'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.

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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. 

XTRI ICON Livigno, Italy - Day 2 and 3

 

8/29
We woke up around 6:45am to somewhat clear skies. We could see the snow on the mountains. It was cold out (upper 30's) but no rain. We were hungry for breakfast around 8am and ordered some eggs along with our "continental" food options. We then layered up for our bike ride. We had been following the Haute Route online (they just finished up the 7-day stage in the Alps which we did last year and heading to the 5-stage Dolomites next). They shorted stage 1 from Bormio to the iconic Stelvio pass due to wet and snowy conditions. Karel was planning to ride up and over Stelvio but he modified his route (but still went to the top of the Stelvio). I rode with Karel to around Tornante (~1 hour, which was mostly climbing). We were in good company as there were some UAE cyclists just ahead of us and a lot of other cyclists. Even with the cold conditions, there were so many people out riding, hiking and walking. I felt really good climbing and was reminded of all the climbing we did in the Haute Routes. I feel that event prepared me really well for what to expect for XTRI ICON (123 miles, 14,000+ feet of climbing). I got a bit cold after stopping with Karel to look at the map before he left to continue on his ride and my hands were really cold. The good thing about this ride was getting an idea of what to wear after the cold swim that starts at 5am on race day (September 1st). 

I had lunch by myself around 1:40pm (it was delicious) and had Karel's lunch sent to the room for his return. 

I got some work done throughout the afternoon. Karel didn't return from his bike ride almost 5pm. His 74 mile route to the top of the Stelvio and back to Livigno had 11,500 feet of elevation gain. It took him almost 7 hours to complete. It took him almost 2 hours to climb 42 switchbacks (5350 feet) over 12 miles. The crazy part is that it took him 30 minutes to descend! I will be climbing Stelvio from the other side (48 switchbacks) near the end of the ICON XTRI and then descending down the 42 switchbacks to Bormio. 

Because of the snow on top of Stelvio, the roads were wet so as he was descending, the water was spraying on him, leaving him wet and cold. And the Foscagno Pass took him 90 minutes to climb 12.8 miles. Karel returned to our hotel exhausted and cold. He ate his cold lunch and then we went to the hotel spa (it's free for guests) to warm up. We sat in the warm pool with jets (not a hot tub). We also sat in the salt room, hay room and sauna. It was really relaxing. 

Nearing 7pm, it was time for dinner in the hotel. We were both really tired but struggled to get a restful night of sleep. My mind was thinking about tomorrow morning - my first opportunity to experience the dark cold water of Livigno. 

8/30

We woke up to my alarm at 4:45am. The ICON XTRI event offers a familiarization swim at 5:30am (race start is 5am) to experience the water conditions. I didn't know the water temp so I told myself to expect 50 degrees (which is super cold and I have never swam in anything less than 58 degrees) and anything warmer would be a bonus. This race is all about mental tricks and keeping my brain and body calm. We put on our wetsuits in our hotel room as the air temp was 33 degrees. Since I will be putting on dry clothes after the swim on race day, I wore a ROKA swimsuit and my ROKA sleeveless swimskin under my wetsuit (to barriers to keep my core warm). As we were leaving the hotel around 5:10am, we realized that the reception office was closed. Our car key was behind the front desk. Instead of driving, we went with plan B - bike. It was kinda weird, kinda fun to bike in our wetsuits and winter clothing but it was a nice way to get the blood flowing. 

We arrived to the swim start at Lake Livigno (across from the Aquagranda) just before 5:30am and there were probably around 30 athletes at the swim (out of the 150 registrants). I put on a thermal cap, booties and gloves (I've only worn booties before) and clear ROKA goggles and made my way to the water. Karel got in first (he only had booties and a thermal cap) and he said the water was cold. I got in very slowly to get my breathing under control before I started swimming. Although it was cold on my face, all my thermal gear worked great. While I was still getting water in my wetsuit, in my feet and in my hands, I wasn't cold. As I started swimming, the water felt less cold and more comfortable. It was still chilly but not extreme. It was strange swimming with so much gear on my extremities. I stopped several times as it was so dark and I was focusing on the boat with a light on it but I also didn't want to run into other athletes. The dark water didn't bother me, if anything I kinda liked it. 

I swam ~750 yards (to the boat and back). It was really good to have this experience to test out my gear and to check off this big uncertainty going into this race. I asked another athlete of the water temp and he told me 12.5 celcius. After we changed in the tent and rode back to our hotel (our fingers were freezing even with gloves) around 6:30am, I converted the temperature from celcius to Fahrenheit and it was 53 degrees!! The coldest water that I've ever swam in. I texted one of my friends (who is an experienced OWS) and she told me that I am now part of the <100 swim club - when you swim in conditions where the water + air temperature adds up to <100. Who knew there was such a thing! 

