Patagonman travel

This trip was originally planned in 2024. 

We were supposed to travel to Chile in December for 2024 Patagonman but in September, Karel learned he had a tear in his left meniscus (the flap was stuck and needed trimming), which required surgery in January. We cancelled everything with no idea how 2025 would work out. Thankfully, we purchased race insurance to get a full refund and almost everything else was refundable (flight/Airbnb/hotel). Karel ended up needing another surgery on his left knee and since he met his insurance deductible, he also had the hardware removed from his wrist (which has been causing him issues for the past few years after he had surgery to fix his broken wrist from a MTB crash). When the lottery for the 2025 Patagonman opened in February, Karel entered and got accepted. Whereas I became interested in extreme triathlons by watching Norseman, Karel was intrigued by Patagonman. Karel was unable to participate in IM 70.3 CDA and IM Lake Placid as his knees were giving him a lot of complications post surgery. I waited until October to book our flights as we were still unsure if Karel would be able to participate in an extreme triathlon (considering he was struggling with biking due to his spine issues and running due to his knee issues). I booked our lodging (Airbnb) in the spring and reserved our rental car soon after Karel registered. 

Because of the point to point layout of the event and remote locations, for anyone who is interested in participating in Patagonman, here is what I planned: 

Flying into Santiago

-Flights: Fly international into Santiago, Chile. Take a domestic flight into Balmaceda, Chile. 

We flew Greenville to Atlanta to Santiago on Delta. Originally we were going to leave on Mon December 1st but during the government shutdown, I worried about all the cancelled flights so I changed our flight to leave on Friday Nov 28th. We will return home on Wednesday December 10th. After our 9 hour flight from ATL to Santiago, we arrived early (first flight = no wait) and went through customs, collected our luggage and because we were not continuing on with Delta, we left the airport with our luggage and then walked to the domestic terminal across the street behind the Holiday Inn (10 min walk) to check in for our flight with LATAM. We had 5 hours between landing and departure but LATAM allowed us to check in (many times with domestic flights, when traveling internationally, you can't check until 2 hours before the flight). We used our Amex Platinum Business credit card for Centurion Lounge access in GSP and ATL and used our Priority Pass for lounge access in Santiago (we went to two different lounges - the domestic terminal was extremely quiet and hardly anyone in the lounges). 

Our first Airbnb by Villa Cerro Castillo

-Lodging: I suggest to book two locations. One in Coyhaique and one near Puerto Chacabuco or Puerto Aysén. There is one hotel in Puerto Chacabuco (where the race starts) but it will fill up quickly so if you want to stay at the race start, book in advance. There is a practice swim outside of Puerto Aysén on the Friday morning before the event that is highly recommended. There are more lodging options (hotels and Airbnb) in Puerto Aysén, which is ~15-20 min drive from the race start. Packet pick up (Friday or Saturday), the mandatory pre-race meeting (Saturday) and awards celebration (Monday afternoon) is in Coyhaique. T2 (Villa Cerro Castillo) and the finish line (Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez) are located ~1.5 hours and 1:45 hrs, respectively from Coyhaique. 

I booked three Airbnbs (total for all three was less than $1000 for our ten day stay). The first Airbnb in Villa Cerro Castillo (Nov 29th until December 2nd) so we could check out the T2 area. Plus, there is a beautiful (strenuous 8-mile) hike to Laguna Cerro Castillo that I want to do. The 2nd Airbnb is our "home base" in Coyhaique from December 1st until December 10th (this way we can check in anytime on the 1st or 2nd). The third Airbnb (December 3rd-7th) is a few miles from the race start. This way we have two options to go back and forth to (~1 hour drive) without having to pack and unpack. We plan to spend the night near the race venue (Airbnb #3) on Wed and Thursday evening and then again on Saturday until race morning on Sunday). 

Rental Car: Patagonman connected me with Ricardo from Varona Rental Car (email: supervisor@rentacarvarona.cl). He helped me rent a SUV for our trip (pick up and drop off at Balmaceda). 

So far, everything has gone smoothly. We are two hours ahead of EST. We arrived to Balmaceda airport around 3pm and arrived to our Airbnb at 4:50pm. We unloaded our SUV and made a trip to the town (one grocery store and one gas station) to get a few things for our short stay in Villa Cerro Castillo. 

At the end of the trip, I'll share my thoughts if I would have done anything differently with my travel planning. 

Outside our Airbnb. 

Inside our Airbnb.

View from our Airbnb

In the town. 

It's finally time - Patagonman Extreme Triathlon

After Two Years of Setbacks, It’s Finally Time.

This year has been one of the toughest chapters in Karel’s athletic journey—one marked not by finish-line celebrations, but by waiting, healing, and standing on the sidelines far more often than he ever imagined. Two knee surgeries, hardware removal from his wrist, and worsening spine issues have created a string of challenges that have tested Karel is so many ways. For someone who thrives on movement, adventure, and suffering, being forced to pause again and again has been heartbreaking. 

And yet, he never stopped.
He adapted.
He learned.
He stayed hopeful.

With creative training, countless adjustments, and a willingness to rebuild, Karel kept moving forward—even when “forward” looked nothing like it used to. Every step, no matter how small, was a step forward. 

And now, after two long years of setbacks, waiting, and wondering if this moment would ever come… it’s finally time.

We are on our way to the end of the world—literally—to the beauty of Chile’s Puerto Aysén region, where Karel will race Patagonman. 

Just getting to this start line is victory. It was not easy to get here. In truth, sometimes it felt impossible.

But he made it. 

We made it. 

Whether the race unfolds as he hopes or takes its own unexpected turns, one thing is certain: Karel is looking forward to this start line. 

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

Ironman Race Week in Lanzarote! Part 3

Day 1: Tuesday May 13th

After two long days of travel, we were ready to move our bodies. Typically, Wednesday before a race is our "biggest" day of training but since we didn't do anything for the past 48 hours, it was important for me to wake up my body with a good load. This would also allow for a few days of recovery before the race. 

Our Airbnb is located at the Colony Club, which is across the street from the Plus Fariones Suite Hotel. Our professional athlete Bara (from Czech) is staying with us. She arrived on Friday so that she could spend a few extra days on the island in her final prep before the race. We have a nice ocean view and we are a quick 5 minute walk to the race start/venue. We are also within walking distance to the grocery. There are countless restaurants, ice cream shops and stores along the beach (which is also the run course for the Ironman). 

Around 9am, we walked to the Centro Deportivo to go for a swim. The entry fee was 15 Euros each (day pass). The pool was the perfect temperature. The shape of the pool is unique in that it's circular but the middle lane is approximately 25 meters. Karel and I each did our own session and ended up with 3000 meters. After the swim we walked to the grocery to get a few things and then went back to our Airbnb. 

Karel assembled our bikes in the late morning and at 1pm we headed out on the bike course to ride the opening loop of the 112 mile bike course. This was our first experience riding in Lanzarote and the island met our expectations. It was very hilly (a few punchy climbs but mostly long steady climbs) and very windy. The wind was ranging between 15-18mph with gusts up to 30 mph. This is typical for the island. Although the temperature is "only" in the 70's, the sun is very strong so it feels a lot warmer. Depending on where we were on the course, the wind was in our face, at our side or tailwind. There were some fun descends and also some scary descends with tight turns and cross wind. The scenery was incredible. We rode 35 miles in 2:06 and covered almost 2700 feet of elevation gain. The course has over 8000 feet elevation for 112 miles. 

After a fast twisty descent into town (wind at our back), we took some side streets to end up back at our Airbnb. After the ride, I did a short 20 minute run off the bike to finish off a day of triathloning. 

Surprisingly, my legs and body felt really good after 2 days of sitting/traveling. 

Day 2: Wednesday May 14th

I was really looking forward to swimming in the salty ocean. The water temperature is around 66 degrees F but with a wetsuit, it feels perfect. After XTRI Icon and Norseman, I have a new standard for "cold" water. The water was very clear and there were lots of fish. Karel and I wore our Roka wetsuits and Roka goggles and swam one loop (~2100 meters) of the course. There were small buoys set up along the race course (they will be replaced with large buoys for race day). I felt really good in the water. There was a little chop but not a big current in either direction. On the way back on the loop, the water gets much more shallow and it was even easier to see all of the fish. There are only fish in the ocean here (no jellyfish or sharks). 

After the 32-minute OWS, I went for a 5.4 mile, 42 minute run. I ran along the run course with Bara and she turned around after ~15 minutes as her run was shorter than my run on this day. I enjoyed running along the ocean and seeing all of the stores and restaurants. The run course has gentle rollers (undulating) so I wouldn't call it flat but it's not hilly. My legs felt really good. I threw in some fast feet turnovers on the way back. It was very warm. I always run with my hydration belt so I continued to stay fueled and hydrated. 

Around 12pm, I had an hour massage in our Airbnb (for 50 Euros). Bara found a company that comes to your Airbnb so it was great to work out some tightness in my calves and upper back that I acquired from spectating and travel. Bara also got a massage around 4pm and Karel had one at 5pm. While I was getting my massage, Karel went out to bike the other, bigger loop of the race course. He covered 74 miles and 6600 feet elevation (plus an extra "fun" climb) in 4:43 which included a pastry (water) stop and some pictures. Karel has his road bike here and he attached aerobars (which he used at ICON and Stone XTRI). 

