into T2. My legs felt pretty good but I always worry about myself for the run. I never what type of "runner" will show up when I start the run. I did a flying dismount so I could run in my socks (thankfully the grass was dry). I put on my Saucony run shoes, slipped on my Naked Running band and put my two flasks into my running belt. I had 1 scoops Never Second C30 berry in each ten ounce flask (which is what I use for all of my runs). As I was entering the transition area, my mom told me I had a 7.5 min lead. I wasn't sure if this was accurate as sometimes the timing mats are off or because of the self seeded start, athletes further back don't trigger the timing mats until much later because they started later (but couldn't technically be ahead. That happened to me at Blue Ridge 70.3 a few years ago when I crossed the line first but came in 2nd by 0.2 seconds). 
I grabbed a grocery bag that had my ROKA sunglasses, visor, watch and Campy's collar in it. I put on those items as I was running out of transition. I ended up holding my watch in my right hand for several miles as I like to hold something when I run until I feel like I have my rhythm. 

Run 
I did some quick math as I was running and I felt like I could run low 1:40's for the half. I thought about the other ladies behind me and that meant someone would have to run at least 1:32 to beat me. Which is totally doable. I decided I wouldn't worry about who was behind me until I got to mile 7-8 because at that point, I figured if someone was going to pass me, it would come around that time. I was not feeling super confident in my run as I still had a 140.6 mile event in them from Norseman two weeks prior. Also with being sick and just emotionally drained, I didn't have a lot of self-belief in my run. Plus, it's been really hard to push myself in all three sports because when I am sad, I don't want to hurt myself anymore and running hard hurts. 

I really enjoyed this run course. This first 3 miles were flat and gently rolling. Then we went into Cherokee park. I had the best run guide with me - her name was Yvonne and she was awesome. She made sure no one got into my way and every mile she would get on her radio and tell the race staff that "the lead female is at mile....." She even offered to get me ice at one aid station but I didn't accept it as I didn't want to take "outside assistance." The park was beautiful and I was really looking forward to the hills. These were proper rolling hills. There were two short hills to start and then 3 longer hills of several minutes. The downhills were fun. The volunteers were incredible at the aid stations and I got a lot of cheers as the lead female. I grabbed ice at the aid stations as I was feeling a bit warm and I finished my two flasks by mile 10. I then sipped on coke and a few sips water for the rest of the run. There was one short section of gravel (which I loved) because of road construction early on in the run. 
I hit a low point around mile 9-10.5 in the run but was able to find my rhythm again. I had one guy pass me and tell me that there was no girls close behind me which comforted me in a way but also had me feeling nervous if someone who sneak up. I only had one effort in me and I just focused on running with good form - steady and fluid. The last mile was long and challenging as it was net uphill (after a quick turnaround) but I had mentally prepared myself for it. Karel said he felt good on the run but his paces were much slower than he is used to. He was happy he was able to finish the race. 
As I was nearing the finish, I couldn't believe what was able to happen. I was about about to cross the finish line as the overall female winner. At 42 years old, I feel stronger, fitter and healthier than ever before but I know these overall wins will be more and more difficult to achieve as the years go on. In the last mile, I took Campy's collar out of my race belt and I gave it a kiss. I held it tightly in my hand so that he could be with me to the finish line. When I crossed the finish line and held up the tape, I was filled with emotions with all that had been going on over the past few weeks. Campy passing away, racing Norseman XTRI, Karel getting very sick and just having an all around rough week going into this event. 

Karel was able to give me my medal at the finish and it felt really good to give him a hug. He placed 2nd age group (45-49). After we chatted with my mom, we walked on the run course back toward our Airbnb to cheer on our athletes. We were so proud of our athletes. This race will never be forgotten. 

Pics from Clare Grant/Courier Journal.

As I mentioned on social media....

"Life has been really really hard lately. Grieving is emotionally and physically exhausting. Over the past three weeks, we have been drowning in sadness. We feel lonely, lost and empty. But triathlon is saving us. It’s giving us purpose, structure and the opportunity to connect with our community.
It’s been two weeks since I completed XTRI Norseman in Norway, which required so much of my mental and physical energy. Karel got very sick when we returned home. We have been struggling with the absence of Campy. Returning to my home state of KY brought on so many emotions. It made me really miss my dad, who passed away from cancer in 2014.

Racing provided us with a needed distraction and a temporary break from our emotions. We went into this race with no expectations other than to find joy in the experience. To be honest, just finishing was our biggest goal.

Before the race, I kissed Campy’s collar and tucked it inside my running belt. Knowing that Campy’s collar was in T2 gave me purpose. I need to get to the run so I can be with him. And I needed to get to mile 12 of the run so that I could hold his collar and bring him with me to the finish line.
Perhaps I got lucky in Kentucky or it was meant to be. The race felt effortless. I was being carried to the finish line by Campy and my dad.

I took the lead in the women’s race early on in the bike and managed to cross the finish line as the first overall female. I couldn’t believe it. My mom was cheering me on and Karel was there waiting for me at the finish line (he placed 2nd in his age group). It was another tearful race finish. And it was extra special sharing the experience with so many of our athletes and team members.

Losing someone you love can change your world. Loss of a loved one can affect how you feel, how you act and how you think. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. We all have unique ways of expressing emotions.

Unlike sport, loss is a process, not an event. We will never forget Campy and it will take time to learn how to live without him."

Thank you for the support. 💓

The Stone Triathlon - Race Recap

On June 29th, Karel completed his first Extreme Triathlon - The Stone.
His time of 14 hours and 40 minutes earned him 7th across the finish line. 
RESULTS

Quick stats:

• 2am - wake up, eat oatmeal, drink coffee, get dressed.
• 2:45am - walk to transition area.
• 3:20am - board ferry to the other side of Lake Iseo.
• 4am - 5:07am: 4270 yards swimming in 1:07 (from Gallinagra to Sulzano, across Lake Iseo).
• 5:10am - 12:47pm: 109 miles of biking and 13,576 feet elevation gain covering Aprica, Mortirolo and Gavia pass in 7:25. Average speed 14.7mph.
• 12:56 - 6:34: 21.8 miles of running and 7830 feet elevation gain, starting in Ponte di Legno and finishing at Passo Paridiso. Average pace, 15:48 min/mile. 
• Karel started the race in the dark. The water was in the upper 60's and the air temperature was in the 60s to low 70's for most of the day. Karel was comfortable in his tri kit for the entire bike. Only when he descended from Gavia did he put on a jacket to keep himself warm before arriving to T2. It was warm and humid for most of the run. 
  
  
  

  
  

Race Morning
Our athlete Yannick joined us for this experience as he has been spending time in Europe training and racing. Having him with us with a big help for me as we could both support Karel. We all walked down with Karel to help him get ready in his wetsuit and after he boarded the ferry, we walked back up to our Airbnb (~1/2 mile away up a hill) and packed up our stuff in the car since we were checking out of our Airbnb to make our way to Ponte di Legno.

I brought Karel's bike stuff to the transition area around 4:30am and set it up so that Karel could have a quick and smooth transition. I anxiously waited for Karel to exit the water. There was only one buoy on the swim course (1000 meters from shore, near the island in the midlde of the lake). Otherwise, Karel only had a shining light (picture below) for sighting. Karel was able to see the light for all of the swim but somehow he got off course and ended up far away from the island. He was able to overcorrect and make his way to the shore. Karel said that swimming in the dark was very calming for him. He felt calm on the ferry. 

 I ran with Karel to the transition area, helped him transition from swim to bike and then he was off for the bike. I laid out Karel's gear, turned on his HR monitor, computer (with navigation) and rear light (I forgot to turn on his front light but he turned it on). 

For the next 7+ hours, Yannick and I drove behind or in front of Karel (rarely spending more than a few minutes with him in sight), asking him if he needed anything as we passed him. We would stop at various random places along the course to take pictures, cheer and to see if he needed anything. I was worried that I would be really tired in the car but surprisingly I was filled with adrenaline and excitement for Karel. I was most worried and nervous about getting lost (we did miss a few turns) or not being there when Karel needed us but Karel was very easy to take care of throughout the race. He didn't want to stop more than he needed to so the only times he would stop would be to pee (on the side of the road - there were not bathrooms, not even in the transition area). 

The scenery was beautiful and it was fun to be around some of the other athletes. We were around a French athlete (and his team) so we would all stop at similar places along the course. I had lots of snacks/food/drinks/water in the car but to be honest, it was hard for me to want to eat. My diet consisted of Fanta, bars and pretzels. I did make myself a PB sandwich and had some yogurt while Karel was on the run. We stopped for a coffee around 8am in one of the towns. 

We were not allowed to drive up Gavia (per the race organizers advice due to the small roads and to limit congestion) so after Karel passed through Ponte di Legno, we parked the car and waited for Karel for the next 90+ minutes. I wanted to give Karel another bottle before Gavia but he kept on riding. Karel told me he was fine. Throughout the race, Karel had issues drinking as his stomach was not emptying well. This caused him not to fuel and hydrate as well as he would have liked. He felt like he paced himself really well and the best part was not experiencing his typical race day cramps or extreme back pain throughout the race. 

The transition area was in the middle of the town of Ponte di Legno. It was a really cool set up with shops and restraurants around the square. I set up Karel's run gear in the transition area and after Karel arrived, he changed out of his tri kit and into his run gear (in the men's changing tent).

Karel had planned to do all of the run by himself and then I would join Karel for the final 2+ miles after T3. Howver, I had a last minute idea for Yannick to join Karel on the run because I knew Karel would benefit from having someone with him. I know how tired I was getting off the bike in my last two XTRI events and I really enjoyed and benefited from having Karel with me for the entire XTRI ICON run. Yannick is a great runner (professional triathlete) so I knew he would be a better fit than me for the early hours of the run. Yannick took my backpack with the mandatory gear and joined Karel for the first 13 miles of the run.

 I drove to the next town to meet up with them to see if they needed any nutrition and to give Karel his hiking poles as the terrain was very steep in places. Karel was struggling when I saw him as he had been dealing with extreme nausea after running a bit too hard up the hills when he started the run. When he stopped at the top of a hill, it hit him really hard - like a really bad hangover.

The run course was a mix of paved trail, roots, grass and road. It was extremely steep and hilly. During the run, Yannick called me to tell me that Karel wanted his hiking poles due to the steepness of the climbs. All athletes (and support crew) were required to wear their backpacks w/ mandatory gear for the entire run.

 I drove to a dirt parking area outside of town to wait for Karel around mile 13. I changed into my run gear and got myself ready in case Karel wanted me to join him for the next 8+ miles. When I saw Karel and Yannick, I asked Karel if he wanted me to run with him and he nodded his head "yes." This was very special to me to join Karel for the remainder of the race.

Karel was running on empty. He was tired and it was very hard for him to actually run. I understood the feeling so I stayed ahead of him and helped him stay on course so he didn't have spend extra energy on navigating himself. I tried to encourage him to run anytime the course was flat or went downhill. 

There was a lot of walking/hiking as the terrain was very steep and Karel was very tired, exhausted, sore and still feeling nauseous but I encouraged him to jog whenever there was a flatish area. When we reached T3, Yannick had our trail shoes ready for us (he drove the car there from Ponte di Legno). It was then time to tackle the final portion of the race. A climb up a Paradiso Pass - one of the steepest ski slopes in Italy.



After a mile of climbing up grass, gravel and then loose rocks, the terrain turned to snow.

 And then the weather suddenly turned and we were faced with thunder, rain and hail. We could barely make out the orange flags to help guide the way to the top. It took us 48 minutes to go 0.7 miles in the snow!

When it started raining/hailing, I encouraged Karel to stop and put on our rain jackets. At this point he was passed by an athlete (a guy from Czech) but Karel was trying his absolute best to get to the finish line and there was nothing more he could give. It was just one step forward at a time. At this point, Karel had been racing for over 13 hours - the longest continuous activity of his life!




 When we made the last turn up the mountain, I quickly hiked ahead of Karel and when I saw the finish line red carpet, I yelled to Karel "it's here! You are so close!!" I ran up the carpet to video Karel finishing.




 He was so exhausted and relieved when he crossed the finish line.



 We then went inside the ski lodge to change out of our wet clothes and into our dry clothes and then we enjoyed a warm meal.

On the day before the race, Karel expressed his excitement and nerves to do something for the first time. Although he was very nervous about the unknown, he was able to wake up on race day with a sense of calm.

This is our third extreme triathlon between both of us. Last year I completed XTRI Canadaman and XTRI Icon. We learned a lot from those events and it helped us in Karel's preparation for this event as well as our strategy throughout the event.

Extreme triathlons are unique in that they are primarily self-supported. Even though there can be a few aid-stations along the race course and there is a designated transition area for swim to bike and bike to run, there are several aspects to an extreme that make them very different to a standard full distance triathlon.