It took a while for us to warm up in our hotel room. Around 8:30am we went to get some breakfast in the hotel. After we ate, I was so exhausted. The swim really wore me out! I struggled for the next two hours and after getting some work done, I found the energy to get outside for a 38 minute run on some of the run course (paved sections) around 10:30am. Suprisingly, I still don't feel the altitude and when I exercise, I feel really good. It's when I am sitting/laying down that I get super tired. 

Karel left for a run while I was working on the computer. He decided to check out some of my run course (since he will be running all of it with me as my support crew). He ran up to T2 and then back to our hotel. It was an 18 mile, 2:33 run w/ 1800 feet elevation. He took some pictures from his run and it looks beautiful. Here are some pics from the run course that we each took. 

The lake (swim venue) during the day. 

We ate lunch at the hotel around 1pm and shortly, after we went to check in for the race. The race headquarters is a quick 350 meter walk from our hotel. 

The requirements for this race are pretty strict. You are required to show your triathlon license (USAT).  Thermal booties and swim cap are required for the swim. A change of clothes must be in the support car for the bike (if needed). The athlete and the support person must check in a bag that must be worn from T3 until the finish (last 12K) that includes a hat, gloves, long sleeve shirt, waterproof jacket w/ hood, running pants and a headlap. Because of the difficulty of this event (the bike alone will take me over 9 hours), most athletes won't be starting the 26 mile run (4000 feet elevation gain) until late afternoon. Because the last few miles of the run take us up to 9000 feet (3000 mile climb), weather can be unpredictable. 

After I picked up all my stuff, we went back to the room and I started to organize all of my gear. Unlike Canadaman which was rainy and warm, this race will be cold to start but because of all the elevation gain and loss throughout the day, the weather is up and down all day which requires a lot of different clothing options. I use the Epic Weather app to help me plan my gear. 

I'm hoping for a good night of sleep tonight as I know I won't sleep well on Thursday with the race starting at 5am on Friday. 

ICON XTRI Livigno Italy - Travel + day 1

 

With a 6:30pm flight out of Atlanta, we were able to get in a workout on Saturday morning (8/26). Karel went for an hour run (7.97 miles) and I did a 90-minute workout on the trainer (MS 6 x 90 sec high cadence w/ 2 min EZ spin. Then 4 x 4 min steady effort w/ 2 min EZ spin). I watched the live broadcast of the 70.3 World Championship while on the trainer. I did a quick 2.4 mile/19 min run off the bike. I felt really good for this brick workout. 

We ate, finished up last minute packing, said good-bye to Karel's mom and all our furries and left for the Atlanta International airport around 11:15am. 

It's always hard to leave Campy, especially since his dementia is getting worse. He threw up bile twice on Monday and wasn't eating (and was really lethargic) which wasn't like him. He really enjoys his walks throughout the day but something was off. He's also been coughing for over 2 weeks. We had him on a med for it but it wasn't getting any better. I made a vet appointment for Thursday (when our vet was back in the office) and she worked me in for blood work, Xray of the lungs and an overall check up. I didn't want anything to suddenly happen to him while we were away so the vet visit felt like a priority. Thankfully, his blood work and organs looked great. Although his brain is struggling, his body is still showing up for life. She gave him a steroid shot to help the coughing (it was our 2nd resort, first we tried an antibiotic pill) and that seemed to help. We go through a lot of diapers each day but it's worth it for this not-so-golden anymore, golden nugget. 

Karel's back has been bothering him since Breck Epic so I drove the 3 hours to the airport.
Whenever we fly international, I like to get to the airport around 4 hours before our flight take off. This gives us plenty of time for delays and there is less waiting/lines. We also like to check in first before parking the car as this is easier for us than lugging our bags and bikes around the airport (and on the shuttle). We drove directly to hourly parking and brought in our bikes and bags to the terminal for check in at Virgin Atlantic. 

I really enjoy watching travel vloggers on YouTube (I really like Kara and Nate) and I've learned a lot about travel hacking with credit card points. In other words, saving a lot of money on travel with the help of being savvy with credit card sign-up bonus's and understanding the perks of each credit card. I told Karel to give me three years to see if I can pull off some travel hacking and it only took me less than a year to book our first first class international flight with money and points. I do a lot of research and plan well in advance. I booked our tickets in the early sprint/late winter for our September flight.
I transferred points from AMEX to Virgin Atlantic and booked 2 upper class seats for ~$800 each and ~65,000 credit card points. Compared to an economy ticket on Delta (which is what we usually fly), I saved us over $800 (total). With our upper class ticket we got lounge access to Delta Sky Club (which we have already thanks to our biz Amex Platinum Credit Card), 2 free checked bags up to 70 lbs each, priority boarding, priority luggage and the best part, lie-flat seats. This 8.5 hour flight took us from Atlanta to London Heathrow. Originally I booked our next flight on British Airways from London to Milan w/ 15,000 points but after hearing a lot of stories about lost luggage (and bikes) with BA from London, I decided to go with a more reliable airline (Swiss). I spent a little more than I would have liked but it gave me peace of mind knowing that there was a better chance of our luggage (and bikes arriving). I booked two business class seats (so that we could get the priority luggage and extra weight w/ 2 free bags) on Swiss from London to Zurich for ~$250 each. I booked a flight 6 hours after arriving in London so we would have time to go to the Virgin Atlantic arrivals lounge after getting our luggage and going through immigration and also in case of any delays. In total, I spent ~$2200 on flights to get us to Zurich from Atlanta. The flight would have been ~$500 less had I not changed to Swiss but I was really worried about our bikes not arriving. I can't wait to share about our flight home from Milan to JFK (it was less than $200 thanks to points...and on Emirates business class!). 