Day 3: Thursday May 15th

I went to bed around 9pm and made myself get up at 7am. Although I'm not sleeping deep through the night, I do feel somewhat rested when I wake up and I am not craving a nap during the day. I experienced some chaffing on my neck from my wetsuit and salt water (I forgot to put on body glide) so my morning open water swim didn't go as planned. I tried KT tape on my neck but it didn't stick. I then walked back to the Airbnb while Karel and Bara swam and I put on a t-shirt to cover my neck under the wetsuit. That seemed to help. I later went to buy waterproof bandages which I will wear on race day. I'm glad I went back out to swim as the water was extremely choppy. It took me three minutes longer to swim the loop compared to the day prior. I was able to find a good rhythm with the ocean but it was a much more difficult swim compared to the day prior. 

After the swim, I was craving pancakes so we walked .7 miles to Kalma cafe.  Everything is close by here so we haven't used our rental car. We could have gotten by without a rental car but we need it to transport us to a different location after the race. 

Kalma was recommended to us from our athletes Yannick and Katie who raced here last year. It was SOOO good. I got the yogurt pancakes and a side of scrambled eggs and Karel got brioche bread with ham, along with a Fanta and Cappuccino.

As for the rest of the day, this was a chill day. I worked on the computer, checked in (athletes needed to reserve a time slot for check in so I chose 2pm) and started to carb load. I watched the mandatory athlete briefing online on Wednesday. 

This is a small race compared to other IM distance events (maybe 1200 athletes compared to 3000+ at other events) so the expo, registration tent and merchandise tent is small. The transition area is also small but it's on the beach and the finish line area is incredible. It was set up earlier in the week and they are continuing to put up the final touches. 

I am feeling nervous but also excited. I think my emotions are mixed because I know this will be an incredibly challenging course but I also feel I am bringing good fitness to this race so I feel some pressure to perform. 

And keeping with tradition, I got a delicious Caprese (buffalo mozzarella, basil and sauce) from La Lanterna. Bara called in the pizza and then we walked 0.5 mile to pick it up. The cost of food is very reasonable here. 

Why pre race weigh in? 

Monitoring pre and post weight changes can help medical personnel identify severe dehydration (weight loss) or hyponatremia (weight gain). Knowing pre weight can help medical staff provide appropriate hydration and electrolyte support in the case of a health issue during or after the race. Although it's "only" in the 70s here, the sun is extremely strong and there's no shade on the course which means athletes are more at risk for heat related issues while racing.

Day 4: Friday March 16th

Because I had extra time on Thursday, I went ahead and packed my gear bags for the race. Prior to travel, I put my bike nutrition in individual bags so it was very easy to prepare my bottles for the race. I did the same for my run nutrition.

For the race, my bike nutrition plan is the same that I do for my long workouts (and my run nutrition is the same for every training run).

Bike nutrition: 

• 90g carbohydrates INFINIT Fructose per bottle (3 bottles with Fruit Punch, 3 bottles with Grape). I will stop at special needs on the bike to replace my empty bottles. 
• I also have a few Power bar chews and a Never Second C30 Fruit Punch gel in my bento box on my bike if I need it. 
• I will also carry a bottle of Ketone Aid and may take a few swigs throughout the bike. 
• I will use water from aid stations for sipping/cooling. 

Run nutrition: 

• 30g carbohydrate Never Second berry per 10-ounce Nathan hard flask. 
• I will bring along 4 additional small baggies to refill the bottles throughout the run. 
• I will use water from aid stations for sipping/cooling. 
• My run nutrition should last me around 3 hours so I will use on course nutrition (coke or 226er isotonic sport drink) for the remainder of the run.

In the morning, I slept in as long as I could knowing that I probably wouldn't sleep well the night before the race. I went to bed around 9:30pm on Thursday and woke up around 8am for almost 11 hours of sleep. Around 9am, Karel and I went out on our bikes to pre-ride the long loop of the run (6 miles out and back and then 2 smaller loops of ~3.5 miles) and then went out to ride the first few miles out of town on the bike. The wind was strong at times (cross wind) but I felt better in it than the first day that we rode (Tuesday). I rode for ~70 minutes and did a 1 mile run off the bike in my New Balance Elite race shoes. 

I kept with my typical carb loading plan (I try to aim for at least 400g carbohydrates which is ~8g/kg/bw of carbs): 

-Bagel w/ PB before workout

-Sport nutrition during workout (~45g carbs INFINIT fructose in bike bottle and finished on the run)

-Gu Roctane recovery drink mixed with milk 

-Eggs (1 whole, 2 whites) w/ bagel and butter and sugar (I haven't found maple syrup but substituting with sugar). 

-Pasta w/ sauce and an egg (couldn't find a veggie burger) 

-1 package brown sugar pop tart (that I brought from home)

-Basmati rice + soup 

After my warmup, Karel continued on riding and had a refuel stop in Teguis. 

Nearing 5pm, we checked in our bikes and dropped off our bags. 

On the right, this is an electric pump that I will use on race morning to pump up my tires. I can pre-set the pressure (75 psi rear wheel, 68 psi front wheel) in the device and the pump will do the rest. 

Bib number required on the bike. I will put on my compression socks after the swim. 

Transition area on the beach.

~1100 participants 

I'm more excited than nervous. I really like challenging courses and I feel very prepared physically. Of course, I am nervous for things out of my control but I know that I am bringing experience to this race so I can handle anything that comes my way. 

Thank you for following along! 

IM Kona '18 - 4 & 5 days out

First things first. The ebook of my book Essential Sports Nutrition is now available for only $0.99!! Take advantage of this great deal as it's only for a limited time (until the 17th).

Now back to Kona happenings....

The streets are getting super busy. Along with a cruise ship rolling in on Monday, the majority of IM Kona athletes and volunteers have arrived to the island. 

Monday morning started bright and early with a 6:15am swim led by Matt Dixon with Purple Patch Fitness. Karel and I got in a bit earlier and I swam a bit extra for a total of around 4300 yards. Here's the workout:

Warm-up: ~1100
Pre-set:
100 smooth, 25 fast
75 smooth, 25 fast
50 smooth, 25 fast
25 smooth, 25 fast
(continuous)
MS:
6 x 50's fast
200 smooth
4 x 50's fast
200 smooth
2 x 50's fast
200 smooth
Post set:
6 x 100's strong
300 EZ pull
(I think I'm forgetting something but that was what I remembered)

As we were leaving the pool to ride back to our condo, we bumped into Natscha Badmann who is a 6x Ironman World Champion! Although she is no She was one of my biggest inspirations when I started Ironman racing. I even took a picture with her back in 2007 for my first Kona!

Me and Natascha at my first IM Kona, 11 years ago at the age of 25!

Around lunchtime, we had lunch at Lava Java (they have a new location just a street over for those who haven't been to the island in a few years) with our friend and doctor, Dr. Cassas. Because Karel and I don't have a primary care doctor, we always reach out to Dr. Cassas with our questions. We are so lucky to have such a personable, smart and easy to reach doctor! Dr. Cassas is getting his learn on here in Kona at the Sport Medicine Conference. It was nice to catch up with a few of his colleagues over delicious food. I ordered the Vesterby veggie bowl and Karel got the Potts Poke Bowl. 

Just as we were finishing lunch, it started to drizzle. By the time we returned back to our condo, it was pouring. The rain lasted all afternoon. Karel had an easy 45 minute spin on his training schedule so we managed to spin our legs on the Queen K around 5:15pm. While the rain had stopped, a beautiful double rainbow showed up during the end of our ride. 

Another beautiful sunset to end Monday. 

Although Monday starts race week, I feel like Tues is the "official" start of race week as there's so much going on. First off, the ocean becomes more crowded and the coffee boat makes it's first run out for a mid-stop java while swimming in the ocean. 

Karel had a 90-minute ride on his schedule so I joined in and we ventured out to the Queen K and then took a side road down to the ocean in a State Park. It provided us with a nice 5-minute climb back to the Queen K for Karel to do a little hard effort to wake-up his legs. After the ride, Karel was done for the morning and I followed up the bike with a 30 minute run. The streets were pretty crowded with cyclists and runners and walkers and of course, the normal car traffic of locals and tourists. It seemed like the humidity was a bit lower on Tuesday as I could sweat much easier and I didn't feel like someone was blowing a blow torch on me as I was running. There was one tent set up on Ali'i drive (Gu) with free sport nutrition but I didn't need any as I had my fuel belt on with my hydration/sport drink (Carbo Rocket hydration for this run...I'm almost out of my Clif hydration).

Tuesday is also the first official day for athlete check-in (9am-2pm). All athletes must check-in by Thursday. Karel told me that the official athlete wrist bands did not arrive so Karel received a shiny red wrist band instead. He is welcome to go back and get his official wrist band when they arrive (hopefully tomorrow they said). As Karel was checking in at the King K hotel, Karel's mom and I went into the merchandise tent (one of three in the area) and waited for Karel. 

From my own personal experience of racing in the IM World Championship, I think the athlete check-in makes it feel very real and it brings a new level of excitement for those who are racing. Several people have asked me if I regretted turning down my Kona slot at IM Chatty last year when I won my age group and my answer is still no. I am not only happy that I could give my slot to another athlete but I feel like I needed a few years away from racing IM Kona to get even more experience racing the Ironman distance. Now that I have qualified for 2019, I am super excited to return back to the island next year as an athlete. Plus, I never thought I could handle the winds in Kona but now that I have my new Ventum, I feel so much more confident riding here that I actually look forward to racing in windy conditions. 