• You need a support team/person that will keep you going and will keep you positive and will encourage you to never give up. As an athlete, your success depends on your team. Your crew plays a vital role in your performance and you can't complete the event without them.
• Extreme triathlons are small. You may have 60-250 participants. Not everyone will finish. This provides a "family" feel. The organizers get to know all of the athletes (often by name) and the athletes and crew get to know other athletes and crew members. The overall vibe is extremely supportive.
• Extreme triathlons require mandatary gear for the run, and there is usually a designated "T3" (transition three) area where the athlete needs a support team member to "run" with the athlete. Typically, the last few miles of the run are up a mountain, requiring hiking poles and a lot of walking.
• There is always an element of extreme weather. It could be rain, snow, heat, wind or cold water. You have to be prepared for anything and everything. This includes gear, equipment and nutrition. 
• Be prepared to get up early. Most extreme triathlons start between 4-5am which means a 2am wake up. 
• There are going to be highs and lows throughout the day. You need experience to know how to manage through the very tough and uncomfortable moments. Unlike a standard full distance triathlon that requires careful pacing, in an extreme triathlon, sometimes you have to give your absolute best to get through a steep climb or hill - or to keep moving forward. 
• In extreme triathlons, the overall male and female are celebrated (and sometimes top 3) but everyone who finishes is treated the same - everyone is given the same applause, recognition, and celebration. There are no age group results. This means that times don't matter. It's you vs. you vs. the elements. Karel said that he has never suffered, struggled and hurt so much before. This was the most difficult event that he has ever participated in. It gave him exactly what he wanted and more. He is very proud of himself and he still can't believe what his body allowed him to do.

We will soon be doing a video race recap of his day, which we will share on YouTube.

                                                 

Next up...I will be participating in XTRI Norseman (XTRI "World Championship") in Norway on August 3rd. Karel has two more extreme triathlons planned for 2024 - ICON and Patagonman. 

'24 Xterra Oak Mountain Race Recap

 

Greenville crew

The last race in our 3-week (15 day) racing block was Xterra Oak Mountain. For several years, we always dedicated this weekend to IM 70.3 Chattanooga (one of our favorite events) but with Xterra Oak Mountain being the same weekend, we went to Pelham, Alabama instead. Karel participated in Xterra Oak Mountain in 2021 (his first off-road triathlon) and in 2022 they didn't have the event. In 2023 we both participated (my 4th Xterra event) and I placed overall female amateur. When Xterra announced that Oak Mountain would be the home of the North American Championship, we knew that we couldn't miss this event. We love the trails at oak mountain, as well as the lake. It's a place that makes us super happy. The trails are proper mountain bike trails with rock gardens, technical turns, roots, climbs and descends but the trails are also nicely made with good rhythm and flow. 

As for training going into Xterra, we had intentions of riding our mountain bikes on Tuesday and Wednesday but it rained both days. On Monday we did a morning swim (3200) and an evening easy spin on the Swamp rabbit trail (1:06, 17 miles). We swam again on Tuesday (3650) and in the early evening I did a "system check" workout on Rouvy (1 hour) and followed it up with a feel good brick run (25 minutes, 3 miles). My legs felt surprisingly good just three days after Gulf Coast 70.3. Karel's legs were feeling heavy and he was not sleeping so great so he was careful not to overdo it in the bridge between Gulf Coast and Xtera. On Wed morning I did a 6.73 mile, 53 min run with a main set of 4 x 6 min tempo efforts w/ 90 sec EZ between. Again, my legs felt really good. I just got the Saucony Endorphin Pro at Run In and I really like them (I wore them at Gulf Coast 70.3). My other (and long time) favorite shoe is the New Balance Fuel Cell. In the evening I rode the trainer for an hour and did a mix of big gear and high cadence intervals to keep the legs sharp.

On Thursday we left our house around 8:30am to make our 5 hour drive to Pelham (we gained an hour) and arrived a little before 1pm. We paid $5/person to enter Oak Mountain State Park and when we arrived we noticed several professional Xterra athletes as well as professional triathlete Eric Lagerstrom.  

After we changed, we went out on the bike course and rode the 21-mile bike course (~1650 feet elevation gain). We rode easy and took note of certain sections of the course that may be difficult on race day. The weather was predicted to be 100% heavy rain on Fri and Sat which made me nervous about a repeat of Whitewater off-road triathlon where I had a lot of falls due to the slippery roots and tight turns. It took us ~2:17 to ride the course (~8.4 mph). I had a lot of difficulty in the tight turns and a few rooty sections as I felt like I had no confidence or skills. Karel helped me through these tough moments and as the ride went on, I felt better and better. When we got to blood rock (the most technical part of the course) we spent a little time looking at the trails to study the best line, even though I knew I wouldn't be riding all the way down blood rock. Karel didn't feel comfortable riding it all in training as we didn't spent a lot of time sectioning it. After blood rock, there is a super rocky downhill and then my favorite part of the course, Jekyll and Hyde. It's super flowy and covered in pine needles. I was really happy that we rode the entire course because I forgot about two drops that require the proper line choice so I was glad that we experienced that in our recon. 

After the ride, we went for an open water swim in one of my favorite lakes. I love how clean the water is and the water temperature is perfect.  Karel wore his short sleeve swimskin for the first loop (which he said felt really restrictive on his shoulders) and I wore my swimsuit. We swam two loops in 25 minutes (~1700 yards, 1:30 pace). We finished our swim a little before 5pm and I ordered Chiptole to be delivered to our hotel (Sleep Inn). We unloaded the car into our hotel room, ate dinner and worked on the computer until we were ready to go to sleep around 9pm. 

We expected rain all day on Friday but the radar was looking like the rain would hold off so we went to the park around 9am so that we could ride the first few miles of the course again. I felt so much better than on Thursday. After our ~30 min recon ride (4.3 miles) I went for a 10 min, 1 mile EZ run on the trails and Karel went for a 33 min (3.66 mile) shake out run with his friend Darren. Our athlete Danielle joined us for the bike. Although it was cloudy, it was very humid. We made a quick stop at Publix grocery before heading back to our hotel. 

We returned to the park at 2pm to pick up our packet and to meet up with our athletes who were racing for a course chat. Thankfully no rain all day which was great. We were excited for our athletes and team members who were participating in their first off-road triathlon. 

In addition to working on the computer all day, we got our things ready for the race, filled up our hydration packs and run bottle and went to bed around 8pm for a good night of sleep. 

With a 8:30am start, we didn't have a super early alarm. We woke up around 5:30am and ate around 6am. I had a bagel w/ PB and honey and Karel had oatmeal and OJ. We also each had a cup of coffee (Karel brought his aeropress). We did some foam rolling in the room and Karel went for a short jog. We left the hotel at 7am and drove the 2 miles to the race venue. There was a line to get into the park but it went by quick as there were two rows. We paid our $10 to enter. and parked around 7:15am. 

With ~400 athletes in the full and sprint distance, parking was easy. We found a spot on the racks for our bikes (first come, first serve) and set up our transition area. We picked up our chips and swim cap and spent the next hour getting ready for the race start. I watched our athletes in the swim for the sprint race (which started at 8am) and then put on my wetsuit (water was 75 degrees according to the officials but it felt warmer) to go for a warmup swim. I spent ~20 min in the water warming up, which I feel is one of the reasons why I am able to swim so well at this venue (or anytime I can do a swim warm-up before the race start). Karel also did a swim warmup. I watched the pros start at 8:35am and then we got ready for our start after the pros started their 2nd swim lap. I had a Never Second gel around 20 min before the start. Karel's wave started at 8:51 (49 and under males) and my wave (everyone else) started at 8:52am. 

I positioned myself in the front and to the far left and I was able to take out fast when we started. I had clean water for most of the race as I was able to swim past many of the guys who started in front of us. I went out really hard and tried to hold this pace until the 2nd turn buoy. I was able to settle into a strong rhythm for the rest of the loop and when I got out of the water to start the second loop, I was 2nd in my wave. I continued to pass the guys ahead of me and felt strong the entire swim. Sighting was easy in the lake. I wore my Roka goggles with a light tint. 

As I got out of the water, I saw Karel right in front of me. He said he felt good in the water but his perceived effort didn't match how he was swimming. He felt like he was swimming strong but he felt like he wasn't able to move up in the pack or pass other athletes around him. 

We ran to the transition and I gave Karel a big cheer. We racked our bikes on the same rack row but several bikes down and we both left transition around the same time.  

SWIM
Marni - 23:26
Karel: 24:21

T1
Marni: 1:50
Karel: 1:51

When we got on our bikes, I tighted my shoes (which I put on in transition with my socks, along with my helmet, sunglasses and USWE hydration pack) and then started working to keep my lead on the swim. I was first female out of the water but I wasn't sure how long this lead would last. 

The course can be broken down into 4 sections. 
The first section is a few miles and very twisty, tight and up and down. True single track. Karel has fallen in this section twice (last two times he raced here) as it's easy to ride too fast and take the turns too quick. My goal was to ride controlled and to make sure I kept my hands light and moved my body to offset my weight in the turns. I was passed by a few guys but everyone was very nice when passing. I would move over and let them pass. 
The second section is a ~3 mile climb on a jeep road. However, it's rocky and has a few dips. I locked my front suspension on this section and rode as strong as I could up the climb. My legs felt really heavy but I kept on pushing for ~18 minutes. When I got to the top, I looked behind and didn't see anyone. The next few miles were back on single track and a little more rocky but flowy. 
The third section is Blood Rock - which is the most difficult part of the course. I rode 1/2 of it and then got off my bike and walked the rest. Two guys passed me in this section but otherwise, I had been riding by myself for well over 20 minutes. 
The fourth section is my favorite - the last hour is so much fun. I didn't want it to end. I did have one spill where I took a tight left turn a little too fast and my weight was to much in the inside and I washed out but I got back up right away. I finished the ride with 2 other guys and they were really nice, letting me stay ahead even though they were better with their skills. I was really happy with my bike as I rode 5 minutes faster than last year. 
Karel felt like his fitness and skills were good but his hand cramped neart the top of the jeep road climb and he had to spend a few minutes unlocking his fingers so that he could hold the bar (and brake) before Blood Rock. This is a common issue for Karel in his wrist where he had surgery (and now has a plate in it). Karel was planning to ride the entire blood rock section but the guy in front of him (who he had passed on the climb but passed him as he was fixing his hand) got stuck on blood rock which caused Karel to get off  his bike. No biggie. Just a quick run down with the bike. 
I filled by USWE pack with 1 bottle + 3/4 bottle, each with 1.5 scoops INFNIT Fructose (~70g carbs per bottle). Karel filled his pack with 1.5 bottles (~37 ounces) of Maurten 320. 

BIKE
Marni - 1:50.35 (10.9 mph)
Karel - 1:38.30 (12.3 mph)

I was having so much fun on the bike that I didn't want it to end. I was careful in the final 2 miles as it was a tight and twisty single track section and I didn't want to crash. I was still leading the female race (I passed one female pro) and I wasn't sure how big my lead was so I needed to keep pushing it until T2. 

I heard some cheers from our athletes who raced the sprint which made me smile. I couldn't wait to hear about their race. I had a quick transition, put on my New Balance Fuel Cell shoes and grabbed my bag of my stuff to put on as I was running (flask in back tri kit pocket, bib number belt and hat). It was warm and humid but I was happy with the weather. 

T2
Marni -:40
Karel - :44

Karel and I don't wear gloves in most Xterra races (if it was raining or cold we would) and we have recently been running on less technical trails in our old New Balance shoes (road shoes). Karel actually wore his new New Balance Fuel Cell shoes for this race. It's a rooty up and down run but not too technical that you need a lot of grip. We were both planning to wear our trail shoes if it was wet/rainy. 

I really pushed myself on the run from the start on the road. I love bumpy trail runs and I couldn't wait to get into the trails. It was hard to push myself and not know how far my lead was. And after the first mile, I was all by myself for the rest of the run. I really pushed myself and had several moments where I thought "wow - 6 miles is loooong." I sipped my flask (1 scoop, 120 calories Never Second) throughout the run when I could get my HR lower on the downhills and I grabbed water at all three aid stations to sip and cool myself. 

Karel felt good to start the run and he was excited for the trails but as soon as he stepped foot on the trails, his legs felt very heavy and tired. He really struggled on the run but he never gave up. 

Run
Marni - 50:33
Karel - 47:34

RESULTS
Marni: 3:07, Overall female amateur 
Karel: 2:53.02, 1st AG

I crossed the line with relief as I gave it everything I could for the entire race. I felt very accomplished and I had so much fun. I was listening to a podcast during our drive and they mentioned that it's hard to have fun when racing because it hurts so much. Although off-road racing does hurt (it's challenging!) it is so much fun to race in the woods. You are in nature and it almost feels like you are playing. I ended up winning the overall title by 11 minutes. 

Karel and I received jerseys as North American champions. We each received a slot to Xterra World Championship in Molveno Italy but we won't be going this year due to our other planned races. 

We chatted with our friends and athletes and took a dip in the lake to "clean up." After the awards we changed and hit the road so we could return home to our furry crew. 

It was a fun and exciting racing block. Now time to recover and get ready for our next training block as we get ready for our upcoming XTRI events. 

'24 IM 70.3 Gulf Coast Race Recap

IM 70.3 Gulf Coast.

Marni: 4:40.18, 2nd AG (40-44), 4th overall female.

Karel:: 4:18.04, 1st AG (45-49), 15th overall.