After checking in around 2:30pm, we drove 6 miles to off-site parking. 

I booking off-site parking online a few days prior to our trip (Park 'N Fly Plus, free airport shuttle to domestic). I was able to save $63 by booking in advance. We got on a shuttle right after parking and got dropped off at the domestic terminal (no shuttle directly to international). We went quickly through TSA (thanks to pre-check, well worth the $85 for 5 years and our Amex card covers the cost) and then took the plane train to terminal F. We had to wait over 20 minutes to get into the Delta Sky Club (it's somewhat small for a lounge compared to domestic and very busy) and we were really hungry. Once we got in, we got some delicious food and worked on the computer for the next 2 hours until our plane boarded at 5:45pm. 

I was so excited to board the plane. We went to our seats and Karel was surprised by all our amenties and our seats. He never really knows what I plan for our trips - he is just wants to show up and not have to worry about travel planning. I love travel planning so it works out. 

The flight was a bit bumpy but overall it was incredible. Many people said once you fly first class you'll never want to fly economy again. Although the staff, lie flat bed w/ a comfy blanket and pillow, wide screen TV, delicious vegetarian options, complimentary PJs and extra perks were great, I don't feel like we always have to fly first class. I consider this a luxury (and something to check off our bucket list) and I will only "buy" first class seats if I can use points. Otherwise, it's not worth the $5000+. I actually saved money with points and paid less than had I purchased economy seats so I consider this a big win. 

Karel wasn't able to sleep as his restless legs were bothering him throughout the night. I slept on and off for a few hours. The PJs were SO comfortable. 

When we arrived in London, we went through immigration, collected our luggage and "left" the airport. We had access to the Virgin Atlantic arrivals lounge (we could store our luggage/bikes there) so we had breakfast in the lounge. Our flight arrived almost an hour early and since I slept through breakfast, I was pretty hungry. 

The Heathrow airport was huge! We used a cart to carry our bikes and suitcases from one terminal to the next. It took us almost an hour to get to the desk to check in for our Swiss flight. After checking in and dropping off our bikes at oversized bags (which we do at every airport when checking in), we went through security and had a choice of a few lounges to go to. It took us about 20 minutes to walk from the A to B terminal and we went to the Singapore Airlines lounge. Neither of us were hungry but Karel got a coffee and some juice. We both took a long nap as we had over 2 hours until our flight was boarding (it was delayed by 40 minutes). I set an alarm on my phone so we wouldn't oversleep on the couches. I had a light lunch and then we walked the 20+ minutes back to terminal A for our Swiss flight. 

The short 75 minute flight to Zurich was smooth. We were served a meal (Karel had tuna and I had a vegetarian meal that I requested online in advance) and then tried to nap a bit. We were both super exhausted. The nice thing about our business class seats on Swiss was no person in the middle seat. I think it's a bit wasteful (they may as well just make bigger seats) but Karel was happy about it (he isn't peopl-y :)

Once we arrived in Zurich, we went through immigration, collected our bags and bikes (we have an Airtag on all of our pieces of luggage and although not 100% reliable, it does give peace of mind to kinda have an idea where everything is). We walked to the rental car area, checked in at Alamo to get our automatic SUV (we usually get a manual for Karel to drive but got an automatic in case I need to drive). We left the airport around 6:30pm, made a few wrong turns leaving the airport and finally hit the road for our 3 hour drive to Livigno. The drive took a long time due to the mountain passes, construction lights and a 3.5K one-way tunnel. We also had to pay a toll of $17 to enter Italy from Switzerland. We arrived exhausted around 9:30pm. 

We checked into our hotel (Hotel Sporting) and the staff was so nice. They took care of parking our car, took our luggage (and bikes) to our room and left us with a spread of food as we arrived after dinner (Italians express their love and kidness through food). We weren't too hungry as we ate a lot of great food over the past 24 hours but we found some room for a little of everything. Around 10:30pm we went to bed and slept until 9am (11 hours). 