Karel got a huge backpack/duffel bag which was perfect to hold free swag as we made our way to the IM Village to check out the expo - which just opened today (Tuesday). 

So official! 

As I mentioned in a previous post, it's really awesome to see how the town transforms from a small town in Kona to the race venue of the Ironman World Championship. As a huge fan of the sport, I just love race week and the energy you feel as you are surrounded by so many like-minded individuals. 

Although the main athlete village/expo is across from the Farmers market on ali'i drive, there are actually a few different booth areas along Ali'i drive (all within walking distance - no need to drive anywhere). We checked out all the different booths as Karel loves seeing new bike products/gear. There have been several "new" bike gear/equipment items revealed this week. 

We made a stop at the Ventum booth so see our Ventum friends. No expo is complete without a hello from Rachel. By the way, if you are in Kona, make sure to stop by their booth to make your free support t-shirt! 

How cool are these shirts that you can design???

Also Ventum is holding a free no-drop ride at 8:45am from the Ventum booth on 10/10 (Wed morning) for anyone who would like to participate. The ride is about 15 miles and there will be some refreshments afterward. You can even test-ride a Ventum (first come)!! 

Because my triathlon season is complete and my only event left this season is the Hincapie Gran Fondo (80-miles) in two weeks, I'm making sure that no workout here feels like a chore. I don't feel the need to make myself workout so everything that I do is for fun, because I want to do it. In the afternoon, I decided to go for an ocean swim, just because. I didn't have a workout or a set but I just swam and stopped when I was done. I swam for around 15-minutes, back and forth from the shore to the first buoy. It was super duper wavy but I was having fun just swimming around and looking at the fishes. 

During this time, the kids Dip n' Dash event was going on and the streets were packed with fans. Wow, those kids are super competitive! It was so much fun to watch the kids (our future triathletes) in action. 

Karel's mom even came out to cheer for the kids. I spotted her in her new Ventum shirt (Karel made it for her) as I was walking back to the condo from my swim. 

As I was heading up to the condo, I ran into Karel as he was making his way to the King K for the Parade of Nations walk along Ali'i drive. Although Karel is now a US Citizen, he enjoyed walking with his home country, Czech Republic. 

Despite another rain shower, the fans and athletes came out with smiles and lots of cheers for the parade. Karel's mom enjoyed her walk with the other Czech athletes. It will be sad to see her head back to her home next weekend. 

It's remarkable how many people from so many different countries are here on the island. I think that's one of the many reasons why this event is so special. It truly brings together all athletes from around the world. 

A selfie in the rain. 

5 Lessons that travel has taught me

Home sweet home. It's so nice to be back home. While we haven't been home for more than 48 hours, we are already back to our daily routine of training, eating, working and of course, giving love to our furry crew. While our trip to Europe gave us lots of stress with our lost bikes, the trip home was not without stress. It was an exhausting 30+ hour trip home but we have our luggage and bikes and we made it home safely and in good health.

Five weeks was a long time to be in another country but it was well-worth it. We never felt home-sick or had a "bad" day but we sure did miss our furry crew. Despite the time, energy and money that is required to travel to and from another country, I have learned so much from traveling and it enriches me greatly. Meeting new people, tasting new cuisines, seeing new sights and breathing the air in a new city can teach you a lot....if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone.

While most of us athletes love our/a routine and being on a schedule, I really try to step outside of the norm when we travel to another country. You'd think that travel would naturally take you outside of your comfort zone but it's not always that way. Many people try to stick to what's comfortable and normal and miss out on many important lessons that travel can teach you. Losing yourself in a new environment can be scary but with the right perspective, you can learn so much. 

1. Appreciate the little things - There are so many things that we take for granted when we get into the thick of our daily routine. Travel has taught me to be more conscious and appreciative of the small things in life and to not undervalue these things.
2. Expand your view - Traveling gives you a different or new perspective on certain aspects of life. It teaches you what's important and thinking beyond the societal norms that are defined to be appropriate - body image, careers, how you live your life, etc.
3. Decision making - When you travel, you have to make a lot of decisions. You become much more independent and it brings a new level of confidence - especially when you don't speak the language in a foreign country. With all the daily decisions that you have to make, every day is new and exciting.
4. Priorities - Traveling helps you organize your priorities. You learn what's worth your time, money and energy and what things or experiences make you happy. Taking a break from the monotony and stress of every day life gives you a chance to slow down and think about what's truly important to you in life and to start working toward that vision instead of settling for less.
5. Compassion - One of the best things about travel is seeing how others live - often with less. Everyone has challenges and struggles. When you think beyond what you consider is difficult in life, you learn about the many adversities faced by other people. It's normal to complain and to feel unhappy but when you travel, you learn to complain less and be more grateful. You also become more patient and compassionate. 

It's time to catch you up!

I can't believe that we have been in Europe for three weeks! We still have a little over two more weeks left of our European race-cation but it's nice to have finally settled into a good daily routine. Karel and I are not "vacation" type of people so although we are trying our best to relax and recharge and do some sight-seeing, it's not practical for us to step away from our coaching and nutrition business not to mention the difficulty we have escaping structure in our daily structure. So here's a little update on the past two weeks......

Post Ironman
The two days after the Ironman were rough. We were sore, tight and did I say sore?..... but every day it got a little better. Luckily, we were both able to sleep fairly well on the night of the Ironman so that helped a lot with recovery. We also did a lot of walking but the 5 hour drive from Klagenfurt back to Karel's hometown of Znojmo, Czech republic was a little uncomfortable. But thanks to some delicious coffee/cappuccino from McD's (yes - I said it, the only time I'll stop at McD's is in Europe for coffee) and some pastries, we survived.

With Karel having his family (aside from his brother) and many of his childhood friends living in Znojmo, we are lucky to have a place to stay anytime we visit. We stayed two nights with his friend (who has whippet puppies!) before heading off on the road again. We were able to get in some work, spend time with Karel's dad and get in a swim workout at the local outdoor pool (long course meters) on Wednesday (43 minutes/2500 meters). Although my body felt low in energy still and a bit stiff, it felt really good to loosen out in a cold pool. Post Ironman, I was still feeling tired during the day and would often get waves of highs and lows, but able to sleep ok during the night.

Ironman Frankfurt
Since we knew that Karel's friend Roman was racing Ironman Frankfurt (the one we stayed with on the first night of our arrival after our lost bikes issue), we couldn't pass up the opportunity to spectate, especially with such a packed pro field. Plus, I've never been to Germany so I thought it was a must-do opportunity.

We woke up really early on Thursday to get to Roman's place (outside of Prague) around 9am. We left his place around noon (after stopping for lunch) and I enjoyed my first trip in a camper van! I had some important work on a project to get done on the computer so that kept me busy for the entire 6+ hour drive. We finally arrived in the late evening and it was nice to stretch out the legs for a walk before heading off to bed - in the camper van. Roman had a hotel room booked in the town of Walldorf (about 15 minutes from Frankfurt) so we stayed in the van for one night and then booked a hotel room for the rest of our stay.

Karel enjoyed hanging out with Roman and the other 3 Czech guys racing the Ironman, whereas I enjoyed being in an Ironman atmosphere. The Frankfurt setting was a bit overwhelming with the Ironman being in a downtown setting so Karel and I were happy that we weren't racing (and only spectating) as it was a little stressful getting around. We also enjoyed having an outsider view as spectators of a European Ironman as our only experience is at Ironman Austria as athletes. It was neat to visit the expo and check out different vendors and to feel the Ironman hype. This certainly helped with the typical post-Ironman blues that are felt after a race (especially a race that doesn't go as planned).

It's crazy how bright it stays at night (it doesn't get dark until after 10pm) and how early it gets bright (well before 5am) where we are so it didn't make for easy sleeping, especially since we need to leave the windows open with no AC (no place where we stay in Europe has AC). But once again, we were ok with this since we were not racing. Luckily in Klagenfurt, we were on the top of a mountain which made it really cool - plus the weather was rather cool in the evenings and mornings which was pleasant.

As for workouts, we went for an open water swim (not at the race venue since that was not open for athletes before the race) at a nearby lake to the race venue. The water was very refreshing so we didn't swim with our wetsuits. It was nice to swim with Karel's Czech friends - although we swam a bit more than them since they were just splashing around and getting use to the water. Karel and I swam about 15 minutes. Afterward, we had a delicious lunch with the group before heading back to the hotel. We got some work done before heading out for our first run post Ironman (five days post race) which was a very easy 22 minute/2.5 mile run around the town. Although the legs were a bit tender, it felt good to run as we had been doing so much sitting and walking.

Karel helped the guys out with their bikes as a few had mechanical issues before the race (day before) and afterward, we headed out (with Roman) for a ride. This was our first ride post Ironman (Sat). Roman joined us for the first 45 minutes or so and then Karel and I went back out - exploring around the airport (on the bike path). We rode for about an hour and fifty minutes with the last 20 minutes just playing around on our bikes (exploring).

It was nice to have the rest of the day to ourselves as we got a lot of work done and could get to bed early before our spectating race day. Oh, I almost forgot! We also figured out how to use the train and we took it to the next town to check out the aquatic center. There was no designated place to swim so we just played around (let's call it pool open water swimming) and laid around before walking the 3 miles back home on the bike/walking path. It's so nice to be able to easily get from town to town (by feet or bike or train/bus).

Karel woke up early (4am) to take the guys to the swim start and then he returned back to the hotel. We stayed in the hotel until around 10am before heading downtown to Frankfurt. We decided to "watch" the first part of the race online on Ironman Now (Facebook) and also get in a short run (22 minutes/2.6 miles). It was a long day of spectating but an awesome experience!