There were a lot of great takeaways from this race......

Although it's fun to go fast, I prefer hard, hilly and technical bike and run courses.

I love three loop run courses!

The training that I need to do to stay mentally and physically healthy and happy right now in my life is very different than the training I used to do to be mentally and physically ready to compete in the 70.3 distance. I've never considered myself great at the 70.3 distance but I'm happy that I can still be competitive without specific 70.3 training.

I love competition! I ran the first loop as the lead female. I was passed in the 2nd loop by the eventual overall winner (Samantha Skold - who was so fast and strong!) I then got complacent. My friend Jen Sylva passed me with a few miles left in the run and she encouraged me to run with her. I wasn't able to match her pace but thanks to her encouragement miles 10, 11, 12, and 13 were my fastest ever in a 70.3 run. She gave me an extra gear that I didn't know that I had. Thanks Jen! 

I'm very thankful to my body for staying healthy and injury free for the past five years. That's a lot of consistent training over the years and I never take a training session (or race) for granted.

Karel went into this race with a lot of niggles. His "no expectations" mindset allowed him to put together one of his best runs off the bike in a 70.3 in a very long time.

We love racing with our athletes. We had 17 athletes racing and it was great to see so many familiar faces on the race course.

I forgot how much I love ocean swimming and the unpredictability of open water.

We rarely seek out flat race courses but after watching the 2023 pro coverage of 70.3 Gulf Coast, I really liked seeing the spectator friendly, 3 loop run and the entertaining bike course. We decided to make Gulf Coast a team race and we ended up having 17 Trimarni athletes and team members at the event. 

We traveled on Wednesday and made the long 9-ish hour drive to Panama City Beach. Thankfully we gained an hour, which got us to our Airbnb around 3pm central time. We stayed in a nice Airbnb a mile from the race venue. Although the condos at the resort and along the water were appealing, I didn't want to mess with elevators and lugging all of our stuff up and down. After unloading the car, I went for a swim at the local aquatic center (~$10 entry fee) and it felt so good to be non weight bearing after such a long drive. We split up the driving but I did most of it because Karel's back has been giving him a lot of issues and his right leg goes numb when he sits (and drives) for long periods of time. I swam 2700 and when I finish, I saw our athletes Angela and Kevin at the pool. After my swim, I picked up Chipotle for dinner (pre ordered at the pool for pick up) and then made a quick stop at Publix for a few groceries. 

On Thursday we ventured down to the ocean with red flags on the beach. The water was very choppy with big breakers. Karel learned how to get through the breakers by diving under the waves, grabbing the sand and holding on until the breaker passes. He learned this at Xterra Maui in 2021. I really struggled in the water and it took me 3 different attempts to get past the breakers. I was most worried about getting stung by jellyfish since I have a bad reaction to stings but thankfully all was ok. Karel wore his swimskin and I just wore my bathing suit. 

After our "swim" - if you were to call it that - we drove back to our Airbnb, had a quick snack and then drove to the aquatic center to start our bike workout. We biked on the cycling path to the main hwy and then rode the cycling path (parallel to the hwy) until we got to the bridge. We then got on the main road and rode over the bridge on the race course. We rode almost 20 miles and it was fast going out and windy and slow coming back. When we returned back to the Airbnb, I went for an easy 4.8 mile run on the race course (1 loop + a little extra). Around 2pm we got our registration packet at the Edgewater conference center (across from the transition area). The line moved really quickly and the volunteers were very nice. 

In the evening we had our team pizza party at our Airbnb and course talk following. 

It stormed throughout Thursday night and we woke up to wet and debris-filled roads. We waited a little to let the ground dry but then rain was predicted. I really wanted to get on my bike Alvi and I got out around 9am for a 18 mile ride on the course (I wanted to see part of the back part of the course). We got rained on and there was a lot of sand on the road. When I returned home, Karel took my part completely apart so that he could fully clean it. Karel went for a run in the morning. We dropped off our bikes in the transition area around 2pm and then rested for the rest of the day (and carbo-loaded). My typical carb loading strategy is as follows: 
-2 waffles + syrup + yogurt + PB before workout
-~120 calories sport drink during workout
-Glass of milk post workout
-Eggs + bagel + PB and banana for breakfast
-Pasta + marinara and veggie burger for lunch
-Poptart (2) for snack w/ yogurt
-Soup + rice for dinner 

We went to bed around 7pm and slept ok. Karel slept better than I did. I tossed and turned as our pet sitter told me on Friday that Campy was having a bad day with his dementia and that had me really worried. But thankfull all is ok now. 

With the 5:40am race start, we woke up at 3:15am. We left the house around 4:15am to drive to the shopping center parking lot (~1/2 mile away) to park and then walk to the transition area behind the Edgewater resort. We still hadn't heard if the swim was happening or if it was non wetsuit legal. We later heard it was happening and not wetsuit legal. 

After setting up our stuff in the transition area, we walked to the ocean behind the resort. I wish I would have arrived earlier than 5:20am as it was really crowded and I really didn't get a good look at the ocean before I was in the corral for the race start near the front. 

For the rest of our race recap, you can check out our video report HERE.

Photo:Brittany 

Photo:Brittany 

Photo:Brittany 

We slept ok after the race and around 7am on Sunday (after packing up the car), we made our long 9+ hour drive home. 

Karel and I did not specifically train for this race. It felt really good to be able to race well enough to be competitive despite not having this race as our primary focus in this early season racing block. Our big focus this year is on XTRI events. Karel will be participating in his first XTRI event in Italy in late June and I will be participating in Norseman (the XTRI World Championship) in August. To keep the winter training fresh and fun, we do a lot of off-road training (trail running, mountain biking, gravel biking). This helps keep us mentally and physically healthy. Although the training isn't conventional, it keeps us enjoying triathlon at this stage in our triathlon journey. 

'24 Whitewater off-road triathlon recap

On Saturday 5/4 we kicked off the first race in our racing block:

💫Whitewater Off-Road Triathlon (Charlotte, NC)

💫Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast (Panama City Beach, FL)

💫Xterra Oak Mountain (Pelham, Alabama)

Three races over three weeks.

We define a racing block as 2+ races within a 4-ish week time frame. Although we've completed racing blocks in the past, this race block approach is unique in that we have been training on three different bikes (road, TT, mountain bike) and running on road and trail. Preparing for events with different skills, terrain and physiological demands has been fun for us as it adds variety to training and keeps our body and mind sharp.

We love racing blocks as it is the culmination of several months of periodized training and intentional overload. Knowing that there won't be much "training" between each race, arriving to a racing block healthy, fit, strong and resilient is the goal.

Within each race of the racing block, we will recover quickly, sharpen and race again. This allows us to get familiar with the dynamics of racing: understanding race intensity, managing nerves/emotions, nailing sport nutrition, execution, perfecting transitions, stretching the comfort zone. After each race, the confidence and excitement builds for the next race.

After this racing block we will recover from three weeks of racing and then build into our next training block as we prepare for our XTRI events:

⭐Karel: 6/29 Stonebrixiaman (Italy)

⭐Marni: 8/3 Norseman (Norway)

We drove to the Whitewater Center around 9am. We got stuck in a little traffic and arrived a little after 11am. We quickly changed into our cycling gear and I rode the first few miles of the race course and Karel rode the last few miles. We regrouped at the parking lot at noon to meet with four athletes attending our MTB skills clinic. 

We started in the gravel parking lot, working on skills like stopping, balancing, cornering and "rowing." We then headed on to the race course. We spent the next few hours riding the race course and stopping at specific sections that required a certain skill set. Karel rode in the front and I rode in the middle to help call out advice for certain sections, like "seat down." 

We were really impressed with the skills of our campers as they showed great awareness and ability to make quick decisions. It was also a great opportunity for me to recon this course as the Whitewater Center trails are extremely technical. Although there are some challenging sections requiring a lot of power and skills, the most challenging part for me is the tight turns on roots and between trees. The single tracks are really narrow and filled with jagged rocks or roots. I have improved a lot with my ability to go over rocky and rooty sections but my struggle continues to be tight turns at faster speeds. 

After the ride, it started the drizzle and we finished the session around 4pm. We changed and waited around until packet-pickup at 5pm (they opened early so we were able to check in at 4:45pm). We drove ~20 min to our friend's house to stay for the night. Karel had sushi and mashed potatoes and I had leftover spaghetti w/ veggie meat sauce and mushrooms. We were both very tired so we went to sleep around 8pm and slept great throughout the night. 

We woke up at 4:50am, at our pre-race meal (bagel + PB and jam for me, oatmeal for Karel) and got ready for the race. We left around 5:55pm to drive the 20 min to the venue. It was wet outside from overnight rain and the forecast was showing heavy rain around 10am. 

Thankfully no rain when we arrived. This was a small event with first come first serve in the transition area. We set up our transition and then gathered our swim gear to make our way to the water. This race is unique in that there is a half mile run from the swim to T1 on a gravel path so it's advised to leave shoes by the water for after the swim. 

The race meeting was at 7:15am at the dock and the race started a little late, around 7:45pm. 
The water was fresh (around 67 degrees) but felt great after a short warmup. I have been experiencing some anxiety around open water swimming ever since ICON XTRI so this was a good opportunity to work through some of those negative thoughts. 

When the race started (in water start) I went strong for several minutes and then settled into a good rhythm. I was 3rd out of the water. I have been swimming a lot so I was really happy with how I felt in the water. There were two buoys for sighting (one on each far end of the out and back course). I climbed out of the swim via the dock ladder, ran to my shoes, took my wetsuit off and put my socks and running shoes on and ran up the big hill to the gravel road, carrying my wetsuit around my neck. I was able to get in and out of transition before Karel. 

On to the bike, I soft pedaled to let Karel get ahead of me as I knew he would pass me early on in the bike and the first part of the bike is a rooty downhill. 

I knew the bike course was going to be technical and slippery but I didn't realize how much my skills were lacking for this course on this day. My focus was riding smooth and clearing obstacles but I quickly learned that I needed to change my focus to navigating the terrain safely. After a few miles, I slipped on a root and my handlebar hit a tree and I went down hard on my left side. I got back up and several miles later, I felt again. The roots were so slippery, it felt like I was riding on ice. I was getting frustrated and also my confidence was dwindling. Karel also crashed on a wooden bridge (that didn't have any netting) and despite doing everything right that he was trying to do, he crashed and broke a spoke and also his shifter broke (thankfully it still worked but he had to hold it in a certain way to allow it to shift). 

I was passed by a female around half way on the bike. Her skills were incredible. I was trying to mimic what she was doing but I was still so unsteady and unsure. I was getting passed by more male riders and it got to a point where I would get off my bike to go over sections that I would normally have no trouble with, just because I was so worried about crashing. The truth is no matter how much I want to improve my turns, I don't ride my MTB enough to see a noticeable improvement in these skills. 

When I got off my bike and ran to T2, I was so relieved. It was raining and I was so ready to be off my bike on those trails. Because of all the slow riding and getting off the bike so many times, my legs felt relatively fresh for the run. From the first step, I felt great. 

I saw Karel as I was climbing up the road and he was running down the climb. I told him that I crashed so many times and he said that he did as well. It felt good to exchange this information. 

The rain was coming down and my goal was to run as strong as I could to see how close I could get to the 1st place girl. I really enjoyed the run. The up and down nature of this trail run made it so much fun. And with the rain coming down, it was like I was playing. I was really happy with how I felt on the run, especially on the slippery trails. 

After I crossed the finish line, the rain was coming down hard. Karel met me at the finish line and we quickly got our things, showered at the Whitewater center, loaded the car and then drove home. 

Results: 
Karel - 2:15.59, 2nd overall 
Marni - 2:45.32, 2nd overall female 

Mistakes are tough. Feeling your shortcomings can make you feel like you are a failure. But mistakes are needed in life. Anytime you try something for the first time or you are learning something new, you are going to make mistakes. This doesn't make you a loser or a bad person. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and to improve. Making mistakes shows that you are trying. Making mistakes and learning from those mistakes is part of the continuous learning process of being human. 

The next time you feel yourself struggling, ask yourself: 
-What am I struggling with? 
-Why do I feel this way? 
-What can I learn from this situation? 

In our society, flooded with highlight-reels on social media, it's easy to see a successful outcome and not see the work, struggles, setbacks and perseverance that were part of process of achieving success. Hardships are core to growth. The path to success included failure. Learning from your mistakes is key to self-improvement. 

Learn to fail. Own your mistakes. Never stop learning. 

2022 Season Recap

 

2022 theme: Seeking change
For much of my life, I hated change. I feared failure and I did not like stepping out of my comfort zone. For the past 16 years, I've lived with someone who loves adventure. Karel has helped me become much more courageous when it comes to new or different experiences. With Karel leading the way in most of our adventures, it has forced me to understand (and work through) that paralyzing moment of anxiety, stress and worry when things are out of my control. Because fear has the power of stopping us from making the most out of opportunities, I realized (with time) that being courageous means making the choice to get more out of my one and only life.