8/28 - Monday 

We woke up to rain on our first offical day in Livigno. We went to breakfast downstairs and were quickly reminded how much we love the hotel food options in Europe (we had our first experience during the Haute Route Alps and then in Molveno for Xterra worldss). I opted to stay in a hotel for 7-days during our trip as we could get all three meals included (Full board) for a small extra charge. At ~$200/night, I consider this is a great deal as we can eat, sleep and rest well.

The hotel also has a spa that we can use anytime between 2-8pm. We were slow moving in the morning and really tired but we managed to find some energy to get outside for an easy ~34 minute, 4 mile run. We warmed up pretty quickly despite it being in the 40's and a little rainy. The views were spectacular. I didn't feel impacted by the altitude at 6000 feet which was a great feeling compared to how I struggled at 9600 feet in Breckenridge a few weeks ago. 

After the run it was time for lunch (12-2pm) but we weren't hungry. We waited until 1:40pm and then decided to get a light lunch in the restaurant. I couldn't finish my first course (they offer 4 courses but we only had 2 + dessert for lunch) and the waitress was concerned I didn't like the food. :) I politely told her that I was full and getting on the new time zone. The presentation of the meals was amazing and everything was so tasty in the perfect portion. 

Karel getting his afternoon espresso. 

We both took a short nap and I had to force myself to wake up so that I could sleep in the evening. Karel built the bikes and around 5pm we drove a few miles down the road to the Aquagranda facility by the lake. This aquatic center/gym was massive! We paid $15 each to swim (a lot of money for one swim but well worth it. The only package we could buy was 10 passes each but we knew we wouldn't use them all so it wasn't worth it) and made our way to the 50-meter pool. I'm always taken back by the locker room situation in Italian pools as there is often one big changing area (private rooms with doors) for men and women. But it isn't unusual to have men and women taking showers, changing and drying hair in the same space. It's just normal in many places of Europe. 

We swam ~3000 meters with a mixture of sets. Again, I felt really good (similar to the run)  and the altitude didn't bother me. I was really amazed with how good my body felt while exercising - it must be from all the great food. I didn't want to swim because I was so tired and it was cold and rainy out but I was so thankful we went. We had to pay 1 euro for parking (per hour, first hour is free). I didn't have my phone in the pool area so I didn't get a picture. The water was 78 degrees F but it felt a bit warmer. It was the perfect temperature. The pool wasn't crowded (we had our own lane) but there were people in each lane. Everyone in the entire pool area (hot tubs, water park, pools) are required to wear swimming caps. I saw a lot of Ironman and triathlon swim caps. 

We drove back to the hotel and we had a good appetite for dinner. The chef prepared me vegetarian meals that were not on the main menu and they were delicious!! The veggie burger was the best I've ever had. After dinner we were ready for bed. Dinner is served 7-9pm and although it moves quickly from course to course, it's still kinda late for us. But our bodies are still adjusting to the 6 hour time difference. We went to bed around 10pm. 

I've been taking pictures of all the delicious food that we've been eating. I'll save those pics for their own special blog after we finish our trip. 

Why we fell in love with Bend, Oregon

We just returned from a week-trip to Bend, Oregon. We followed that up with a few days in Salem to support our athletes at Oregon 70.3.

Oregon is known for an outdoorsy lifestyle and we witness this first-hand during our recent trip to Bend. As it relates to living an active lifestyle, one thing was evident – the way in which communities and streets are designed.

How many times do you commute, run an errand or go somewhere that is less than 5 miles away? How many times do you drive a few miles in order to start a workout? How often do you ride a bike, other than for exercise?

There’s a good chance that you will say that it’s not safe to ride a bike where you live or to where you need to go. In many states, the prevalence of physical activity is higher in places where there is little to no access to safe or convenient places to be active – like community parks, sidewalks or trails.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease and Control), common barriers to physical activity include lack of time, limited social support, lack of motivation, fear of injury, high cost and lack of nearby facilities. While an individual makes the ultimate decision to or not to engage in an active lifestyle, community-level barriers can make this decision even more difficult.

I can’t get over the network of neighborhood greenways for walking and biking across Bend. Everywhere we went, there was a well-maintained (and wide) bike path. The bike paths connected so that you could essentially go anywhere by bike or foot. Cars stop at every crosswalk for walkers, runners and bikers. There are even off-road paths to play on throughout neighborhoods and alongside the paved trails. Kids are riding bikes, families are on bikes and people of all ages are on bikes. It was clear that Bend encourages and promotes healthy active living. There are also countless roundabouts, which promotes lower driving speeds and traffic calming, which made for better traffic flow and safe path crossing for pedestrians.

During our time in Bend, it was so easy to live our active lifestyle. The area was safe, the people were nice, there were dogs everywhere (usually off leash and well behaved) and people loved to be outside. We biked everywhere.