Znojmo, Czech Republic
On Monday (8 days post Ironman), we returned home to Karel's hometown and it felt good to finally be stationed in one place. We are calling Znojmo our "home" for a total of 17 days as we booked a place from a friend of a friend in the city. It's nice for us to be able to spread our stuff and have a work space while still being able to spend time with Karel's family. Our typical routine involves waking up (without an alarm but to the sounds of the chirping birds) around 5:30/6am, getting work done for a few hours (while eating breakfast) and then working out. After our morning workout(s), we eat lunch (prepared by Karel's mom at her place) and then head back to our place to get more work done. Then, it's time for Karel to watch the Tour de France (Czech version of course) with his dad at his place. This is some great quality time for Karel to spend with his dad, talking about what they both love - cycling. Before his dad had hip surgery, he raced until he was almost 74! He will be 78 this year. Since Karel's town is small, it's not uncommon for Karel to run into a childhood friend - someone who he hasn't seen in over 20 years! Karel has been doing a great job translating for me and has only forgotten to switch from Czech to English a few times. I always enjoy grocery shopping in Czech - trying new foods and yumming over some old favorites.

As for workouts - to be honest, my body was still recovering all this past week. Sunday (7/15 - two weeks post Ironman) was the first day that I actually felt like I had energy and my body wasn't suffering. While the workouts we have been doing are unstructured (more like exercise), I have continued to go through highs and lows during the workouts - and throughout the day. But Sunday was the first day I finally felt fully recovered. While it's easy to want recovery to be quicker, I need to respect the time that is needed to heal my body. Even though my race didn't go as planned and I didn't meet my expectations of the race I felt I trained for, I still owe it to my body to let it recover. If anything, because I ran on empty for over 20 miles, this is even more of a reason to get my energy back through lots of nourishment, fuel, hydration, sleep and rest. The blood flow has been good as my muscles feel good and the niggles have gone away. We worked out every day last week except Saturday, which was a planned all-day trip to Vienna which included a lot of walking - it was exhausting to sight-see!

As for workouts this past week (days 8-14 post Ironman)....

Monday: 41 minute swim/2400 long course meters swim
Tuesday: 2:17 hour/37 mile bike in the AM. 35 minute/4.6 mile run in the PM
Wednesday: 2:34 hour/42 mile bike
Thursday: 58 min trail run followed by a 47 minute/3000 long course meters swim
Friday: 2:23 hour/42.5 mile bike followed by a 14 min brick run (1.5 mile)
Saturday: Day off/Vienna
Sunday: 38 min swim/2400 meter long course swim followed by a 61 min/7.6 mile run

And lastly - FOOD!
Oh - we have been eating well here. Fresh, local and homemade. And it's all so delicious! I'll save those pics for the next blog. YUM!

Traveling tips for the perfect race-cation

Enjoying the sunset in St. Croix.

Although I consider myself a competitive triathlete, triathlon is an outlet, a stress reliever and an opportunity for me to have my “me” time. Triathlon is much more than the hobby that keeps me healthy and active but it provides me with valuable life experiences. For me, one of my most favorite things about triathlon is having the opportunity to combine traveling and racing - two things that enrich my life. Traveling to a race, although a bit stressful and expensive, can be a fun and exciting experience, filling you with lots of great memories in your triathlon journey and showing you different places and faces. 

Feeling cheesy in route to Madison, Wisconsin. 

When planning your next race-cation, there are a few important considerations that you need to take into consideration to help you minimize the stress and oh-$h!t situations (let's get real here, traveling is not easy-breezy).

My tips below are not requirements but rather suggestions based on our experiences as athletes and as coaches so that you can have the best race-cation experience possible and most importantly, put all your training to good use come race day.

Just lounging around in Mont Tremblant, Canada. 

1. Don't wait to register for your race until the last minute. Not only will you risk your key race selling out but you will likely pay more for waiting until the last minute to register. The earlier you register for a race, the earlier you can start planning for you race. More so, registering for a race commits you to the upcoming journey so you can mentally and physically start preparing.
   
2. Before you register for a race, do your research about the requirements traveling to your race venue (ex. international) as well as projected costs for flights, hotel, etc. Signing up for a race may be inexpensive but the costs can add-up quickly when you factor in the lodging and travel.
   
3. Don't wait to book your lodging! I can't tell you how many athletes wait until a few weeks out to book a place to stay for a race that they registered for 6-12 months in advance. Not only do you risk having limited options near the race venue but you will likely overpay due to your last minute booking. Keep in mind that most places let you cancel (without losing any money) in advance so do yourself a favor and book your lodging as soon as you register for a race. This also goes for rental cars. Flights, however, may increase/decrease in price over the year so you may need to wait until ~3 months out to book an affordable flight.
   
4. For triathletes - review the guidelines for flying with your bike and call the airline ahead of time, letting them know that you will have your bike (at least 2 weeks in advance). Be mindful of the weight limits when flying international versus domestic as well as the price fees for different airlines. Always print out the important details of flying with your special item, just in case you need to help the gate agent with your precious item (your bike is actually a special item - not a oversized item). Other options for traveling with your bike include BikeFlights and Tribike transport. If you plan to fly with your bike, make sure your rental car can accommodate your bike, luggage, you and any other people in the car.
   
5. We all love having our support team at the race but it's important to weigh the pros and cons of traveling with your family versus traveling alone (or with a training buddy or just your significant other/spouse). Race day should be all about you and that includes the time that you need to dedicate to yourself leading up to the race, as you get in the zone and take care of what needs to get done for you to have a great race. For an athlete, the days leading up to a race include a lot of exercising, resting and eating with little time for exploring and entertaining. Post race should be all about your family so consider the best way for you to deliver yourself to a great race day performance and still show your family how much you appreciate their support.
   
6. Traveling to a race can be costly and this brings a lot of stress. But consider the many ways that you can cut down on costs or save money for your upcoming event. Reduce the extra spending on eating out or buying alcohol or put away $50-$100 from every paycheck into your upcoming "race-cation" fund. While staying close to your race venue (within walking distance) may reduce the need to have a rental car or pay for parking, you can't put a price on a stress-free race experience. Spending a little more money on a place that meets your needs close to the race venue may provide you with a great race experience versus saving $50-$200 by staying 20-30+ minutes away. Another way to reduce stress and to cut back on extra spending is to book a place to stay with a kitchen. You can prepare all your meals in your home environment and avoid overpaying for food or eating unfamiliar food. There are many ways to reduce the costs when traveling (like sharing a big house or a hotel room) but this requires you to plan well in advance. Above all - pay for the things that will help you race better.
   
7. Be sure to arrive early to your race. You'd be surprised how quickly the 48 hours goes before a half or full distance Ironman. Although it may feel like you are just waiting around for the race to start on the day before a race, it's important that you arrive to the race fresh and not exhausted from your travels. We suggest to give yourself at least 3-4 days to settle into your race environment so that you can take care of your workouts, food and anything else that needs to be done before the big day. Seeing that your big race was months in the making, don't put yourself at a competitive disadvantage by arriving the day or two before the race and feeling rushed, overwhelmed and exhausted.
   
8. Keep yourself on a schedule in the 72 hours before the race. The earlier you arrive to your race, the easier it is to develop and maintain a routine leading into your race. Consider the new time zone as it relates to sleep, traveling as it relates to digestion, where you will eat, where and when you will do your pre-race workouts and anything else that needs to be on your schedule. You put a lot of work to prepare for your race so don't jeopardize your performance by trying to squeeze in too much in the 48 hours before your race.
   
9. Avoid the freak-out moments by planning ahead. Whereas you may not run into any issues if you are traveling to a running race, a triathlon event requires a lot of gear and equipment. Always bring more than what you need and consider what could go wrong so that you have a plan B.
   
10. Stick to what works for you. It's easy to deviate from your plan and to start changing up what worked for you - training, nutrition, gear. Avoid the impulse gear and food buys or changing up your race day nutrition in the last minute. While it's good to keep your ears open for suggestions and tips, don't assume that the advice from someone else will work for you. Trust your own plan and have confidence in what worked for you throughout your season. 

Aloha!

Who's ready to travel???!!!

European Race-Cation

It's been a busy last few days but we are finally settled into our rental home in Klagenfurt, Austria. And in case you didn't know - we are in Europe!

(I apologize now for any typo's or sentences that do not make sense. As you will read - I am still a little sleep deprived but slowly adjusting!)

We started planning our European Race-Cation last June after Karel and I registered for Ironman Austria. We had such an amazing experience in 2014 when we raced our first international Ironman together and seeing that we combined it with visiting Karel's family in Czech, we couldn't wait to do it all over again. 

But this time we brought my mom to share this race-cation with us! 

On Saturday afternoon we rented a mini van (although it turned out to be a passenger van - thanks Karel for driving!) for all our luggage and bikes and on Sunday morning, we headed down to Atlanta.

On Saturday evening, I had a little scare as I called Delta/KLM for the third time in the past 3 months to remind them once again that we would be traveling with our bikes and that I would need a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) meal for our flight. When the Delta agent on the phone told me that they needed 48 hours notice for our bikes and that they didn't have any record that we were flying with our bikes (according to KLM - our 2nd flight from the Amsterdam to Vienna) and we wouldn't be able to fly with our bikes. Say what??!! I nearly had a breakdown as we were driving to Atlanta at 9:30am on Sunday and I had called Delta twice letting them know about our bikes.
Finally, around 9pm on Sat evening I received a call from Delta that we were ok to fly with our bikes. My heart nearly stopped for a few hours but even with the good news that we were good to go with our bikes, I still had trouble sleeping. 