It’s easy to avoid things that feel hard, uncomfortable and different. But this mindset means we never learn how to stretch our comfort zone. For many years, I was scared of failure. But I learned that I was robbing myself of great opportunities and meaningful experiences by shying away from difficulty.

Learning to be comfortable with discomfort is an important skill to living a truly fulfilling life.
Over the past 12 months, I've taken on three new sports - gravel biking, trail running and mountain biking. Whereas in half and full distance triathlon racing, the experience is very familiar and routine for me, I've been filled with curiosity with each new sport. 

Over the past 16 years of endurance triathlon racing, I've become good at racing. However, it wasn't always this way. If I only look at results, I won my age group at my first Ironman in 2007 (18-24 age group at IMFL) and did not win my age group again until 2017 (35-39 age group at Chattanooga). Since 2017, I've won my age group at an Ironman 4 times, placed 2nd and raced in my 5th and 6th Ironman World Championship. I guess you could say that it took me ten years to become an overnight success.

I love the sport of triathlon because I love to swim, bike and run. I also love what triathlon has given me - a job, a reason to travel, friends from all over the world, and a way to help others step outside their comfort zone. Triathlon gives me focus and purpose. It's part of who I am. 

Although I can put myself into 'autopilot' mode when it comes to swimbikerun over 70.3 or 140.6 miles, I can't tell you how many times I've freaked out, fallen and struggled with trail running, gravel riding and mountain biking.
 Instead of knowing, I am growing. 

In 2022, I did a lot of things for the first time. From participating in a mountain bike event to climbing mountains in the Alps of France, 2022 was a year of seeking change. New experiences. New possibilities. New goals. New limits. 

January 

Celebrating 10-years of the Trimarni business

February



Another season of the Greenville Winter Biking League 

Madison was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and had a pleural tap to remove fluid from her lungs.

6-hours on the ridge MTB (Marietta, SC) - my first mountain bike event!
Marni- 1st AG (40-44)
Karel- 1st AG (45-49)

March

Traveling to Oak Mountain for a private mountain bike skills camp

Whole Enchilada MTB (Charlotte, NC)
Marni- 2nd AG 
Karel- 8th overall 

My dad would have been 75 

April 

3-day bike Skills Climbing Camp 
Early season triathlon camp 

Andy's Race Sprint Triathlon
Marni-2nd overall female 

Wildcat 8-hour MTB (Morristown, TN)
Karel- 1st overall

May

Ironman World Championship (St. George, Utah)
Marni- 5th AG
Karel- 11th AG

Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga
Marni-2nd AG 
Karel- 1st AG

Celebrating 30-years as a vegetarian
Saying good-bye to my 30's (turning 40!)

June

Ironman 70.3 Virginia Blue Ridge 
Marni- 1st AG
Karel- 1st AG

Mini YOLOmites ride 

Cesta Z Mesta ride

July 

4-day endurance triathlon camp

Ironman Lake Placid 
Marni- 1st AG, 2nd overall amateur female 
Karel- 2nd AG

August

Traveling to Europe for 4 weeks!

Xterra Czech Republic
Marni- finished
Karel- 3rd AG

August

7-day Haute Route Alps (Nice to Megeve)
Marni- 2nd AG (40-49)
Karel- finished

October 

Xterra World Championship (Molveno, Italy)
Marni- finished
Karel- finished

Campy turns 15!

October

Hincapie Gran Fondo (Greenville, SC)
Marni- 6th overall female 
Karel- finished 

The most inspiring event of my life 

December

Paris Mountain 20K road race
Marni - 2nd overall female 
Karel - 2nd overall 

Announcing my 20th Ironman distance event

Donating $1000 to animal non-profit organizations

2023 XTRI ICON - Behind the scenes

  
It's been almost two months since I competed in XTRI ICON in Livigno, Italy.

Here's a video that I made, capturing the highlights of the day. 

It feels so long ago but the memories are still sharp in my mind. I really enjoyed writing my race recap and sharing my thoughts from the race. I thought it would be fun to share some of the behind the scenes details from my training, my gear and equipment, how I paced the event and Karel's role throughout my 16 hour race. Here's a video that we put together. Enjoy! 

XTRI ICON RACE RECAP - RUN

25.5 mile run (4311 feet, 13:10 min/mile average)
19^th fastest run. Fastest female run.

I was in a good place mentally and physically when starting the bike. Having Karel there with me helped a lot as I had been with my own thoughts for the past 10+ hours. I could not have asked for a better start to this run as the scenery was beautiful. We were surrounded by mountains, rocks, a flowing creek and the paved road turned into a non-technical trail. Since the first 2.5 miles were slightly downhill, I found my rhythm pretty quickly. Karel carried my USWE hydration pack (minus the hydration) to hold packets of Never Second C30 powder, sport nutrition and an extra flask filled with powder). He wore his hydration belt w/ a bottle and I had my Naked belt w/ 2 flasks (each filled with 1 scoop Never Second C30 berry). We learned a lot from Canadaman and we had a few strategies for this run: Run whenever I could. Let Karel carry stuff so I don’t have to.

In ICON, Karel was allowed to run in front of me and he could also run just ahead to refill my bottles at the aid stations. Every XTRI race is different with support crew so we asked about this in advance.

The first five miles went by really quickly. I loved the up and down of the trail and I was really enjoying the scenery. Karel would run ahead of me and tell me where to run if we were going over rocks/water. Karel had ran this section a few days prior so it also helped that he knew this part of the run course. There were two steep hills that we walked. As we approached the lake, I found myself passing a few guys. This never happens to me in a race (I’m usually being passed on the run) but I was feeling really good.

 

Although the XTRI run portion lasts a lot longer than a standard Ironman and includes a lot more elevation and terrain changes, I find it much more fun. I really like the variety of terrain and how you don’t have to be fast to have a good run. You need to be strategic with walking and running, you have to have good off-road skills, you need good fueling/hydration and you need to be good at managing fatigue.

Once we got on to the paved trail just outside of the town of Livigno, I enjoyed seeing all the people, families and dogs out on a sunny and comfortable Sunday afternoon. I had no concept of time but I was starting the run at 4pm. I didn’t know all of the course but I did study the course enough to know where the road vs. off road sections were.

The next 2.8 miles were familiar to me as I had ran on this trail a few times prior to the race. While the scenery was beautiful, it wasn’t my favorite part of the run as it felt long. Plus it was very windy and the wind was at our face. The air temp felt good, it was in the 50’s and partly cloudy but super windy. It helped to have Karel run in front of me but this section was really tough. The first aid station was at 7.5 miles and Honza was there with a few items if we needed anything. As I was running, Karel jogged slightly ahead to refill one of my flasks with water (it had powder in it). He would always keep one flask filled with just powder to make our stops quick and efficient. When I got to the aid station, I would grab water from a cup, take a few sips then continue running. Karel would run and catch up to me. This strategy worked really well so that I didn’t spend too long at the aid station. I never looked at my watch for paces or total time but every now and then I would look at it to see if I was getting closer to the next mile which helped me mentally as a way to “check” things off throughout the race.

I really enjoyed the next 3.6 miles. This brought us to the next aid station but it was all on trail. It was a bit rooty and there were some steep sections which required walking but every time I could run, I would.
The next aid station was quick and it was nice to see Honza again as he would give us smiles and cheers. I was still passing guys which was shocking.

Karel was fantastic. He would encourage me to run anytime I could and we would power walk up the steep climbs. He continued to navigate me so that all I had to do was run and focus on where I was landing. I wore New Balance Fuel Cell running shoes since I knew that the trails were not too technical. I liked that the tongue of the shoe was stitched into the shoe which prevented the top part of the shoe from moving on the even terrain. This helped keep my feet secure and stable. Although I don’t train in these shoes off road, I was confident in wearing these during the race (especially since there were several miles of road running).

Miles 11.3 – 14 were tough. I had side stiches that forced me to walk several times. I also felt a sudden drop in my energy. We were still running into head wind and the trail was much more exposed. There were steep uphills and steep downhills and we were at the furthest point of the course. Mentally and physically this was a tough section. Karel also carried a flask of coke so I had a few sips here and there but my main focus was trying to work through my side stiches so I could run more comfortably. Once I got to the mile 14 aid station (same one as mile 11.3 – it was a loop) I felt a bit better but I was starting to get more sore and tired. My quads were speaking to me and my upper back was also tired from all the power walking and running. It did help to feel the wind at our back so that was a nice boost.

Throughout the run we saw cows, horses, goats, chickens and dogs. But my favorite part was running by a restaurant at the far end of the course and seeing a black kitten. SO cute. The kitten arched its back in the typically black cat Halloween pose and then when Karel went up to it, the kitten was happy to have a rub. I wanted to pet the kitten but I also didn’t want to stop so I was happy that Karel stopped to pet it.

Miles 14-18 were challenging. A lot more hiking on very steep hills. I also started to feel a little cooler so I put on my gloves. I was happy that I had a shirt instead of a tank. The defeating part was knowing that we were on the same trail that we would take to the finish, but heading in the other direction. In other words, we were high up on the mountain, only to descend down and then climb up again. This part of the course was also more technical with bridges over water. I hadn’t thought much about my position but I was holding 2nd place and no other female was in sight. I was still passing guys thanks to being persistent with running or power walking.

There was a strict cut off of reaching T3 by 9pm in order to climb the final section to earn a white finisher shirt so that was my priority. It took me 3.5 hours to reach mile 18 (7:30pm). I had covered 1270 feet elevation gain so far but I felt like the race was only beginning.

As we were running toward the building where T3 was located, Karel and I talked about what we would do in T3. We decided that we would keep our running shoes on and not change to trail shoes. Karel would carry my backpack and I would keep my hydration belt on. I would also use my hiking sticks.

As I ran into the building, we got our backpacks from someone and sat down on a bench to grab what we needed before the last part of the race. In XTRI events, there is a T3 (transition three) which is where you are required to have someone with you for the remainder of the race. Karel was allowed to do the entire run with me but he had to be with me for the remainder of the race.

Our T3 was 6.5 minutes and during that time, I was announced as the 2nd female and I was interviewed by the female announcer. I told her that I feel like I am only half way and I have a lot left in the race.

My legs were getting really tired and I knew the rest of the course would be challenging. Although I was running slowly, I was still running. Karel carried my backpack which helped a lot. We ran 1.8 miles through the town of Livigno and it was so much fun getting cheers from people at restaurants and walking around the town. It was nearing 8pm so it was starting to get darker out. There was a DJ announcer in the town and that gave me a big boost as he announced that I was the 2nd female (in Italian). I was high fiving some kids and taking in all the positive energy. It gave me a big boost. Although the course was really well marked, we thought we missed the turn in the town which had us worried but all was ok.

When we made the turn from the paved road in town and on to the grass, Karel handed me my hiking poles and we started power walking. This section was hard. It was on a grass field and very steep (over 16%). We climbed over 500 feet in .6 miles. The next 1.75 miles were tough as it was on a packed gravel road. I loved running past some cows w/ bells on their neck. At this point, I was getting really tired so Karel would grab my bottle from my belt (or use his bottle) and put it in my mouth to drink. He was making all the decisions for me at this point as I was really struggling. Every part of my body was tired and sore and each step forward was painful. But anytime we could run, even if just for a few steps, we would move our feet quickly forward. And I was still passing athletes.

When we got to the last aid station (~22 miles), Honza was there (he ran up the hill by T3). He told Karel something in Czech and had a very concerned look on his face. I was taking a few sips of water when Karel told me “Marni, the girl behind you is only 5 minutes and we need to go.”

Ugh, not again. In Canadaman I was passed with ½ mile to go and finished 2nd female. I told Karel that I didn’t not come this far to get third.

At this point, we 2.74 miles to the finish line and 2400 feet to climb. With our headlamps as our only way to guide us up the dark ski mountain, we were on a mission. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I could see any other headlamps but it hurt so badly to turn my head as my shoulders and neck were so sore. There were several people ahead of us on the mountain so we made it a game to see if we could catch the next set of headlamps. Karel’s headlamp stopped working for some reason but he was fine without it as he was right there next to me keeping me going. I probably could have drank/fueled more in this section but everything was getting hard. I was thankful I hadn’t had any stomach issues during this race (I peed once on the run in the bushes so 4 times throughout the race).

I met a guy from Canada (a friend of a friend) and he kept me going as we were getting close to the finish. Although we were walking, my effort felt the same as if I was running. The only difference is that each mile was taking double the time versus running. The grade was steep, averaging over 16% and very little relief. But if the gravel road went down just a bit, I would jog. The hiking poles really helped as I could use my upper body to help me walk faster.

I could hear the music at the finish and the lights became brighter at the top of the ski lift. I had watched videos of the ICON finish line and knew there was a short steep rocky climb to the finish but when I saw the finish, I told Karel “I don’t think I can get up that.” Now my greatest worry was actually reaching the finish.

Our new Canadian friend let us go ahead for the finish since he knew I was racing for 2nd. I was still worried I was going to be caught but it felt impossible to gather the strength to get up this crazy steep and rocky climb. The finish line was deserving of this ICONic event. It took me 4 minutes to climb .1 mile but I finally made it to the finish. Every finisher could lift the finisher tape and I had barely enough strength to lift it over my head. I fell to the ground completely exhausted.