While it was easy to “fit in” during our train/race-cation, it got me thinking about the phrase “work hard, play hard.”

This saying refers to having a good work-life balance and prioritizing career growth and personal enjoyment. People who embrace this lifestyle want to develop healthy habits and make time for the activities they enjoy while feeling fulfilled with their career/work. Unfortunately, far too many people work way too hard at a career but never make (or find) the time for play. Did you know that, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center, that only 48% of US workers say they use all their allotted vacation days each year?

It's not uncommon to work too much and not enjoy life. Even if you love your job, you may find that there’s too much work to do and not enough time. Relationships suffer. You don’t sleep well. You aren’t present for loved ones. You miss out on opportunities. You are constantly stressed, anxious and overwhelmed. Your mind is frequently consumed with work-related thoughts. The American work culture rewards working long hours and constructing one’s identity closely around a career. But, at what cost?

I was speaking with our Airbnb neighbor in Bend and he was telling me about a trip that he and his family were about to go on. It involved camping, biking and hiking. He was also telling me about his job as an intensive care nurse. The owner of our Airbnb was hiking with her husband in the Dolomites (Italy).

If you are interested in adopting a work hard, play hard lifestyle, you may benefit from how other successful professionals maintain a healthy work-life balance.

1) Assess how you spend your money. Did you know the many people spend more than $300 a month on eating/ordering out? That’s over $3000 a year that could be spent on other activities. A budget can help you feel more in control of your finances and make it easier to save money for important things in your life – like travel and hobbies.

2) Assess how you spend your free time. Estimate how much time you spend on meaningless activities and how much time you spend on hobbies, activities and interests that bring you joy. This can help you make smarter decisions on how you spend your free time.

3) Make a list of your interests. Use your free time intentionally to create meaningful experiences outside of work. You may consider investing in a cleaning or lawn service to help free up your “free” time for more important activities and hobbies.

4) Schedule your work time and play time. Scheduling your playtime is important. Include meetings, projects and commuting in your work calendar but also block off time for play time outside of work.

5) Learn to say no. It’s hard not to feel bad about disappointing others or turning down team members but saying no to additional tasks (especially if you are at your max mental or physical capacity) can lead to burnout, anxiety and stress. Know your priorities. Saying no is not an excuse. Provide a sound reason for reaching your bandwidth and being unable to take on anymore tasks. And yes, not interfering with your free-time is a good reason to say no.

I want to encourage you to make the most of your one and only life. My dad passed away at the age of 67 years due to cancer. He enjoyed every day of his life. He had a lot of hobbies outside of his job as an optometrist. He was also very healthy and active. Life is short. Be sure to enjoy it.

To read more about our trip:
High Cascades 100 mile MTB Race Recap
Travel to Bend

Hello from Bend, Oregon

 

Oregon has been a bucket list state that I've wanted to visit for a very long time. When we were planning our 2023, our focus was selecting different or new events. We only planned one on-road triathlon (IM 70.3 Blue Ridge for me) and the rest were all off-road events. We love triathlon and our swim, bike, run lifestyle but to keep our spark lite for structured training, it's been fun having a different focus for this year. 

Around 2020, we watched a YouTube race recap of the High Cascade 100 MTB event. This was before I started mountain biking. We fell in love with the scenery and the enormous task of riding 100 miles on a mountain bike.  Karel wanted to the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder 5-day stage race in June and our athletes decided on Oregon 70.3 in late July as a team race. The High Cascade event never left my mind. When I realized that the High Cascades 100 MTB event was a week before Oregon 70.3, we decided this was the year that we should do the event. Just adding to the list of "first time" events for 2023.

My recovery after XTRI Canadaman was slow to start but a week after the race, I was beginning to feel much more normal. I didn't try to rush the recovery but just listened to my body. 

The hardest thing after the race was Campy's health. After returning home from Canada, I noticed that Campy was not acting like himself. He's been showing signs of Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (or doggy dementia) since November. He gets stuck in corners or stares at the wall. He barks at nothing and he gets very confused and disoriented. He drinks a lot of water. He wears diapers all day (and night). However, through this all, he is still eating well (just picky and wants to be hand fed), enjoys our company and enjoys his walks outside. 

But Thurs, Friday and Saturday were not great days for Campy. It was really hard to see him so out of it. I was really struggling as I thought it was nearing the end for my furry best friend. But on Sunday, he turned a corner and was acting better. He still struggles with his dementia (and he can't hear or see well) but it wasn't as severe as it was for the past few days. On Monday and Tuesday, he was much more spunky. I was ready to cancel our trip but Campy made it clear that he was doing much better. This chapter of our life is really, really hard. I'm trying to enjoy every moment with him and leaving him is so incredibly hard. We are so thankful for Karel's mom, who is staying at our house (we flew her in from Czech) until September, for taking such great care of Campy and our four cats. I've been very stressed over Campy's health for the past few weeks as I know we will have to make some hard decisions sometime over the next year. 