After our 2.5 hour drive and a bit of stress with all the things that we had to do before sitting on the air plane, we finally arrived at our gate around 1:30pm for our 3:10pm flight to Amsterdam. We prefer to minimize the layovers when we fly with our bikes and many times, it's cheaper to fly from ATL and to either rent a car or do off-site parking. 

We grabbed a late lunch (salad with tofu pictured below and a mozzarella and veggie sandwich - not pictured) and by 2:30pm we were boarding our plane.
The check-in with our bikes was smooth and we just love our new Scicon bike bags. Seeing that Karel is always the one to pack and assemble our bikes, he found it super easy to use and all he had to do was remove the wheels - yes, that easy! The bag came with a lot of accessories for keeping the bike secure and padded in the soft case. The case is extremely easy to move around which is nice when you have a lot of luggage. We typically go to the hourly parking when we check-in with our bikes as we can just bring in our checked bags and bikes and then go park and head straight to security. It makes for a less rushed experience. 

Karel was super excited to see his family for the firs time in 2 years. 

The flight was uneventful but relaxing. I can't remember the last time I had 8 hours to just watch movies/TV - I enjoyed every minute of it. Karel and I both prefer aisle seats but this time around there were no two aisles open for us to sit next to each other so Karel sat in front of me (to the right) and my mom and I sat in the middle row of seats.

I have to say that my lacto-ovo vegetarian meal was delicious. I had cooked kale and carrots with a black bean patty, along with a salad, fruit, a roll and cheese. It was not salty or heavy/greasy so it felt nice in my tummy. 

Seeing that we left ATL at 3:10pm, we arrive in Amsterdam around 5:45am (or 11:45pm EST). I had yet to sleep which not a good thing because by the time we headed to Vienna, I had gone over 24 hours without sleeping. We were served a light breakfast before landing in Amsterdam and once again, I enjoyed my vegetarian breakfast of orange juice, a banana and a tofu and tomato sandwich. 

We have traveled through Amsterdam twice before in route to Prague but never have we flown into Vienna, like we were this time around. 

Thankfully, I was able to take a short 1 hour nap on our 1:25 hr flight to Vienna but I knew my body was not happy being so sleep deprived. 

We had our last stressful moment as we were waiting for our bikes to arrive and thankfully, there they were! Yay!! (fellow triathletes/cyclists know this feeling)

Karel had one of his friends from Znjomo pick us up at the airport and sadly, it was rainy outside so we couldn't enjoy the ~80 min drive to Karel's hometown. 

Finally - reunited with his mom! 

Of course, as soon as we arrived, Karel's mom was ready to serve us lunch (their biggest meal of the day) and we were ready for her delicious home cooking.

We started with the traditional soup before the entree and this time I had vegetable soup with homemade noodles and Karel and my mom has the same soup but with beef broth. 

And for lunch, asparagus sauce with dill, an egg (beef for Karel and my mom), a dumpling and boiled potatoes. Oh so good! 

And of course, there's always something more in Karel's mom's kitchen - homemade apricot bars with fresh apricots from the garden. I must say, I love the treats in Czech because they are not overly sweet or salty - a big difference from the treats in America. 

After resting at Karel's mom's, we then walked over to Karel's dad's flat so that Karel could catch up with his dad. Neither of Karel's parents speak Czech so Karel is our translator. I often feel bad for Karel because it is a lot of work to translate and sometimes his brain forgets to switch (he will speak to his parents in English and to us in Czech).

Of course, no visit is complete without some treats. 

After visiting with Karel's family, we took my mom to her hotel/penzion where she would stay for the night (I joined her) - super cute. I absolutely love Karel's hometown as there is so much charm, history and beauty. Although this is my third time here in the past 4 years, I still get excited when I walk through his historic downtown. 

We had a light dinner (which we picked up some of it at the grocery and then Karel's mom made a meat and cheese platter) of couscous, asparagus, fresh bread and cheese. 

And one of Karel's favorites - rice and apricot cake (it's not sweet like cake so think non-sweet rice pudding). 

And she keeps on baking!
Homemade oatmeal, raisins and dried fruit cookies and gingerbread cookies (once again - the cookies are not sweet - just perfect. Honestly, it's hard not to feel great when you eat them - especially since they are prepared with lots of love). 

It was an eventful night on Monday as our hotel was filled with kids who were being super noisy all throughout the night. I was so exhausted and tired and tossed and turned in bed for hours until finally, around 3:30am I kinda fell asleep for a few hours. Needless to say, my mom and I didn't sleep as well as Karel (at his mom's flat) who slept 12 hours! Oh the fun of traveling internationally.



Karel and I had plans to run in the morning (Tuesday) to wake-up the legs but with him sleeping until almost 10am and me not sleeping, a workout was not in the picture.

So we ate instead :)
Fresh bread from the grocery and the most amazingly tasteful scrambled eggs (seriously, the eggs in Czech are amazing!)

After packing up our rental van, we made a stop at the local grocery in Znojmo (the food is much less expensive in Znojmo, Czech Republic compared to Klagenfurt, Austria) and around 3pm, we finally hit the road for our 4.5 hour drive to Klagenfurt.
Did you see our passenger van that we took to the ATL airport? Well, this one is even bigger...and a stick shift. Thankfully, Karel can navigate that big fan through the tiny streets of Europe :) 

The last time Karel and I drove to Klagenfurt, it was cloudy and rainy. This time, it was beautiful and sunny so we watched the mountains grow until they finally turned into the Alps. 

Now you may be wondering why I am so excited to be at McDonald's. Well, when was the last time your McDonald's looked like this??? (see below)

Fresh pastries? 

Fresh muffins? 

Fresh croissants? 

Fresh smoothies?

Yep - this is McCafe - not your normal fast food stop on the road!

If you didn't know, you have to pay to use the restroom at many places but here, we got a voucher to buy more coffee at McCafe. 

Fancy bathroom! 

Yum! 

This will be the ONLY time you will see Karel smiling over McDonald's coffee.
Mr. Czech here is very picky with his coffee!

Here are some of our pics in route to Klagenfurt. 

We finally made it to our airbnb in downtown Klagenfurt (right near the town center and only 2 miles from EuropaPark - race venue) around 7:45pm to check-in to our 2 bedroom flat.

After a late dinner and some unpacking, we finally went to bed around 10:30pm. Although I am still adjusting to the time zone, I think I fell asleep around 11:30pm and had a good 6 hours of sleep (the days are long here - the sun goes down after 10pm and then rises around before 5am) - slowly, I am finally getting on a sleep schedule and hopefully will feel more rested by race day on Sunday. 

I'll do my best to keep you updated with our travels via my blog when I have WiFi in our flat but for quicker updates, you can visit the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition Facebook Page (and Instagram - @trimarni where I am sharing our daily pics of our adventures.

IM Kona '15 - Day 10

The day we have been waiting for is finally here - one more sleep until race day!!!

Karel went to swim with Purple Patch/Matt Dixon at the pool at 7:30am (he biked there) and I headed out on my bike at 8am for our pre-race warm-up.

I rode for about 50 minutes (to the airport and back) and included a few pick ups to wake up the legs. Karel also rode after his swim and I spotted him on the other side of the Queen K hwy. 

After my bike, I went back to the condo to grab my run shoes and watch-free, headed out for a short run with a few pick-ups. 

After my workout, it was time to eat. I had made pancakes before my workout so they were all ready for when I got home. I had 3 large pancakes with lots of syrup and chopped dates, two hardboiled eggs (one whole, one white) and lots of fruit. 

After the workout it was time to re-pack the transition bags for bike/bag check-in at 2:30pm.

With so much time between our workout and when we had to check in our bikes, I walked down to the expo to say hi to my go-to contact at Clif Bar. We chatted for a while and then walked back to my condo to hang out a little more in the AC. 

Around 2:30pm, my athlete Kristin came over so that we could chat about the race and then it was finally time to head to the race venue to check in our gear. 

I just love the pre-race hype of any Ironman but at the IM World Championship, it is quite special.

First we stood in a long line - helmets had to be out of our  bags. 

Still waiting.....

Still waiting....

There were several bike companies handing out shirts and hats to athletes who had related gear (I received a Stages visor since I ride with Stages Power). 

We then approach the bike check where a volunteer checked everything on our bike to make sure all the numbers were on and everything was race ready. 

Next, we received an M-dot sticker on our bike that we had "passed" the bike check. 

Next - it was time for a picture...of our bike. 

Getting closer.....

Next - it was time to wait for a volunteer to take our gear bags and walk us to our bike rack. 

Fancy carpet before the notorious "green" carpet in Kona. 

With 2367 registered athletes, the pier was covered with bikes! 

I put my bike into it's spot with the helmet on top (required).

I'll bring all of my liquid nutrition in the morning. 

It's always a mystery as to what Madame Pele will give us on race day for weather but regardless, I'm looking forward to 112 miles with my bike and my body tomorrow. 

The hoses to rinse us off out of the water. 