The announcer said I was the 2nd female and I felt so much relief. I was so thankful for Honza for his cheers and support. Karel was amazing. I could not have done this without him. I get to do the “fun” part but he has to be there on the sidelines all day, taking care of me. We worked so well together as a team and it was so special to share this with him, especially to share the last 5 hours with him.

 

I passed 20 guys on the run and had the 19th fastest run. I didn’t run fast but I ran when I could. And I worked so hard on the final mountain. It took me an hour to cover the last 2.74 miles (22.3 min/mile pace average) and I was able to extend my lead from 5 minutes to almost 25 minutes in the last few miles.

I was 55 minutes behind Nina (who won the race) but I felt like I had won on the day. I was so proud of what I was able to overcome, what my body was able to conquer and the strength of my mind.

I hobbled my way inside the building and after changing into some dry clothes, I had some soup and hot chocolate. It was cold on the top of the mountain at 9000 feet.

I finished the race around 9:35pm. It was a very long day. Around 10:30pm we made our way down the mountain on the chair lift and then I walked back to the hotel while Karel drove Honza back to his place.

I found my limits at ICON but I was able to push beyond them. Every XTRI event offers 2 male and female slots (top two athletes) for the XTRI World Championship in Norseman. I received the 2nd slot. Going into this race I told myself that I would not accept my slot to Norseman for 2024 as I felt I wasn’t ready for the difficulty of that event. But after talking with some people who did Norseman and Icon and discussing things over with Karel, we decided that now is the time. I accepted my slot and I’ll be going to Norway to compete in Norseman in August 2024.

I was the only US finisher and one of the 5 ladies who reached the top and earned a white finisher shirt. Ten ladies finished the race out of 100+ competitors.

Total: 16:33:28, 2nd female, 27th overall

RESULTS

How it started at 5am

How it ended at 9:36 pm

'23 Breck Epic - Stage 5 and 6

 

Stage 5: Wheeler Mountain
25 miles
5300 feet
5.89 mph
4:15 time
21st 40-49

Karel heard the horror stories about Wheeler. Although his body was extremely tired, he mentally prepared himself for a lot of hike-a-bike up the Wheeler trail. The state was set up as a "time trial" so that the early single track wouldn't get too crowded. Although his mind was in a good place for the uphills, he was not mentally (or physically) prepared for the downhills. He said it was the scariest routes he has ever done and he just wanted to finish. I think his stats tell the most. When it takes over 4 hours to ride 25 miles and when you can accmulate 5300 feet in only 25 miles, you know it's a really tough course. Here's Karel's recap of stage 5. 

Since I had completed my big workouts, I was really looking forward to seeing Karel in action today. I left our place around 7am and drove to the trailhead on McCullough Gulch Road. A little after 7:30am, I started my 3 mile, 2300 feet hike up the mountain. It took me around an hour to make it to the first top of the mountain (~12,750 feet). I had my USWE hydration pack with Skratch Clear to stay hydrated and also brought some snacks and a bagel sandwich with PBJ. I waited around an hour before I could see the pros far in the distance. 

I didn't know what to expect but I have never see so much suffering. Although almost everyone was in good spirits, there was a lot of huffing and puffing to ride, walk, push the bikes up the mountain. 

I had a lot of fun cheering for the riders. The scenery was incredible. 

Eventually I saw Karel and he was in a group of 6. He wished he had different shoes as his MTB shoes are very stiff which makes it hard to hike. But he felt pretty good walking his bike up the hill. Although some sections were rideable, it was either too steep or too rocky to ride through. Some of the male pros were able to ride most of the way but the majority had to get off the bike and walk. 

Around 10am I made my way down the mountain. I had a lot of fun cheering for everyone as I was jogging down. The trail was narrow so I did a lot of stopping to make sure the riders had plenty of room to push their bikes up the mountain. It took me ~43 minutes to run down the mountain. I ended up with 6 miles of run, hike, walk. 

I drove back to our place, got my bike and rode to the finish of the stage, ~3 miles away (up Ski Hill). I waited and waited and waited for Karel and I was surprised that it took him so long to finish. I was really worried that he crashed or had a mechanical. When he finished, he rode over to the field and couldn't wait to get off his bike. He said that he got very dehydrated and messed up his fueling. He also mentioned how scared he was on the bike during the descends. He was completely empty - mentally and physically. 

We rode the 3 miles back to our place and as Karel rested, I drove to the pool around 3pm for a 3600 yard swim. I picked up Chipotle for Karel (and me) on the way home and also stopped at the grocery store to get a few things. Karel was really exhausted, he didn't sleep well and had no idea how he would get the energy to complete the last stage. 

Stage 6: The Gold Dust Trail
31.8 miles
3500 feet
11.6 mph
2:44 time
11th 40-49
16th GC (overall in AG after 6 stages)

Karel woke up very sore, tired and exhausted. But with his stage racing experience, he knows that you can never count yourself out, no matter how horrible you feel. You just have to show up and do the best you can. I had a really good feeling about stage 6 as I felt like the course suited Karel was some long steady climbs up gravel-like roads and single track to start and finish (and throughout the stage). Plus, no matter how tired Karel is when he races, he always finds a way. I felt like he was going to deliver something great on this last stage. 

Here's his recap of stage 6. A completely different Karel from the previous stages :) 

Karel left our place around 8am as his start time was in the 7th wave. This stage had a "time trial" start in groups of 10 because of the tight single track to start. 

My plan was an easy 2-3 hour ride. I hadn't made my way all the way around Dillion Res so I was looking forward to riding on the bike path that I hadn't seen before. 

I surprised Karel and watched him start the race and a little before 9am, I headed out on my ride. 

I really enjoyed my ride. I still can't get over all of the bike paths that connect from town to town. 

I rode 36 miles and less than 5 of those miles were on the road. Everything else was on a bike path. 

I returned to Breckenridge at the ice rink before 11am and waited ~45 minutes until Karel crossed the finish line. I was so relieved to see him as every stage had me nervous about a crash or mechanical. 

I could tell with his riding style and expression that not only was he happy to finish Breck Epic but he had a great stage performance. 

Karel placed 11th in his age group on the last stage and he said he felt pretty good and was able to pass several riders in the last climb. 

After hanging around at the finish for a little, Karel was eager to get to the local french bakery. The service was slow but the pastries were worth it. 

We rode back to our resort (one last time up the hill). 

And Karel was officially DONE. 

Although it was incredibly difficult, Karel said he would do it again. He learned a lot and he would have approached it differently with training, gear/equipment and tactics. 

At 6pm he went to the finisher banquet/awards. I walked around the town while Karel was at the banquet in the hotel. Karel received two black and white pictures of him after the first and second stage, as well as a cardboard cut out to frame the picture and bib plate. 

He also received a belt buckle as an official Breck Epic finisher. 

6 days
~227 miles
~26 hours
~33,330 vertical feet
relieved, exhausted, broken, sore, proud.

The only way to discover your physical and mental limits is to pursue challenging goals.
Doing something hard will quickly expose your weaknesses and reveal your strengths.

Breck Epic tested Karel’s mind, body, fitness commitment, character, problem solving skills and abilities. Although it was incredibly hard, he rose to meet the mental demands and physical rigors of the 6-day Breck Epic mountain biking event.

Push past your self-imposed barriers and crush those hard, scary goals.

'23 Breck Epic - Stage 3 and 4

 Stage 3: THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MT. GUYOT
42.6 miles
5:00 time
6115 feet
8.5 mph
Crossing the Continental Divide twice today.
17th 40-49 AG

The fatigue was building going into stage 3. This stage required a lot of hike-a-bike. Here's Karel's recap of the event. 

Before stage

After stage

I left our place shortly after 7am to drive to the Buffalo Trailhead in Silverthorne for my run/hike workout. It took ~30 minutes to get there and I wanted to arrive early as the AllTrails reviewers said the trail parking lot is small and fills up fast. I arrived around 7:45am and there were several spots open. I packed a lot of snacks and drinks for the day as I knew I would be exercising for most of the day. 

My plan was to do a long run of ~2 hours on the trails before hiking up Buffalo Trailhead. I chose this trailhead because it had an elevation gain of ~3000 feet in 3 miles. For my upcoming ICON tri, I cover 3000 feet in the last 6 miles of the marathon. This was a great opportunity to practice hiking on tired legs and to also see how my body does with the altitude while running on the trails. 

I started off with a 11 mile, 2:15 hr trail run with ~1400 elevation gain. I ran the Lily Pad Lake trail twice and ran the buffalo cabin trail to Royal Buffalo and back. I stopped at my car twice to refill my flasks. I wore my Naked Running belt and used two 10 ounce Nathan hard flasks. The trails were very technical so I had to walk a lot. It was very peaceful and the scenery was incredible. I read about moose sightings but I didn't see any. I was on alert as I didn't want to encounter one and her babies. 

Then it was time to hike. My legs felt pretty good after the run. I swapped shoes (more grippy trail shoes), put on my USWE hydration vest, refilled my flasks, grabbed my hiking poles and set out up Buffalo Mountain.


This is what I climbed up.

I made it two miles up before the trail turned into boulders. The first mile I was making great pace but in the 2nd mile, there was a lot more elevation gain and I could feel the altitude. I was able to make my way up some of the boulder sections but it was difficult to make out the cairnes to lead me up the steep rocky mountain. I really wanted to see the mountain goats at the time but I was nervous to climb the boulders by myself. It was much more difficult than I anticipated. I was bummed I didn’t make it to the top. The four mile hike took me 1:56 and I climbed almost 2000 feet up in an hour (11,000+ elevation).

After the run, I had a snack and recovery drink and drove to the pool (which was in the same town). The swim felt really good on my body and I felt like I was able to swim a bit better than the prior days. The lap pool wasn't busy. I swam 4050 yards and did a few sets throughout the swim. Afterward, I picked up Chipotle for Karel, got a few things at the grocery and then drove back to our place just before Karel left for his meeting at 5pm.

I looked forward to hearing about Karel's race. I tried to time my swim so that I could hear that Karel finished before I got to the pool. Thankfully, he finished as I was finishing my hike. Somehow he found the energy to go for a 3 mile run after his stage. 

When I got back, I mixed together rice and tomato soup (and a veggie burger) for dinner. We were both pretty exhausted in the evening. Karel was struggling to sleep as his body was exhausted. I was sleeping ok - a little restless throughout the night. 

Karel officially reached the half way point of the event. 
Stats so far:
~124 miles of mountain biking
~14 hours of ride time
~17,200 feet elevation gain

STAGE 4 – AQUEDUCT
46.5 miles
4:48 time
6332 feet
9.65 mph
11th 40-49AG

This was a good stage for Karel. Interestingly, many riders who excelled on stage 3 struggled on stage 4. Karel was really finding the terrain technical and difficult but this stage seemed to suit him well. 
He was feeling really sore and tired but he was able to put together a great ride for stage 4. 



Today was my big day of training. I was looking forward to the ride but also a bit nervous to ride so long and so far all by myself. My new friend Tommy suggested the Copper Triangle route (79 miles) and said it was a great route. I decided to start the ride from Breckenridge which would add at least 30 miles to the ride. This made for a long ride but I loved it. I was a little nervous when I got on the first main road but then I realized that the cars were very used to cyclists. I felt very safe throughout the entire ride. I had plenty of fluids and nutrition with me so I only had to make one stop to refill bottles. I stopped around 4:15 into my ride (in Minturn at a gas station), just before approaching Vail. The section from Leadville to Minturn was about 30 miles and it was really windy. I was in a valley and those miles seemed to take forever. The scenery was incredible and I really enjoy riding through the different towns. I made sure to take a picture of each town that I passed by/through. When I got to vail, I started the longest climb of the day, which happened to be on a bike path to Copper Mountain. 14 miles of climbing with several steep grades. I just couldn't believe that I was doing this on a bike path. The paths are really well marked and it makes it easy to go from town to town. The trail was also really busy with lots of people/families on bikes. There was one section of construction but other than that, the trail was well maintained. I felt like this was the first time that I could push a little more power.  Karel texted me that he finished and I was very relieved to hear from him. It was hard to focus on myself when I knew he was out racing. I felt really good throughout the entire ride and was able to finish feeling strong into Breckenridge. After the ride, I went for a 43 minute, 4.7 mile run. Legs were tired but I made it. Karel wanted pizza for dinner so I ordered him pizza and walked a mile (there and back) to pick it up for him. It felt good to loosen out after my long brick. I ended up riding 116 miles in 7:05. The elevation gain was around 7800 feet. Suprisingly, this didn't feel like a "hilly" ride as there were only a few longer climbs. Here's a video on Instagram that I put together from my ride. 

Karel went to bed feeling very anxious and nervous for stage 5: The Wheeler "time trial." He was warned in the athlete briefing about the difficulty of the route, all the hike-a-bike he'd be doing and the technical descending. 

'23 Breck Epic - Stage 1 and 2

Stage 1: Pennsylvania Creek 
37.7 miles
3:42 time
5207 feet
10.1 mph
10th 40-49 AG

The stage started at 8:30am at the ice skating rink a few miles away. We set the alarm for 6am. Karel left around 7:30, which he said later on was too early. As he was warming up, I got ready for my ride. I left around 8:00 on my road bike to see Karel one more time before he started. During Karel's race, I went out for my ride to Loveland Pass. 