A little update from our trip......

We flew Greenville - Atlanta - Portland on Wednesday. We rented a car and drove 3.5 hours to Bend. The scenery was incredible - from the lush forest to desert-like land to seeing snow-capped mountains. We made a stop at Trader Joe's to get a few groceries before arriving to our place. 

After arriving to our Airbnb in Bend (near the Athletic Club of Bend) and after unpacking, we went for a jog around town. Alongside being tired from waking up at 2:15am and traveling to the West coast, the air was dry and it was warm out. But it was still nice to move some blood, get outside and see new sights.

On Thursday, we spent some time getting caught up on work. It was nice to have a 2.5 hour layover in Atlant to work on the computer and then to have free wifi on the flight to Portland (Delta).
Around 8am, we went to the Juniper Pool for a swim workout. The pool was beautiful (25 meters). It cost $8 person to use the facility. It was so nice to swim outside. The water was the perfect temperature. After our swim, we said hi to Erig Lagestrom (Paula had just left for the locker room) after our swim and he gave us some suggestions for where to ride. We picked up some delicious breakfast options from Nancy P's after our swim. Karel built our mountain bikes and we drove 3.5 miles to park across from the Welcome Center to recon some of the course. 

We rode a little more than 4 hours and covered 40 miles and almost 4,000 feet elevation. Much of our ride was over 5500 feet. The terrain is more flowly than what we are used to and very sandy/dusty. We drank a lot. The scenery was incredible. Even though we rode until almost 5pm, it didn't feel like a long ride. We had so much fun on the trails. The course was well-marked and I also had the course file downloaded into my Garmin. 

After the ride we drove back to our Airbnb and Karel rinsed off our dusty bikes and I picked up pizza from Pacific Pizza Brew. 

This morning we went for a swim at Juniper, we worked all day on the computer and this afternoon we rode our bikes a few miles to pick up our stuff for the event at Sagebrush cycles. We weren't too tired/sore from the ride on Thursday. It's going to be a very long and hard day (likely over 10 hours for me) and while I'm nervous to do something for the first time, I'm looking forward to the event and seeing more of this beautiful area. 

South Africa Race-Cation Day 5

We took our time in the morning and worked on the computer. The internet seems to work the fastest in the morning so we try to take advantage of it. We joined our friend Gordon and another guy Brian for a late morning swim in the ocean around 10:30am (high tide). I felt much more at ease in the ocean (no jellyfish sightings) although Gordon and Brian saw a seal sunbathing on his back in the water. It was a nice swim in our wetsuits and I felt a bit better in the water compared to the day prior. During our walk on the way back from the swim, we stopped at Uncle Barry’s for soft serve ice cream. It was the best soft serve we have ever had. 

In all of our travels to Europe and now South Africa, it’s always surprising to taste sweets that aren’t overly sweet compared to the US. For some reason, in the US, everything is overly sweet. We enjoyed our soft serve on the walk back to the Airbnb. We then enjoyed some real food before heading back to the Elgin Valley Country Club to pre-ride the rock garden again. 

Instead of riding the entire course we went on the green to red line to make our way to the black rock garden. Karel wanted to do the 1.2 mile rock garden in one clean run (without stopping) so we each did our own thing. I was able to get through most of it but struggled in one switchback where my wheel got stuck in the sand and I fell into a bush. I wanted to make sure I knew the right line so I went back up the trail and rode it again, taking a different line over the rock instead. The rock was at a weird angle so it doesn’t look like the obvious line but this time I didn’t fall. I had a few gentle falls in the sandy switchbacks as it still feels so unnatural for me. I’m looking forward to working on it back at home as I know I am losing a lot of time in those type of trail sections. We also scooped out some of the run course until we got to a deep puddle of water and decided to turn around.

After our ride, we did a quick change and got our packets at the race venue (which was open from 4-7pm). I met Liezel and Conrad as I had been communicating with Liezel via IG Messenger and What’s App and gave Conrad a nice supply of Clif Bars (as requested before we left). He used to be sponsored by Clif bar and hasn’t been able to enjoy the bars since they don’t have access to them in South Africa. 

During the drive back home, we were reminded once again of the difference in lifestyles here in South Africa. 