After I dropped off my bike, I hung my run bag and then walked through the women's changing tent. Then I dropped off my bike bag.
This is all reverse of what we will do on race day.
Get out of water - hose off - grab bike bag - go into women's change tent - change, put wet clothes into bag and drop off into a bin - run to bike - roll bike to mount line - get on bike to ride 112 miles.
Return back from bike - hand bike off to volunteer - run all the way around the pier to run bag - go to women's change tent - change - put bike gear into run bag - run out of transition and run 26.2 miles to finish. 

A backside view of the big screen at the finish line. 

Karel and his Czech friend. 

All of the buoys are out - every 100 meters or so is a buoy for a straight out and back 2.4 mile swim course. 

Our start and finish for tomorrow. 

Thank you for the support! 

IM Kona '15: Day 9

Thursday morning in Kona - that only means one thing.

Put on your best "undie" outfit (aka as little clothes as possible) and run 1.5 miles on Ali'i drive for charity).

The Underpants run (UPR Kona) serves as a great ice breaker for athletes who are racing but also for friends, family, kids and locals to have some fun before the race. 

I shared a few videos on my Trimarni facebook page if you want to see all the fun (and almost naked bodies of all beautiful shapes and sizes)

There were so many people that we filled up the parking lot behind the King K hotel!

I told ya - all shapes and sizes.
Be proud of your body and don't be afraid to show it off!

Love Jesse Thomas! One amazing athlete who writes awesome/funny/oh-so-true articles for Triathlete magazine. 

Bumped into Instagram friend Carolyn who is a plant-strong dietitian and athlete. She liked my custom-made triathlon "Fueled by Plants" shorts from Funnyshirts.org.

Oh Karel :) A little too comfortable walking around in his underwear. 

The undie run isn't just for humans. 

After the undie run (which started at 7:30am), Karel and I went back to our condo to quickly change before our 2-hour private session with Paul Buick (Purple Patch Fitness cycling expert).

Paul offers so much experience with cycling but also with a great understanding of how to ride on the IM Kona bike course with the rolling hills and strong winds. 

Now you may think "why doesn't she just listen to her husband Karel who is a bike expert?"...

Well, we can all learn something new and it's not always about how much experience someone has but also how someone explains the information. 

This was a valuable lesson for both Karel and I as I took away so many new skills and tips to help me on Saturday but also for the future. 

I've constantly been telling myself that the IM Kona course is not "my type of course" because of the gusty winds that make me feel uncomfortable and tense as well as the layout of the course. But Paul gave me the confidence (and skills) that I need to feel as if I can ride smart and strong for 112 miles in Kona.

The great thing about the IM bike course is not knowing what the weather will be like which makes for a day of not chasing power or time goals but instead, being smart with execution, tactics and being patient (aka not racing with an ego). 

Thank you Paul for the great session!
I'm finally looking forward to race day - especially the bike!

Because we were attending the athlete opening ceremony in the evening, I had my ritual pizza dinner (two nights before an Ironman) for lunch - it was a late lunch around 2:30pm since my breakfast was around 11am (pre-workout snack before the undie run/session with Paul) but it was still delicious and totally hit the spot. Pizza is my comfort food and I always feel good when I eat it and after.
This was a frozen Digiorno pizza with spinach and mushrooms. 

This week seems like it is rushing by but we are still making sure to stay inside and off our feet as much as possible and resting as much as we can.

After running an errand to the grocery store for more food/water, we drove a few miles up the road to the Purple Patch Fitness house for a team pre-race course talk.

Matt gave an exceptional pre-race talk which not only calmed our pre-race nerves/anxieties/jitters but also talked about how to race a great race. 

I took a few notes:
-Be task oriented, not outcome driven. The moment you start to do mathmatics on the course (figuring out what you need to hold to finish in x-time or that you won't meet your time goal), you are done. Focus on what you can control and erase time goals. Time goals get you out of bed when you are training but on race day, you want to get to point A to point B as quick as possible. 

-You will get into very dark places on this course, on race day. Only you can get yourself to the finish line. Don't give up. Break down the course so your only goals are to get to the next destination.
-You love to train and you love to race. This is nothing more than a long training day. Manage your resources - never miss a feeding or hydration station.
-Never give in. Maximize YOUR day.
-Focus only on what you can control and look only after yourself. 

After our 4:30-5:30pm meeting with Matt, it was time to head to the welcome ceremony behind the King K hotel. 

The finish line area is now closed to traffic as the transition area and finish line chute is beginning to come together. 

It's truly amazing how this town transforms from a touristy island to the home of the Ironman World Championship. 

The finish line chute minus the carpet, barricades and cheering fans!

The finish line doesn't look too fancy but it will be amazing on Saturday!!

Time to eat! Lots of Vegetarian Marni-friendly options. 

You can check out my Trimarni Facebook page  for some videos from the evening. 

It is quite the performance/show at the Ironman World Championship - certainly not the "normal" Ironman opening ceremony. 

So many people!

So happy to share the evening with Trimarni nutrition athlete turned coaching athlete Kristin (qualified at Boulder) who is racing her first Ironman World Championship on Saturday. 

And finally....the waiting is over.
Just one more full day until race day.

It's such an honor to have this number on my bike and be one of the 20% of females who will be racing in the 2015 Ironman World Championship. 

IM Kona '15: Day 8

Well, the "vacationing" is over as it's race week.
Aside from getting our workouts done in the morning, we are spending most of our time indoors (in the AC) and off our feet.
For athletes who love to work out, all this waiting around and eating is exhausting - is it race day yet???
There is a lot going on on race week in Kona and it's really easy to get wrapped-up in all there is to do. Also, if anyone needs motivation to workout - come to Kona during race week. There is no shortage of people swimming in the ocean or in the pool, riding their bikes or running at all hours of the day. We see people swimming in the ocean just after 6am and running on Ali'i drive after 7pm in the dark.
We are just a few more sleeps away from a 140.6 mile adventure on the big island.
Saturday will be a day that most of us have dreamed about for many weeks, months or even a year (or more). It's hard to believe that the big day is almost here!

Karel went for an ocean swim with Purple Patch Fitness at 7am and then went for a bike ride with Paul Buick (bike guru with  Purple Patch) and at 7:30am I went for a ride on the Queen K with my friend Laura. 

The wind was blowing at us and to our side heading north on the Queen K which is not the "typical" wind direction for Kona race day but that's what's so crazy (or should I say "magical") about Kona - the winds change all day long and so does the weather. 

Laura and I wanted to ride 2 hours so we headed out an hour and each took a pull for 5 minutes so that we wouldn't exhaust our legs. We kept the effort really easy and comfortable.

We then turned around and flew home. Sometimes, not even pushing on the pedals and seeing 30+ mph!

We did our main set coming home: 2 x 10 minutes at IM pace w/ 5 min EZ spin in between.

Then it was EZ spin on the way home. 

After our spin, I went back to the condo and met up with Karel (he only rode about an hour after his 20 min ocean swim) and then it was time for breakfast.

Karel and I had some work to do on Training Peaks for our athletes so we spent a few hours working before we decided to get some fresh air. 

It was super windy out but with a little cloud cover, it was not as hot. 

We met Cal (cupcakes with Cal) which was a lot of fun. Not sure if it is just selective with the professionals that we have met but every pro we speak with is so nice and personable!

Karel trying to get some speed from Olympic Gold medalist and 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Jan Frodeno's bike. 

A cruise ship in the distance from the expo. 

What an honor to participate in this historic event. 

Need a Garmin?

After our short visit at the expo, we walked back to our condo (just two blocks) and Karel was itching to get on his bike again (since the morning ride was not his typical ride warm-up but instead an opportunity to learn from Paul Buick) so he went for a 90 minute ride and I went to the grocery store (Wal-Mart) to get more water and a few other things. 

When Karel returned home around 5:15pm, we got ready and back on our bikes to ride just under 4 miles down the road to the Clif Bar house for the Clif Bar party. 

It was great to literally "run" into my athlete Colleen and to see her getting her run workout in after a long day of working at the Wattie booth.

(Yes - I was riding my tri bike in a dress ;) 

A few professionals were at the Clif Bar house - Tio (Tim O'Donnell), Terenzo Bozzone and Linsey Corbin.
We could have talked with Linsey and her hubby Chris for hours - so nice!
I met Linsey in Austria when she dominated the course last summer but this was my first time having a conversation with her. 

What a beautiful sunset!

Thanks Clif Bar!

IM Kona '15: Day 7

The coffee boat is out - that must mean it's officially race week.
Yes - you can actually go swim to a boat that is handing out free coffee. 

Karel and I were so excited about Tuesday on race week - our first workout with Purplepatch Fitness. and coach Matt Dixon. 

Karel has been coached by Matt since last October but since Karel and I do a lot of workouts together, I also consider Matt as a coach to both of us. He has been a great mentor to us, as coaches, as well. I firmly believe that every coach, who is also an athlete, needs a coach.
I have respected Matt ever since I read an article from him in Triathlete Magazine (not sure which one but I am sure it was about training smarter or recovering more) and consider him the best coach out there for triathletes. It is a great honor to learn from him.

Anyways - a few Purple Patch athletes (racing and not racing in Kona) as well as the Everyman Jack Team arrived to the pool before 7:30am for a morning swim at the aquatic center. This was our first time meeting Matt so we were super excited for our workout.

Our swim workout:
10 min warm-up

Pre set;
200, 175, 150, 125, 100, 75, 50, 25 w/ 10 sec rest (increase effort as the set goes on)

MS: 

6 x 125's w/ 20 sec rest (increase effort in sets of 2)
150 EZ
6 x 50's - increase effort in sets of 3 (75-95%) w/ 20 sec rest
150 EZ/cool down 

After the swim workout, we had about 20 minutes before a group run so we changed and then did a few warm-ups (Karel and I) in the parking lot.