Pre Race

Post race

Here's Karel's recap of the event.  

This was a really big deal for me to go out on a ride by myself on roads that I didn't know. Unlike Karel, who will ride anywhere, I am not as adventurous on two wheels. As I'm riding, I'm thinking about not getting lost, wondering if I am allowed to bike on certain roads and worried about the unknown. I have gotten a lot better, hence why I had the confidence to go out solo and climb a mountain. 

I plugged in a route to Loveland pass on my computer that I found on Strava. Because much of the route was on the bike path, it didn't require too much navigating. I rode from Breckenridge to Swan Moutain to Keystone and then got on the main road and started the ~8 mile, ~2400 feet climb to the Loveland pass (which sits at almost 12,000 feet). The climb was steady and averaged around 6-8% with no steep pitches. There were some cars but I never felt unsafe. The scenery was beautiful. I wore my USWE hydration pack as I wasn't sure where to refill bottles. The bike path through Keystone was beautiful. When I got on the climb, I could feel the altitude. I only had one effort and I tried to keep it easy. Interestingly, as I got to the top, I felt like I could ride a little stronger (perhaps it was mental that I knew I was almost at the top). The temp started off a little cool but I warmed up quickly. It's interesting how 50 degrees at altitude (and in dry conditions) feels so much warmer than where we live. 

When I got to the top, I took a picture by the sign and chatted with another guy (Tommy) who I passed on the way up. He is somewhat local and he connected with me via Strava/IG and gave me some suggestions for other rides. I put on a jacket, gloves and arm warmers for the descend (which I had tucked in my hydration pack). The descend was fast. It took me an hour to climb up and 15 minutes (33.5 mph average) to descend down. 

As I was making my way back on Swan Mountain, I realized I had been riding for around 3 hours and I was wanting to ride for at least 4. I extended my ride on the bike path through Frisco and Dilon reservoir. The bike path around Dilon res was twisty and a lot of fun. My ride was 4:41 and 70.6 miles and 5700 feet elevation gain. After my ride I went for a 6 mile/55 minute run. It was tough running off the bike with the altitude, especially back into town. Between my bike and run, I chatted with Karel on his day (he also did a short 3 mile run off the bike). After my workout, it was time to relax before spending the rest of the day on the computer. 

Karel attended the nightly meeting at 5pm outside the resort. I was looking forward to stage 2 because I was volunteering at aid station 2. 

Stage 2: The Colorado Trail 
44.9 miles
5:17 time
8.5 mph
5800 feet
33rd 40-49

A few weeks prior to the event, I completed the volunteer form for Monday. I was assigned aid station 2. I was really looking forward to this volunteer position because I have experienced the kindness and support of volunteers in aid stations (triathlon, mountain biking, gravel biking) and their help is really appreciated.

We woke up a little before 6am and got a little work done before the day started. Karel left a little before 8am and rode to downtown for the start. I walked down to the volunteer area behind the resort around 7:30am to get my volunteer badge. Around 8:30am I left for my volunteer duties. I decided to ride my bike the 7 miles to the aid station instead of driving as I wanted to spin out my legs, get some fresh air and use today as an active recovery day. The weather warmed up quickly and it turned out to be a warm and sunny day. 

I helped set up bags for around an hour and shortly after 10:30am, the first pro riders started to arrive. It was fun running to bags, grabbing bottles and handing them to the athletes. Everyone was really nice. As the hours passed by, the athletes were not in as much of a rush but they were still very appreciative. 

I was getting a bit worried that I didn't see Karel when I thought he would be coming by. A friend from Greenville, Naomi, who was in the race, told me that Karel had a few flats. I felt so bad for Karel. When he finally rolled in, I could see the frustration and sadness on his face. I filled up his hydration pack, handed him a bottle of coke that I brought with me and collected his trash from his pockets. 

I volunteered until 2pm (with only a few riders left on the course) and then rode back to the resort. I felt really sad for Karel but he didn't let it get to him. He was just exhausted for being out on the course for over 5 hours.  Although I brought snacks and drinks with me, I was pretty hungry when I got back to the room. I made us veggie burger sandwiches on bagels, served with chips.

Karel attended the briefing at 5pm and I got some work done before bed.

Pre Race


Post race

2023 High Cascades 100 MTB event

Pre-Race
I was a bit nervous going into the High Cascades 100. We had reconned the back half of the course but the first ~45 miles were all new trails for me. The routes in Bend are incredible. Over 900 miles of single track MTB trails! But the conditions are very different to what I am used to – sandy, jagged pointy rocks and loose dirt. I was also nervous about the start of the race and having 350+ athletes to navigate around going into the single track. I prepared my bottles the night prior and got 2 bags ready for the bag drop (aid station ~45 and ~81). I used a 1.5L plastic water bottle for my hydration pack (either INFINIT Fructose 360 calories/hr or Never Second C30 Berry, 360 calories per bottle/hr) and a sport bottle of Mexican coke (diluted with water). I started with my USWE hydration pack with INFINIT Fructose and a bottle of Never Second C30. I also carried a Power Bar, PB Clif Bar, Power bar chews, Gu aminos and a Never Second Gel.

We woke up at 3:45am and ate our normal pre-race foods. We got ready around 4:45am, did a bit of foam rolling/mobility and left our Airbnb on our bikes, just before 5am. The sun was starting to rise so it wasn’t completely dark. We were in the company of other athletes riding to the start. It was a little cool in the morning (mid 50’s) but it wasn’t too bad for the 1-mile bike to the race start at the Bend Athletic Club.

We dropped off our bags in their respective UHaul trucks (Karel only used the 48-mile bag drop) and then I went to the potty once more. We lined up near the front, in the company of some well-known names like Heather Jackson, Sarah Max, Eric Lagerstrom and Sonya Looney. It boggles my mind to think that over 350 people register for this event. And the only distance is 100 miles! And the event had over 40 females! The race director (Mike) is phenomenal. His communication via email was incredible. We would receive emails almost daily on the week of the event with updates on the course, event and any other important/safety details.

The ride started at 5:30am and it was a neutral start for a few miles until the road went up.

Miles 0-20
The first ~9 miles were all climbing. The route started off ~6 miles on pavement and it was a beautiful start as the sun was rising and we were riding through Tetherow on Skyliners Road. We then turned off onto a fire road (gravel, dust, dirt) for ~3 more miles. The first 9 miles were fairly fast, averaging around 17 mph. I was in the 3rd group from the front and it was a small group, with Sonya Looney. There was ~10 of us and the effort felt manageable. My legs were feeling really good climbing. On a steeper section, Sonya rode away. We then took Tumalo Creek to Mrazek Trail for ~6 miles which was all single track. My skills weren’t the best and I was passed by several guys on the twisty/technical sections but I was able to always catch back up anytime there was a steady climb. Everyone was very nice and would ask to pass when there was a chance to pull over. It was back on another forest road (where I caught up to all the guys who passed me) and then back on Mrazek Trail. At this point, we had been climbing (with just a few quick downhills) for 20 miles and ~1:43 (11.7mph).

Miles 20-48
I had been doing a good job staying hydrated, even though it was cool out. It’s very dry in Bend (low humidity) but it was super dusty which made me thirsty. Karel was in the 2nd group to the front but he was careful to not overdo it. He wanted to pace himself so that he wouldn’t blow up or aggravate his back so he made sure not to do anything crazy in the first few hours. There were several sections that Karel had to walk his bike over and many that I had to walk my bike over throughout the event as there wasn’t a clear line to take and we didn’t want to jeopardize a fall or something breaking on the bike. Luckily, there wasn’t any hike-a-bike. All the obstacles were relatively short and required a quick hop off, carry the bike over and then back on the bike.
The first technical descend was Farewell. And as the name implies, it was technical for me. There was a drop off on the left and a tight single track with many loose rocks and tight (very tight) switchbacks. I stopped several times to let other riders pass me. When I finally made it down this 3.4 mile, 20-minute technical section, I was relieved.
The next few single track trails included Tumalo Creek (which had a .3 mile required Chill Zone due to hikers), Skyliners Trail and Upper Whoops. This was a mix of twisty single track through the trees, beautiful views and then some fun jumps and berms. Then it was on to another forest road to Swede Ridge Loop Trail, Swampy Loop Trail, Flagline trail, Swampy Dutchman Trail. Although my skills were not the best, I found myself in a similar group of riders (all guys) where they would pass me on the technical sections (specifically downhill) and then I would catch back up anytime the road went uphill. I really worked the uphills as I felt that was where I could gain the most time and be competitive in my age group.
When I got to the first aid station, the volunteers were incredible. They grabbed my bike and helped me refill my hydration pack. I needed to pee but I didn’t see anywhere to go (there were a lot of people there as spectators were allowed) so I waited until the next stop. I grabbed my bottle of coke to put on my bike. We received chain lube in our welcome packet and Karel advised that I put some on my chain if it starts to sound like it’s getting dry. I decided to lube my chain at this aid station to be on the safe side. I also had tools, a spare battery, CO2, tube, and a plug in my hydration pack in case of an emergency.

Mile 48-70
After a few miles of descending, we got onto the main road (Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway) before crossing the road and making our way to Funner. Funner made its way into Lower Storm King and at this point, I was in familiar territory. There were still a lot of sections that were too technical/rocky for me to bike over so I had to get off but overall, this section was fun. There were a lot of berms and jumps (I don’t jump, just roll over). Then we went into Catch and Release for more climbing. I felt a bit more confident in the back half of the ride as I knew the route and there was a lot of climbing. It was starting to get a bit warm out as it was nearing the upper 80’s and I had been riding for almost 6 hours. Karel likes to know where he is at while he is riding so he leaves his computer on a screen that shows mileage and time but I don’t want to know. I leave my computer on the map setting and just focus on the distance for each segment that I am in. Neither of us have power so we don’t go by any metrics other than feel. The course was really well marked. Mike did a great job putting arrows and ribbons for the course and a big yellow NO sign for any other area that we shouldn’t take. There were also signs letting us know that an aid station was ahead. After passing the 58 mile/88 mile split sight (heading the 58 mile route), it was time to climb. Almost 13 miles of almost non stop climbing on single track for almost 90 minutes and almost 1800 feet of elevation gain. Much of the race was held at ~5000+ elevation, getting close to 6000 a few times. The next 3.5 miles were on Dinah Moe Humm and took us to the next aid station. I was running low in my hydration pack and even though the next aid station was 9 miles away, I didn’t want to ration my fluids, especially with it being so hot and dry out. I filled my pack with Heed (which did not taste good) but sipped on it anyways. I was still feeling really good with my energy and my mood was good. I used a bit of water to cool myself at the aid station and also finally went pee (in the bushes).

Mile 80-103
I was looking forward to the next 3 miles as they were on the road with a beautiful view of Mt. Bachelor (with snow on top). It was warm with the sun beating down at 95 degrees. But thankfully there was a bit of tailwind. I passed a lot of guys on this climb and at this point, I was passed by two females but passed one who was at the previous aid station. I really worked these 3 miles as I knew we had some descending on a fire road after the climb. Somehow I got off course for a few minutes and turned myself around. I have no idea how I missed the big pink arrows but I think I was getting into my pocket to get some chews and must have looked down for a second and missed it. I’m so thankful I had the gut feeling that I was off course. I was a little upset that I had worked so hard on the climb to get off course for a few minutes but I was back with the guys that I had passed. The next almost 6 miles were pretty fun. A lot of descending on fire roads. Although it was still hard to descend as you are in a squatting position which puts a lot of weight on the legs. My neck was getting a little sore so I would stretch it out every now and then. Karel was feeling pretty good throughout the ride and he also didn’t have any low energy issues. He did a great job with his hydration and fueling. He had a lot of fun in the technical sections and anytime there was a sign that read ‘Danger’ I would think “don’t die!” and Karel would think “fun!”
Tiddlywinks was a very fun trail which then brought us back to Lower Storm King. Finally I was back to the split and took Catch and Release back to the main road. I stopped quickly at aid station 81 as I wanted to make sure I was well hydrated for the final stretch. My refill stops were at 5:13 hrs, 7:53 hrs and 8:49 hrs. I made all my stops really quick. Once I got back on the paved road, there was a little incline before a long stretch on Cascade Lakes Hwy. The roads are extremely bike friendly and there were even people in their cars honking and cheering as we were racing. The last 5 miles were fast – I time trialed it and pushed as hard as I could (19 mph for almost 5 miles). The final stretch was a small path/trail behind the Athletic Club and then I crossed the finish line after 103 miles and 9:29.48 moving time (9:49 total time with stops).

Karel went back to our Airbnb to shower (we were so dusty and dirty!) and then came back to see me finish. A friend, Kristen Yax, who lives in Bend came to the finish and we chatted with her for a while. We got a free burrito at the finish and then biked back to our place to clean up and rest before the awards at 6:30pm. 

I still can’t believe we rode 103 miles off road on our mountain bikes.