Our Airbnb hosts wanted to make us dinner tonight. We were looking forward to getting to know them better and sampling some local recipes. After we got cleaned up at the Airbnb, we walked to the grocery store for a few items and then walked upstairs to our Airbnb for dinner. While the sun was setting, we talked with Hester and Thys and around 7:30pm, Thys started the grill (braai) to prepare the assortment of meats. I hardboiled some eggs for my protein (and to share). We had dinner around 8pm and it was incredible. We had fresh homemade bread, grits with sauce, two different salads and Karel enjoyed the meat selection. Around 9pm we left and went to bed around 10pm. It was a special evening to enjoy a homemade meal with our Airbnb hosts. Even though my vegetarian diet limits my protein choices, I really enjoy trying new foods, cuisines and dishes when we travel. It's one of the best ways to get to know a country. 

South Africa Race-Cation Day 4

After a small snack while working on the computer (the internet is a bit slow compared to what we are used to so it’s tested our patience a few times) we went for a ~40 min run. We first made our way through Gordon’s Bay along the water. We were stopped by a local black lady who asked about our Naked hydration belt. She had never seen anything like it and wished she could have something like it to carry her water when she walks. This was a quick reminder of what we often take advantage of – like Amazon Prime and access to almost anything in America. If it wasn’t for the race and her being a different size, I would have given her my hydration belt and flasks. We then ran a few miles toward Strand along the road (mostly off-road). My legs felt a bit tired but I was enjoying the scenery and warm air. Every person on the side of the road was friendly and gave us a wave, smile or cheer. There were a few people casually riding bikes (white people) on the side of the road. It’s unfortunate that so many black people don’t have access to transportation other than by foot. It makes sense why the bicycle is such an important item as it can get people to/from where they need to be so that they can work/buy food.

We had a meal after our run and then we headed on the Clarence Drive Scenic drive. For the 11-mile route, we were stunned by the mix of beauty with the ocean on our right and the mountains on our left. The best of mother nature. There was a bit of construction on the road which was actually nice so that Karel could enjoy the scenery while being stopped. Our final destination was at the end of the scenic drive at Betty’s Bay and as we were getting closer, just outside of Pringle’s Bay, we were slowed down by a troop of several dozen baboons. Having research about them in advance, I knew better that to entice them but with this being our first time seeing them, we slowed down and took a few pics and videos. One decided to stop in front of our car and clean himself. The locals were not phased but for us tourists, it was fun to watch the babies playing. 

Around 11am we arrived to the African Penguin Colony at Betty’s Bay. I decided on this one of Boulder’s Beach in Cape Town as it was closer to us and a bit more low key. We didn’t have to pay to see the penguins as there was a sandy walkway to see them in their natural habitat. There was a boardwalk that cost money to walk on but we were just fine seeing the penguins on the beach. We were even greeted by two penguins before we parked our car. There were signs everywhere notifying us to look under our cars before leaving to check for penguins. We also noticed a lot of different birds and collected several cool shells.

After enjoying the penguins for about an hour, I found a local restaurant online called Satir – an African restaurant that has a lot of vegetarian/vegan options. It was just up the street from the penguins (although the address online took us across the street into a field but we finally found the right location). The food was incredible. I got a lentil, kale, sweet potato dish and Karel got the “bunny” chow – which is a chicken curry stuffed inside a loaf of bread. We could not stop yumming. It was so good. We also had a variety of toppings for our meal. The meal was incredibly affordable (the USD goes a long way in South Africa) and we gave the lady serving us a big tip as she was very nice. On our drive back to our Airbnb, we made a few stops on the road at the look out points.

When we arrived back home we got a bit of work done before heading to Generations High School Aquatic Center for the masters swim practice from 6:30-7:30pm. 

The instructor invited us to come for free which was very nice. There were around 12 people swimming and the instructor used her microphone to tell us what to do. It was fun doing a different style of training. We both felt horrible in the water (like we forgot how to swim) but it was still nice to swim in a new pool (25-meters). 

The workout was:
400 warm-up (75 free, 25 stroke)
4 x 100 IM order (25 pull, 25 kick, 25 drill, 25 swim)
8 x 100 at 85% freestyle
8 x 50 non free at 85%
2x 200 pull
250 cool down

One our way home, our GPS took us through one of poorest places in the area (Casablanca is the area) and it was tough to see the kids, people and surroundings in that area. No running water, port-o-potties for bathrooms, satellite dishes for those with electricity and “homes” with rocks on top of sheet metal for roofs and walls made of all types of materials. Kids playing in fields filled with trash – often with no shoes. There were a few groups of kids dancing or playing soccer in fields.

We made it home with ~15 minutes before load shedding at 8-10pm so I had time to dry my hair and prepare dinner. We ate outside in the patio (which is where we spent most of our time) as the sun was setting. The weather felt great as we were cool from the sea breeze. Our host messages me on WhatsApp each day to let me know when load shedding is throughout the day. Typically it happens twice a day (in two hour intervals). She knows within 24 hours advance of when it’s going to happen.

The swim was a nice way to end the day and we slept really well after a good dinner.