One of the celebrity athletes participating in IM Kona this year is Sean Astin (who is being coached by Matt Dixon). Sean was super nice and he seems excited to be here. I'm sure any triathlete would be eager to get a free entry to race IM Kona but not sure how many "normal" folks would jump at the opportunity to cover 140.6 miles on a very difficulty race course. 

Our run workout was just under 40 minutes - we ran from the pool up Makala blvd and then went north on the Queen K. The effort was light and conversational for most of the run but Matt said we could include a few pick-ups for 6 minutes. I choose 4 minutes since it was super hot and didn't want to exhaust myself (even with 20 ounce of Clif Bar hydration with me) with 90 min walk in between. It was nice to wake up the legs a little and to run 6:45ish pace with a nice tail wind pushing me along on the way back (that will NOT be near my race pace on race day :). Matt said it was ok to run a little faster to help the legs wake up but for the rest of the run, we were instructed to not run with a big ego. 

After the workout and a nice recovery meal (oatmeal, fruit and eggs for me), we rested a little and then walked down to the King K hotel for athlete registration (which opened Tues morning at 9am - closes Thurs afternoon at 4pm).

After we picked up our stuff and walked through the Ironman gear tent, it was off to the expo and then to the market to buy some fruit. 

Here are a few pictures from the registration and expo. 

My first IM Kona. 

My 2nd IM Kona. 

My 3rd IM Kona. 

My 4th IM Kona and Karel's first IM Kona!

Awesome gear bags - I think I can fit into mine.

Can't wait to suffer together on Saturday. 

It was SO windy today but it made the water super blue. 

More than Sport has a booth on Ali'i drive near the pier and they are building 120 bikes to provide to local kids on the island (who can't afford bikes) to be handed out on Sunday.
Karel put his expert mechanic skills to good use and in less than 10 minutes, he build a bike. 

It's not that often that Karel builds a bike with training wheels but he had a lot of fun doing it - all for a great cause. 

LOVE my run hydration from Clif Bar!

After an hour or so in the hot sun, we cooled off in our condo for about 2 hours (and had some lunch) and then it was time for the Parade of Nations at 5pm. 

With 18 athletes from Czech Republic, Karel was in good company with a large group who all spoke Czech. 

There were so many people on the side of the road for the parade - it was a really cool experience and I am so glad that we did it - and Karel could represent his home country. 

Representing South Carolina in the USA and Czech. 

And to conclude our day......

A peak inside our gear bags......

Clear gear bags (for safety, we are not allowed to bring in anything else into the transition area on race day), swim cap, 2 bib numbers (One to be worn on run, the other for keepsake), timing chip, plastic bike number, media tag, frame bib number, bike helmet number.

Extra swag. 

A nice towel. 

Race guide. 

3 more days til race day!!!

IM Kona '15: Day 4

When Karel and I qualified for Kona last September (2014) at IMWI, we had a lot of time to plan our trip out to Kona. We decided that it would be great to spend a little bit of time on the island before race week so that we could explore and really enjoy our vacation  - before the race week madness begins. 

With us being on the island 5 full days before race week, we also wanted to take advantage of as much race-day prep as possible. Any opportunity we had to see or be on the course, would be extremely beneficial.

Everyone is different when it comes to getting to know the race course. For many athletes, seeing or training on the course can be comforting and may provide some confidence. But for other athletes, there can be great concern, worry and anxiety about the course, especially when viewing it from the car or by training on the course. 

Karel and I knew that we wanted to take advantage of the Ho'ala 2.4 mile Ironman training swim which was taking place 1 week out from race day.

We didn't need to validate our fitness or readiness for race day but rather just for experience to swim 2.4 miles in the ocean (without a wetsuit). This would be Karel's second time swimming this long in the ocean (first time was a Jacksonville open water swim event) so for him, it was almost necessary for him to use it as a confidence booster to reduce any nerves of hyperventilating or anxiety when swimming with so many other athletes.  

We woke up around 5am (which has been our normal no-alarm wake-up with us typically going to bed around 8:30pm) and had a large pre-workout snack, similar to race day (our swim was not our only workout of the day) and around 6am, we walked to the pier. 

We picked up our packet since we pre-registered, checked in our gear bags and got ready for the swim. 

With over 400 participants, there were a lot more people there than we had anticipated.
With  no pressure for Karel and I, this was a great way to get out some pre-race jitters. 

Unlike the race day swim, the practice swim had us finishing on the other side of the pier. 

The swim went great. Karel and I were both surprised that we managed to swim 31 minutes and 30 minutes (respectively) to the 2nd turn buoy. There was a lot of chop coming home and it was hard to stay on course (with only kayaks being our "buoys" on the way back) which made it a little more tiring to swim back home. But nevertheless, we both felt good endurance-wise and I was really happy that my upper right back didn't bother me as it has been affecting my swim training for the past 1.5 months (if it began to hurt, I was going to take it really really easy). 

Karel and I didn't swim together but it was really fun to share this practice swim together. I am just so proud of Karel to see how he is swimming these days (with his fitness) but also to see how much more comfortable he is in the open water, especially around other swimmers. I know race day will be a different experience for him but this practice swim was exactly what he (and I) needed. 

We all received medals at the finish and had a nice selection of fresh fruit to enjoy post race.
Per the Garmin, the swim was 2.63 miles and I swam it in 1:06.37 (chip time), 8th place AG (30-34) and 26th female and Karel finished in 1:10:26 (which he was so happy about), 19th AG (35-39) and 126th male.
There were a few professional triathletes at the event too - full results HERE. 

Karel had been in touch with a fellow Czech triathlete (also racing in Kona) who was putting together a personalized order of Czech t-shirts for the Parade of Nations and Karel bumped into him post race and they shared a conversation in Czech together. 

Being at a World Championship event is extra special for anyone who is from another country but lives in the US. In just a few days, I think Karel has spoken more Czech in Kona than he has in several months (aside from talking to his parents who live in Czech, via Skype). 

After the swim, Karel and I walked back to our condo, had a quick change and then packed up our bags to make the drive to Mauna Lani resort to start our bike.
Oh - one more thing about the swim - I wore exactly what I would be wearing on race day as I wanted to experience what it would feel like. My goggles got extra tight on my face around 40 minutes so I need to loosen them a little. Also, I chaffed a little around my neck so I need more body glide for race day. All good things to experience pre-race and not on race day!

Just like on race day, it is hard to predict what the winds will be like on race day or how hot it will feel out there on the black pavement, surrounded by lava fields. 

It's funny how even after 3 times racing Kona, it's easy to forget what racing in Kona feels like.
This was my first time training on the course, so far from town and thank goodness I had Karel there with me as he is my safety net when I need him (but then again - most of our "fights" happen on the bike with me freaking out and getting emotional and Karel trying to calm me down). 

I drafted behind Karel until we started our 18-mile climb to Hawi. We both said "the winds are so calm today"......a bit too soon. 

Karel said he has never ridden on a course with the gusty winds that he felt while riding up to Hawi.
Thankfully, wheel choice is critical and I am so happy that Karel put on 44 mm wheels on my bike for Kona. It was still a challenge to feel comfortable with the winds but with my wheels, I at least found it easier to ride in a straight line. Riding in the Hawi winds is something else - but I am glad that we experienced it before the race as it can be scary but after a few gusts you begin to learn how to better hold yourself in the wind.
Karel has 70mm in the front and 90mm in the back but Karel said next time, he will put lower profile wheels in the front. Even for Karel, he said the gusts were a bit too strong on his front wheel for him to be comfortable on the bike. 

Here is a video that I took in a "calm" section of Hawi. I actually ended up getting a flat tire in my rear wheel with about 6 miles left to the turn around in Hawi so I decided that I would take a video while on the side of the road and then wait for Karel to change my tubular tire.

But then I thought about it and told myself "Silly Marni - Karel is not going to change it for you on race day!"

So then I brought myself back to reality that I can't depend on my awesome bike mechanic/hubby for everything so I changed it myself.

Karel has taught me well about changing tubular tires and even without a tire lever, I had a quick change of the rear tubular tire (Karel is a master when it comes to gluing tires so that they are safe to ride but also come off easily) and then pumped it up with my CO2. I then kept climbing until I saw Karel and then turned around.
And for anyone wondering - I ride 700 wheels (not 650).

The ride down from Hawi started off ok as I was flying down over 30 mph and not even pushing on my pedals. But then the cross winds hit and it was a bit more scary and I was not going to take any risks pre-race (nor will I on race day in Hawi) so I just focused on not getting blown away. 

I was so happy to be back on the Queen K again and even more happy to put my feet on the ground after my 2:42/48 mile ride.

Riding down from Hawi. This is a rare moment that I was aero and not holding on to my base bars. 

After the ride, it was nearing 1:30pm and time for a quick 15 minute transition run. 

So how hot is it? Well, when you are running by lava, you know it's hotter than hot.
I always say that my body likes racing in the heat but let's be honest, it is not the most ideal temperature (and humidity) to race in when it comes to making sure all systems are go - digestive tract, muscles and the mind. 

After our last long workout, it was time to refuel, rehydrate and relax.

I had made pancakes the night prior which meant that they would be ready when we returned home from our workout. It's like fast food but in your own kitchen!

Thanks to Aunt Jemima, I had a stack of pancakes to devour (I added oats to make them a Trimarni creation) topped with syrup, butter and a side of fresh fruit.   