Prior to the event, we couldn’t believe that over 350 people sign up for this event. But now we know why.

The trails in the Deschutes National Forest are incredible. The nature is beautiful, the volunteers were awesome, Mike (the race director) was amazing with his communication, course signage and attention to detail and the people are so nice (and love being outdoors).

My skills were not the best on the technical features, as I’m not used to riding on dusty, sandy and jagged rock trails, but my climbing legs showed up so I took advantage of my strength any time the trails went up.

Karel paced himself well. No crashes and felt stronger as the race went on. He squeezed into third place in the last hour. 

We both fueled and hydrated well and didn’t have any low moments throughout the race. There were five aid stations. We both utilized the bag drop (our own nutrition) at mile 47, stopped to refill hydration at mile 72 and I used the bag drop at mile 81.

I love the heat (dry or humid) so I welcomed the 90-degree temps. With much of the ride above 5000 feet, we didn’t feel affected by the altitude.

Karel placed 3rd age group (40-49) in a competitive field in a time of 8:24.07.

I placed 1st age group (40-49) and 6th overall female in a time of 9:48.56.

It was a challenging and fun day.

This year has been all about stepping out of my comfort zone. Off-road racing (gravel, Xterra, MTB, trail running) requires a tremendous about of strength, skills, durability, resiliency, mental toughness and endurance. In these events, feeling a sense of accomplishment doesn’t come from metrics, paces or overall placement but in overcoming the challenges of the day and reaching the finish line.

If you are feeling complacent with your sport or struggling to find your “why” for training and racing, I encourage you to explore what lies slightly out of your comfort zone. You’ll still have to train very hard but you’ll be motivated by self-improvement and feeling like a beginner again.

RESULTS

 

Here's a video I put together on another ride that we did later in the week. We did 3 x 4+ hour MTB rides while we were there. We love Bend! 

'23 XTRI Canadaman Race Recap - 111 mile, 9000 feet bike

 

Photo: Triathlon Canada

111 mile bike, 8993 feet elevation gain – 6:33.10 (6:21.03 riding time, 17.5 miles), fastest female, 6^th fastest overall

• Ventum One w/ Podium 90 rear and Podium 60 front Boyd Wheels
• Gearing: Front 39/53. Rear 11-32
• Tubeless: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR 700x25
• Giro Helmet
• Bont Cycling Shoes
• Nutrition: 3 x 26 ounce of 360 calories Infinit Fructose, 2 x 26 ounce of 360 calories Neversecond c30 Berry. 1 Never Second bar, 1 bag Powerbar chews, a few sips of coke, 1 bottle water.

I had the course downloaded in my Garmin Edge computer and I knew every mile of the course from our recon the previous days but the course was still very well marked and there were plenty of volunteers at the intersections. There were also kilometer markers every 5K. I was very impressed with all the signage on the course and around the venue. Some of the roads were very smooth and well-maintained but overall, the roads were semi to very rough. 

 

Mile 0-9 (16.5 mph, ~1000 feet)
Pouring rain and very hilly. The climbs were between 1-2 miles and the grades were around 11-14%. The hills were long and steep and the downhills were steep and fast. I focused on heavy feet and light hands as I was descending in the rain. It was hard to see because of the strong rain. I kept my shield on my helmet (magnet) until the rain stopped. My legs felt good and I was passing several athletes from the half distance (they started at 4:45am and their course started the same as the xtreme but had a turn around mile 25ish). 

Mile 9-28 (21.6 mph, ~310 feet)
The rain was still coming down hard but this section was fairly flat. I was able to settle into a good rhythm and I focused on riding strong to cover this section as fast as I could. I was looking forward to seeing Karel around mile 28 as he was waiting for me at aid station 1 to hand me another  bottle. I had finished my first bottle between the aero bars by the time I got to Karel and tossed the bottle and grabbed my next one.

Mile 28-62 (17.7 mph, ~2266 feet)
Karel and I rode this segment on Thursday and as I approached it on race day, I felt like this was going to be a long segment. While it took me almost 2 hours, it was actually one of my favorite sections of the entire course. Once again, the hills were steep and long and the downhills were fast but the rain had started to stop. I really enjoyed the scenery of farms and riding through the small towns (each with a beautiful church). The roads were really quiet and I never thought about the fact that I was racing the bike starting at 5:30am. By the time I reached Karel at the next aid station (mile 62) it wasn’t even 9am.
Once the rain stopped, the wind started to get stronger. We had a bit of headwind and sidewind but I felt like I was able to stay in control and ride strong. My legs still felt great and I was in a great headspace. Even though I hadn’t seen another rider since ~mile 20ish, I still felt like I was racing. I would check in with my metrics every now and then but I was more focused on riding well and keeping up with my nutrition. Around mile 50 there was a very steep and long (~1.5 mile) climb with a super fast and bumpy downhill (I lost a bottle on the downhill). Between mile 50 and 62 I started to chew on my Never Second Bar. I also took 3 chews every hour. I sipped my sport drink every 15 minutes (4-5 gulps).

Karel stepped out in the middle of the road to let me know where he was at each aid station. This  made our stops/hand-offs very efficient. He did a great job navigating the side roads (driving) to get to each aid station. He had all of my nutrition ready and I got off my bike at this stop to stretch and have a few sips of coke from a bottle. Karel refilled my hydration system on my Ventum with sport drink and I opted for a bottle of water between my aero bars as it was started to get a bit warm and I also wanted to sip on it to digest the bar that I was chewing on.

Mile 62-85 (17mph, 2083 feet)
This section was hard. I was passed by one guy and it was really nice to see another athlete on the course. At this point I was the 3^rd athlete on the course and I had a lead of over 20 minutes on the next female. One of the race favorites (Lynn B, a previous Olympian) got off course and she eventually DNF. Once I got back to the area by the lake, it was time to tackle those 8 miles of long hills once more. Then it was more long hills (most of which were over 12% grade and over .5-1 mile) to get to the town of Val-Racine. Although this was a tough section, I was still feeling good. I didn’t have any low moments and I felt like I was riding really well. I was also really enjoying the bike. I made sure to say hi to all the cows. I felt like I could hold good power up the hills and I was taking advantage of each downhill. There was a gravel section (~10 yards) in the road (road work) and a wooden bridge to cross before getting to the town to see Karel and I was a little nervous about a flat tire but all was good. I wasn’t planning to stop when I saw Karel at this aid station but I opted to stop and fill up my hydration system (instead of doing it as I was riding) and get another bottle of water.

Mile 85-101 (19.3 mph, ~991 feet)
This section went by where we were staying and I knew I was nearing the final stretch. I wanted to get as much of a gap as I could to the 2^nd place girl so I pushed this section. There was a lot of wind but I was feeling confident with my skills. It was only in the upper 60s (temp) but it was humid and I was feeling warm. I was prioritizing my liquid calories and taking a few sips of water to wash down pieces of bar or chews. I felt like I was doing a good job with my nutrition as I had peed a few times (on the bike) and I hadn’t had any low moments. It was cool to see the solo point five (half distance) athletes running on the road as I was biking. I was getting cheers from a lot of the runners. When I saw Karel at the final aid station, I tossed my water bottle and didn’t grab anything from him. I didn't want any extra weight going up the final climb. It really helped to look forward to each aid station to see Karel and he did such a great job “feeding” me.

Mile 101-111 (13 mph, ~1197 feet)
This section was very tough. Straight headwind and it was getting stronger as I got closer to the final climb and transition area. I tried to stay as aero as I could, which was tough as all I wanted to do was sit up and stretch. The nice thing was seeing some of the run course (miles 3-10) and knowing that I would have tailwind for this section. I was really happy that even with this strong wind, I didn’t have any low moments and I was feeling energized and strong (just moving slow through the wind). Throughout the entire race I kept getting cheers from other support crews and the support really helped in this final stretch. This was the only stretch of road on the course where the support crew was allowed to drive on the same stretch of road that the athletes were biking on. I saw the sign to New Hampshire (4K) and knew I was close to the final climb. The last climb was so hard. Over 18% and almost a mile in strong headwind. I knew I wouldn’t gain anything by going hard up the climb so I tried to take it easy as I slowly pedaled my way up the climb. Karel was there cheering for me and since I was the 2^nd athlete nearing the transition (one guy ahead of me got a flat tire a few miles from the finish and he was changing it on the side of the road) I also had a small group of spectators giving me a cheer to get to the top.

The end of the bike was pretty spectacular. There’s a huge cross and it’s on the top of a hill and the wind was howling. Karel had all my stuff laid out in the white tent (I wish he took a picture, it was so organized!). I changed into compression socks, changed out of my kit and into tri shorts, a clean sports bra and a tank, put on a hat, grabbed my sunglasses and put on my Naked Running belt w/ 2 flasks. I also put on my cooling towel. Karel rubbed PR lotion on my legs as I was putting on my NB Fuel Cell Running shoes. I used the port-o-potty at the transition area before starting the run. The organizers did a great job with potties all over the bike course and also put signs out any place there was a public restroom for us (or the crew) to use. I was a little nervous and a lot excited to start the run.

If you'd like to listen to my entire race recap, you can check it out here.

'23 XTRI Canadaman - Race Recap pre-race and swim

 

Pre Race
I was nervous. Very nervous. I was about to do a lot of things that I’ve never done before. Even though this was my 20th Ironman distance triathlon, the event felt very unfamiliar to me in many ways. But that is exactly why I signed up for XTRI Canadaman – do challenge myself and to do something that I’ve never done before.

Come race day morning, we had seen almost all of the race course. We either drove or biked every mile of the 112 mile course. We swam in the lake (twice) and we drove the run course. There were ~8 miles of the run that were on private land (and off-road) so we weren’t able to see those miles. The last ~8.7 miles were all off-road, on very technical (and hilly) trails. Karel did his “long” run up and down the mountain on Saturday so he was able to tell me all about miles 18-26.

We had to attend a mandatory pre-race briefing at 3pm at Centre sportif Mégantic (downtown, by the lake ~25 min drive from our Airbnb in Val-Racine. The meeting was not very informative as it was mostly in French and only provided a few pieces of info about gravel on the road in a few sections and wearing the live tracking device. I picked up my timing chip and the meeting was complete at 4pm.

I didn’t sleep too well the night before the race (which is to be expected). After a full day of carb-loading, I laid down around 6pm and tried to fall asleep around 7pm. When I finally fell asleep, I woke up around 11pm and then tossed and turned until my alarm went off at 2:15am.

We woke up to light rain (which I expected thanks to the Epic Weather app) and although it was a restless night of sleep, I woke up feeling less nervous. The day was finally here.

I had organized all my gear the day prior and Karel had everything loaded in our rental SUV. I also prepared all my nutrition the day prior and kept in the fridge in different bags and on race morning, Karel put everything in the SUV, along with his gear, nutrition and snacks for his day of supporting me. I put on my bib number tattoos in the morning after putting on my race kit.

Karel said all the right things to keep me positive and calm as we drove to the race. I ate my pre-race meal in the car around 2:55am (2 Belgium waffles topped with PB and syrup and a side of cherry yogurt) and then braided my hair. When we arrived to the race venue, parking was easy. Karel parked near the exit so that he could easily leave the race venue to make his way to the first aid station after I got on the bike. It was raining when we arrived, then it stopped, then it poured. I put my bike on the closest transition rack near the exit. With only ~80 athletes in the xtreme distance and ~100 in the solo point five (including relays – this was the half distance), the transition area was small and there was plenty of space (although somehow the racks still seemed crowded as everyone wanted to be near the exit). I had my bike gear in a bag as Karel was going to lay out my T1 gear as I was swimming. For the next 30 minutes, we hung out under a tent and listened to the pouring rain come down. I put on my wetsuit, inflated my buoy (with light inside) and grabbed my cap and goggles.

I walked down to the water edge around 4:15am and stepped in the water. It was the perfect temp – upper 60s. The air was also around 60 but it didn’t feel warm.

I lined up on the front line and at 4:30am, it was time to start the race.

                                         

Swim – 1:04.49, 3rd overall

• Roka Maverick X2 wetsuit
• Roka F2 goggles
• New Wave Swim Buoy
• White light (for inside buoy)
• Castelli Tri kit
• Compress Sport Calf Sleeves
• Born Primitive Sports Bra

The swim was a two loop swim with a short run on the beach between each loop. When I started the swim, I felt a bit of panic. My body was not comfortable with swimming in the dark and it was early so I needed to give myself time to settle into a rhythm. After a few minutes, I found myself feeling much better. I felt like the swim was slow and hard. Although the buoys had lights on them, there were also kayaks with lights. This required a lot of sighting to stay on course. Once I made my way around the two turn buoys and started to head back to the shore, it started to get a bit brighter out which made it easier to sight. I wasn’t sure where to exit the water so I needed to sight a lot as I was nearing the shore. I exited the water and jogged along the shore before getting back in the water. I felt a lot better on the 2nd loop but it still felt slow. And when I saw my time of 32 minutes after the first loop (I don’t wear a watch when I swim the full distance because I don’t want to see my swim time but I noticed my time on the official race clock) I knew this was a slow swim. I usually like to build my effort in the back half of the swim but I felt like I only had one speed. I thought I was behind the lead group of swimmers but when I exited the water and ran to my transition area, Karel told me that I was 3rd out of the water.