Karel and I went to Bike Works so that he could get some tubular glue (he brought several extra tires for me) and we ran a few more errands around town. By 6:30pm, it was time for dinner and a little work on the computer and then another early night as we were passed out  by 8:30pm.

So excited - it's almost IM Kona race week!!! 

IM Kona '15 - Day 3

With our last long taper workout on Saturday (1 week out from race race), Friday was super light. A 75- minute spin and that was it for training...for the day!

We started our morning with a pre-workout snack (waffle w/ PB, syrup, cinnamon and banana slices for me), coffee and water and did a little work while we waited for the sun to rise (typically the sun rises around 6:10am).

Around 7am, we got ourselves ready for our bike ride and headed out soon after 7:30am. 

We rode the in-town section of the IM Kona course, starting from the pier. We then continued on the Queen K to the airport (7 miles from town) and then headed back home.
There was a bit of traffic so we didn't do any intervals or sets but instead, just kept it really easy, light on the pedals for around 75 minutes. 

After the spin, we stopped by the pier and bumped into our friends Laura and Duran and chatted for a bit. 

After our spin, it was time for breakfast. 

Bagel, egg and cheese sandwich for Karel (all homemade - except the bagel). 

Oats, dates, peaches, banana, syrup, walnuts and milk for me.
Enjoyed with a great view of the ocean.

For the next few hours, I had some work (and phone calls) to get done and Karel did some work as well but by 1:30pm, we were ready for our afternoon race-cation exploring. 

With this being my 4th IM Kona, I have experience on the race course...on race day. But with this being my first IM Kona with Karel, this experience has been the best Kona trip for me. Not only is it great to make memories together but I am seeing much more of the island, race and non-race related, with Karel here with me. 

We took a drive, about 31 miles, down the Queen K hwy in the direction of Kawaihae  - all part of the IM Kona race course...doesn't it look fun?
No trees, long stretches of rolling hills, super hot pavement, lots of wind and lava fields..you have to have a special mindset to enjoy racing in Kona. 

We finally ended up at Hapuna Beach and we did a little swimming and looking at fishes (no sea turtles :( and a little relaxing. Karel and I aren't ones for laying around so after about 20 minutes of laying around, we were ready to get out of the sun. 

Look at that blue water!!

Next up on our to-do list for the afternoon, was a visit with professional triathlete, the amazing and super nice, Meredith Kessler. who was staying just a few miles down the road.
My only interaction with Meredith was racing on the same course as her at Challenge Williamsburg back in June, when the heat index was over 120 degress, where she won the professional female division and I won the female amateur division. 

Thanks to Vector 450, I was connected to Meredith for us sit down and talk about gut health and immunity. We did a short interview together (on video) which I will share shortly.

What an awesome hour spent with Meredith and her husband Aaron.
Karel and I could have talked to them for hours! 

Nearing 5pm, it was time to head back to Kailua Kona.

We finished off the evening with a delicious meal, light in the belly, to cap off a full day of eating, relaxing and light activity before our last big workout before race day. 

I had a big bowl of Minestrone soup with jasmine rice, pasta noodles, saltine crackers and a little cheese. 

Stay tuned for my next blog post - it was a big day of training, filled with swimming, biking and running! 

IM Kona '15: Day 2

4:45am - time to start the day! Although we woke up early without an alarm, it was a restful night with 8 hours of good sleep.

The great part about waking up early here in Kona and being on Hawaiin time (6 hours behind EST) is being able to get some work done before the sun comes up.

After a little bit of work on the computer, a phone call to an athlete and a pre-workout snack (and coffee), Karel and I were ready for our morning workout.



We first started with a 45 minute very EZ spin on the run course so that Karel could see the out and back section on Ali'i drive and then we grabbed our run gear in the condo and dropped off our bikes and did a short dynamic warm-up in our parking lot. We walked to Ali'i drive and started our run. 

We warmed up together (well kinda together - me running a bit behind Karel) with 30 minutes of running w/ 30 sec walk each mile. After the warm-up, we turned around and started the main set.

MS:
4 x 5 min (desc 1-4) w/ 15 sec walk in between

Then cool down

After the run workout, it was time to take a few pictures and enjoy our view.

We finished at the pier and Karel snapped a pic with 2014 Ironman World Champion Sebatian Kienle. 

After our run workout, we had a recovery drink in the condo, then breakfast and chillaxed for a little before heading out to the Kona Aquatic Center around 1pm for a short swim. 

My upper back was feeling a little off (it mostly bothers me when I swim) so I shorted the swim to a 2000 and didn't do our entire main set but Karel swam awesome in the water and finished with 3200 yards.
It was so great to swim (for free) at the aquatic center but nothing beats swimming in the ocean (aka Kona fish bowl). 

We have been enjoying our home cooked meals but local bread is a necessity for us - Daylight Mind coffee shop had fresh sourdough bread, just perfect for our carb loving diet. 

After our post workout meal/lunch at our condo, we got ready for a trip 9 miles up the mountain to visit Mountain Thunder for a coffee tour. We tasted fresh local organic coffee and walked away with two bags (we couldn't resist!).

After our 4pm tour, we headed back to the condo and made some dinner around 6pm. 

Karel made this delicious cabbage salad with carrots, tomatoes, onions, dates and avocado dressing  as well as pasta (with chicken for Karel). 

It was a busy day but we are really enjoying our race-cation and trying to make the most of this awesome experience together. 

Oh, and one more thing...

Happy World Vegetarian Day / Vegetarian Awareness Month to all my vegetarian followers and friends!!!!

For over 2/3rds of my life, since the age of 10, I have thrived, survived, fueled, nourished and enjoyed a plant-strong diet.

For 23 years, I have always been proud to call myself a vegetarian and plant strong athlete.

In honor of World Vegetarian Day, I invite you to make some swaps and/or additions in your meal and snack options and incorporate more real, wholesome and nutrient dense options into your diet. Your body will thank you now and in the future.

Race-cations: plan smart

Just one year ago, Karel and I raced Ironman St. Croix 70.3. It was the most amazing experience and the course was ridiculously hard. We loved every mile of the race and we will never forget the entire experience of racing on this island. It's like a mini Kona, Hawaii! 

If you are interested, I dedicated 10 blogs to all things St. Croix, starting with our travel to the race, our race week experience, our race report and post race. 

Trimarni St. Croix 70.3 blog series

As athletes, traveling is part of the racing experience. Eventually, you will be "forced" to travel outside your community or state to race in an event. You may be racing in a national or world qualifier race or the national or world championship. Or you may be racing in a really awesome destination as a bucket-list race.

Traveling for a race should be a fun, exciting and memory-filled time for you, your friends and/or family. But let's be honest, there are so many unknowns and logistics when it comes to traveling and racing in a place outside of your home environment.

Its important that if you are planning a race-cation, you think about all logistics, the race course and the timing of the race. Race season planning is important so if you line-up a race-cation on your race season plan, make sure the course makes you really excited to train for it but also you feel mentally prepared to race on the course. It can be an exciting and scary experience to race in an unknown location on a course that you have never experienced before and every athlete will handle a race-cation differently. Don't let the fear of racing somewhere new keep you from enjoying your training journey. 

Always make sure that when you sign up for a race, you feel confident that you can put in the minimum amount of work necessary to train for the race. The reason why I put extra emphasis on making sure you can train for a race-cation is because there is an added stress to traveling for a race and well, it costs a lot more money than just traveling a few hours down the road for a one or two day trip race. This mental stress can affect you physically throughout your training cycle, on race week and even on race day so it's important that you and your family/friends understand with your commitment to training and the race location that you are selecting is not too intimidating for your current skills/fitness. Remember that a race-cation should be a fun experience and because every athletes wants to finish their race, regardless of the location, do some serious research about your race course (and traveling to the race) prior to signing up just because you heard it was a cool race or all your training buddies are doing it too. You want to also consider the prep for the race which includes being able to acclimate to the heat (if applicable), dial in nutrition, perfect skills for your course and feel mentally and physically prepared. 

Believe me when I say that just because you have a race-cation on your race plan, life will not stop for you. It will likely cost more money than you planned for and not everything on race week/day will go as planned. Try to do your very best to make progress with your training to feel as prepared as possible and when you get to your race, make sure you 100% enjoy the experience of your race-cation.  

Karel and I are able to make a lot of memories together when we race together but there is something extra special about traveling to a race. We had our first race-cation for Karel's first half Ironman which was 2012 Branson 70.3 and we selected this race because it was a challenging course. We didn't know much about Branson, Missouri but it was affordable to get to and a great time of the year.

We feel so lucky that we are able to race in some amazing locations together over the past Branson, Missouri, Lake Placid, NY, Madison, WI, Klagenfurt, Austria and now this season, Knoxville, Tennessee, Williasmburg ,VA and back to Lake Placid (Karel loved it so much he will be racing the IM there again this year). Then in October, Karel and I will be racing Kona Hawaii! This will be my 4th trip to Kona for the Ironman World Championship and 10th Ironman. Although I feel much less stressed traveling to Kona after three previous trips to this island, this will be a new experience with Karel and myself racing.

I have enjoyed writing blog posts from all our race-cations but also sharing some of my tips for traveling to races.

Staying active and healthy during travel

Going international: travel tips

Travel nutrition tips

What's in my cooler?

Smart Meals for traveling triathletes

Travel tips for the Kona bound

What's on your race-cation bucket list?