Karel had my transition area laid out perfectly with my shoes, helmet, socks and tracking device. He put the tracking device (which we were required to wear) in my left rear tri kit pocket and my nutrition (gu aminos in a baggie, Never Second bar and Power Bar chews in my right rear pocket). As I was swimming the 2nd loop he turned on my computer, turned on the navigation (bike race course) and turned on my front and rear light (both required).

Although it was raining on and off during the swim, it had stopped raining when I got on the bike. But that was short-lived as it started pouring within a mile of the bike.

If you'd like to listen to my entire race recap, you can check it out here. 

Whitewater Off-Road Triathlon race recap

 

Keeping with our theme of the year, the Whitewater triathlon on May 6th was looking to be very rainy (we've experienced rain for all five of our off-road events this year). We debated if it was worth doing the race but on Thursday of the race, we decided that we would still gain a lot from the race experience. After we registered online, the weather started to improve and based on my Epic Weather app, it was looking like the weather would work out for a dry day of racing. 

Although this race had a small participant list, it didn't make the race any less important to us. We still felt the nerves/anticipation for anytime we show up to a start line, we want to give our best and we know to do so, the effort is going to be uncomfortable and there will be obstacles to overcome. The really cool thing about off-road triathlon racing is that the entire race experience feels more like playtime than something serious like on-road triathlon racing. Swimming in open water, riding a mountain bike and trail running is fun and we love the vibe of racing off road. 

After a tough group swim in the morning, we left for Charlotte/Whitewater center around 1pm, shortly after my mom picked up Campy so that he could enjoy 1.5 days with her. There was a little bit of traffic during our 2:15 hr drive so we arrived a little later than we had planned. We paid the enterance fee and changed into our bike gear and around 4pm. With the issues of getting off course at the Whole Enchilada a month ago, we wanted to recon the course to make sure we knew exactly where we were going. The course was mostly well-marked and Karel also had the course in his computer to follow. After around 8 miles and an hour of riding, we were having a lot of fun and completely lost track of time. At 10 miles into our 15 mile ride we decided to stop the ride as we somewhat familiar with the last 5 miles. 

After picking up our race stuff, we made a stop at Harris Teeter to get some items for dinner (I had a bag of microwave basmait rice mixed in Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup - a typical pre race meal for me) and then we made our way to our friends house (Christi) for the night. Christi and her partner Pam were out of town so we had her house to ourselves. I've known Christi since we met in a running race in 2005. 

We both slept ok (tossed and turned) so we were not feeling really rested when we woke up at 5:15am.
Karel had his typical oatmeal concoction and I had my typical waffles (3 of them) + PB, Jelly, Banana. 
We watched some of the PTO race on the computer as we were doing mobility/foam rolling and then left around 6:30am to make the 20 min drive to the Whitewater center. If you are ever in this area, I suggest checking out this place. It's really cool to see people rafting/kayaking on the rapids. There are also a lot of great trails and activities. And it is dog friendly! 

We set up our transition area and then got warmed up with some jogging. We each did our own thing and met near the lake around 7:45am for the pre-race meeting. There were only ~50 athletes in the full distance with only a few girls. Although every off-road triathlon race seems to have something unique to it, this was the first race that we've done where we had a 1/2 mile gravel run from the swim to T1. We wore a pair of trail shoes to the swim and left them on the bench by the dock to put on after the swim (since I wear socks on the bike, I also had my socks with my shoes). I wore my compression sleeves under my wetsuit. 

The water was 65 degrees and I was a little worried it would feel really cold but it was absolutely perfect. We had an in-water start which we both really like as it gives us a chance to warm-up in the water and adjust the wetsuit. 

The swim took us out to a buoy, around the buoy (to our right), then a long straight to another buoy (turn right) and then back to the dock. When we started, I found myself in a group of ~4 guys along with Karel. I was shocked to see Karel there with me as he hasn't been feeling good in the water. Karel has great take out speed where it takes me about 10 minutes to get myself into a good rhythm. After the turn buoy, I was able to pick up my effort and Karel stayed behind me. I was able to get a little away from him but he was doing a great job trying to stay on my feet. I exited the water first overall and Karel was right behind as we pulled ourselves up the ladder on to the dock. The sprint distance athletes were gathered for their pre race meeting as we got out of the water so it was encouraging to hear their cheers. 

I removed my wetsuit and sat down on the bench to put on my socks and ON trail shoes. Karel stood up and put on his shoes. I grabbed my wetsuit and left the area before Karel but he quickly sprinted by me as we ran up a steep trail before making our way to the gravel. I actually really enjoyed running to T1, it was different and a fun way to clear the mind after the swim. We weren't sure if we should run with our wetsuit on or carry it but after trying to run with it on in the pre race warmup to the lake we knew carrying it would be the smarter option. I wrapped mine around my neck and Karel opted to hold his in his arm. 

Karel was out of transition before I got there. I felt like I had a good transition and put on my shoes, helmet, sunglasses and hydration pack. In past races, I had my helmet on my handlebars and would forget to put it on until I grabbed my bike so I had my helmet on the ground and everything went smoothly. I ran my bike to the mount line and started riding. 

The mountain bike course was around 23K (or 14.2 miles) with around 1100 feet of elevation gain. Most of the elevation came in the back half and it was much more technical in the last 8 miles of the course. The course was really flowy and fun with a lot of roots, ups and downs and tight corners. I struggled on some of the obstacles in the last 8 miles as I was getting really tired and they are very technical. I only saw Karel once and he gave me a cheer. I was passed by several guys but nearing 10 or so miles, I found myself alone. The course was really well marked. 

I had a total of 90g carbs of NeverSecond Berry in my USWE hydration pack along with about 1 liter of water (33 ounces). 

Karel led the entire race from start to finish and had a great time on the course. I also had a lot of fun on the bike as I felt like I was just playing in the woods. The hard part about mountain biking (especially in a triathlon) is that the heart rate stays elevated the entire time. It's like a short distance triathlon. You need a lot of strength, power, stamina and skills to negotiate the terrain. It's a very different change from long distance racing where it's all about riding your own steady state effort and dealing more with muscle fatigue than cardio stress. The course ended up being close to 17 miles on my Garmin (1:42 ride time). 

After arriving back to the transition area as the first female (there were only 3 of us, which means we need to get more females into off road triathlon racing!) it was time for the run. My legs felt really good and I really pushed myself on the run. I loved the flow of the trails and it was constantly up and down for 4 miles and 400 feet of elevation gain. I had 1 flask of C30 Neversecond berry that I kept in my trisuit pocket. I don't wear sunglasses on the trail run but had a visor on. I wore Hoka trail shoes. 

As I made my way to the finish line, I smiled big as I had so much fun. This race wasn't about winning or needing to prove anything but just having fun. I love that off road triathlon racing can be hard and challenging but also bring us so much joy. This was a good tune-up for us as we will be participating in Xterra Oak Mountain this weekend and we expect a lot of tough competition. Although I'm just doing the off road racing for fun, Karel is hoping to put together a really good performance this weekend. 

Overall Results

Karel Results                                        Marni Results 

Paris Mountain 20K Road Race - recap

 

Most popular running races occur in the winter and spring, which doesn't work well in our triathlon training. We are either working on building our foundation for the upcoming season or we are deep in a training phase in route to the first race of the year. However, there's one race that always gets us excited - the Paris Mountain Road Race. As the oldest and most challenging road race in South Carolina, we are lucky that this event starts less than 2 miles away from where we live and it is usually held in Nov/December. Not only doesn't this make for a logistically easy race to get to/from but we know the course very well (primarily from biking it). The reason why we love this race is that it suits us as triathletes - it's a strength-based course. 

My training has been going really well over the past few weeks. On average I swim 4x week, bike 3-4x week (one trainer session on the tri bike and the rest road and mountain bike outside) and run 3x week. The focus has been on building a strong foundation with lots of strength focused workouts and neuromuscular firing. I also do mobility work every day as well as a few ECFIT strength sessions. As I enter 17 consecutive season of long distance triathlon training, I'm feeling incredibly strong and healthy. 

Two weekends ago Karel and I did a recon run on the Paris Mountain Road Race course to see how our bodies handled the course. We started at our house which added an additional 4 miles to the 20K course. With 1600+ feet of elevation gain over 12.4 miles, it's not so much the uphills that hurt but the downhills make the quads and calf muscles work so hard because of the eccentric contractions. The run really crushed us and we felt a lot of soreness and niggles after that training run. It took us several days for us to shake off the damage in our body after that training run. 

We kept the race in our mind for the next two weeks but resisted to register until the last minute. We didn't want the race to negatively impact our consistency with training so after we finished a quality week of training, we were driving home from a mountain bike ride at Pleasant Ridge on Thursday evening and decided we would register for the race when we got home. For the $65 registration fee, we received a pair of socks (super comfy), a soft and light hooded long sleeve shirt and for awards, a big coffee cup. 

To help loosen out our legs (and wake up after a really tough upper-body focused masters swim that morning) we got on our road bikes in the late afternoon. We first dropped off a package to mail at the post office in Traveler's Rest and then went to the church to pick up our packets. We then rode some of the run course (the backside of Paris Mountain) to recon one section of the course that we wanted to double check. 

We woke up around 5:45am on Saturday for the 8am race start. We spent some time working in the morning on the computer (typical Saturday) while eating our breakfast/pre-race meal before doing some mobility and light jogging outside. The weather was perfect, in the low 50's and a light chance of rain. We both had on compression socks and a short sleeve shirt. Karel wore arm warmers (technically arm coolers) and I had one gloves. Karel had 1 scoop Never Second C30 in a flask and had a C30 gel for during the race (on the way down from Paris Mountain). I had two flasks, each with 1 scoop C30 from Never Second. We had no issues wearing our Naked Running belts to a road race as it's what we do in triathlons and in training so even if it's not "normal" to wear a hydration belt in a running race, we always do what works best for us. Karel wore Nike Alpha Fly shoes and I wore New Balance Fuel Cell. 

We left our house around 7:30am to arrive a few minutes before the 10K start. The overall field for the entire race was small but we wanted to be in a race environment during a training run - it adds a little bit of pressure to give your best. 

The first 2.5 miles is uphill - from the start to the top of Paris Mountain. There are two kickers (one near the beginning and one at the top) that are steep but otherwise it is a gradual climb averaging around 6.4%. Karel and I focused on being steady on the climb as that was just the "warm-up" for the rest of the race. After climbing for almost 25 minutes, it was time to tackle the next section of this course. While there was a lot of downhill to look forward to, there was still almost 300 feet of elevation to gain over the next 4.37 miles. Karel found himself in third place at the top of Paris Mountain and I was also in 3rd place overall. There was girl ahead of me that was too fast for me to run my steady effort with and then my friend Allison passed me on the kicker before the top. She was running super strong uphill. I've really worked on my downhill running so I knew that was an area where I could try to move up. I passed Allison on the first downhill and managed to inch my way closer to the first place girl. Nearing the top of Paris Mountain, it started raining but it was a nice rain - not too cold. The rain stopped after a few miles and the temp felt comfortable for the entire race. I noticed on one of the slight uphills that the first place girl had stopped and was managing some cramping in her stomach/sides - which is pretty normal with downhill running and something I was needing to be extra careful about with my breathing, form and gait. I passed her as she was trying to work on the cramps and within a mile, she passed me again. I was happy for her that she was able to work through the cramps and didn't give up. 

There was one new section of the course that surprised me as we turned left off Altamont and it was a steep downhill with switchbacks (familiar with it from biking) so that kinda messed with my mind as I was preparing to run straight. The volunteers were great and there was someone at every corner/turn, even though the course had orange arrows on the ground. I didn't use the aid stations since I had my nutrition with me. 

Once I was done with the "Paris Mountain" part of the race (7 miles and ~1000 feet of elevation gain), it was time for the third and final section of the race. In my opinion, this is the hardest part of this road race. For the next 5.4 miles, we had over 500 feet of elevation gain with very steep and punchy up and downhills. I was still feeling really strong although I could tell that in the last few miles, my legs were getting tired, especially my right leg which tend to fatigue faster than my left leg. I did a quick stretch to pop my right hip around 11.5 miles and that helped me correct my form for the final 1.5ish miles. With a very steep uphill of ~.25 miles with less than 1 mile to go I was on my tip toes working my way up the hill. I was really happy to finish the race feeling strong and healthy. 

Our athlete Yannick won the race in a speedy time of 1:14. Karel placed 3rd overall in a time of 1:22 and I was 2nd overall female in a time of 1:38. We had a lot of fun and it was a great way to get in a quality strength-focused training run. Sure enough, the DOMS hit us hard today. Our legs were talking to us during our 3-hour ride. 

Marni Garmin splits

8:50
9:07
8:39
7:31
7:25
7:01
7:24
7:54
7:41
8:20
7:51
7:47
7:36 (.42 miles)



Karel Garmin splits

7:06
7:38
7:15
6:14
6:03
6:03
6:22
6:39
6:29
6:42
6:42
6:39
6:31 (.42)