South Africa Race-Cation - Day 2

We woke up to the new sights and smells of South Africa. Our Airbnb was in the perfect location in Gordon’s Bay – just a few blocks (~10 min walk) to the beach and three blocks from the grocery store (SPAR). We could see the ocean from the owners balcony (which we could use). The owners of the Airbnb live on the top floor and we had the entire bottom floor (three bedrooms and three bathrooms + kitchen, family room, outside patio and a place to park our rental car (I used Hertz – Rav4 SUV) inside their gated house.

The owners of the house (Hester and Thys) were extremely welcoming and provided us with lots of recommendations and advice before our arrival. After catching up on a few emails, we walked a few blocks to the Spar grocery store. picked up a few items at Woolsworth as well (kinda like a Fresh Market for those in the states). It was a bit easier to shop for food compared to Europe as everything was in English so we had fun collecting familiar and different foods to add to our grocery cart. I was really impressed with the vegetarian options in both stores (specifically the Woolsworth). I did a lot of research before arriving and I thought the meals were going to be really meat-heavy but there were a lot of plant based options to choose from. This was also our first wow moment of how affordable/cheap the food was here. The US dollar goes a very long way. I think we spent less than $40 on groceries. We walked back to our Airbnb (while snacking) and got our first glimpse of the poverty in the area. There were a lot of homeless people and trash mixed in with the nice, expensive houses. I never felt scared or threatened, everyone was very nice and waved to us with a smile. It was just a culture shock to see the different types of people all in one area. 

After eating a delicious breakfast, Karel built the bikes while I unpacked. Load shedding was during this time (12-2pm) which worked out well to be without power. We can still use our hotspot during loadshedding but the internet was very slow. Nearing 2pm, we drove ~45 minutes to Stellenbosch and passed through several winery’s. The scenery was incredible – a mix of mountains and vineyards. While Karel was doing the driving, I was taking it all in. Karel’s brain was still having a hard time figuring out how to drive on the left side of the road (while sitting on the right side of the car, trying to use the mirror facing to his left and the blinker on his right). We made a good team as Karel did the driving and I would remind him which lane to stay in and where to turn.

Once we arrived to the Banhoek Conservancy, we weren’t sure exactly where to park but we finally found the gate. We paid the 50 Rand (~$2.50 USD) for us each get a pass/wrist bands to ride on the trails. Most of the trails in the area are built by Conrad Stoltz and Leizel (his wife) suggested that we visit this area for our shakeout ride. We were in awe of the beauty of the jagged rocks and wide open fields. We went for a shake out ride with no plans for how long we were going to ride (or where). While we were still functioning ok without major jet lag, the warm temps and fatigue from travel was had us feeling blah. 

We ventured on to one trail which had us climbing right away. It was really hot (low 90s) and dry and we were having a hard time catching our breathe. Especially after travel, neither of us felt very good. We accidentally ended up on a double orange diamond route (which is the “professional/expert” route – the hardest) so I found myself scooting me and my bike back down the trail.

Thankfully, we found another loop with berms and it was so much fun. It was the perfect way to shake out the legs and to get reacquainted with our mountain bikes. We did the loop ~5 times, with each time getting more familiar and confident with my body position. We decided to try another route which had some gentle climbing for a while and then when we decided to turn around, we fully enjoyed the flow of the trail to take us back to the field where we started. This was our first taste of the trails and they were much more dry than what we are used to, which made it a little challenging to feel a grip on the tires as it’s loose and sandy. After the ride I went for a short run (~1.5 miles) to get my system going. Karel did a short jog in the morning so he stayed by the bikes at the car. We made our way back to the Airbnb (with our navigation taking us through the Stellenbosch University, which was very pretty).

We saw several packed cars of African American people packed into the trunks as well as many people standing on the side of the road waving money to get a ride.

We made it home around 7pm which gave us enough time to prepare dinner before load shedding at 8-10pm. The downstairs unit stayed pretty cool so we didn’t notice not having AC. We did have a fan in our room which we turned on for when the power would switch back on at 10pm (or whenever loadshedding was overwith). It would then turn off again around 2-4am for another loadshedding). I went to bed a little later (~10:30pm) but I was surprised I wasn’t more tired from the jetlag. We had a great night of sleep.

South Africa Race-Cation - Travel Day

Karel knows how much I love international travel (and warm weather) so late this summer, when he mentioned to me that we should participate in Xterra South Africa on January 22nd, 2023 I was excited for the opportunity to visit a new continent.

After a few months of researching, planning and travel hacking, I was able to put together an affordable two weeks to experience the sights, culture, trails, animals, food and people of South Africa. I realize travel is a privilege and we had/have to work really hard to travel but it's something that makes my life feel whole. My favorite type of travel is when I can combine culture and nature - alongside riding my bike in new places. 

If you have a trip to South Africa on your bucket list - or anywhere in this world - I strongly encourage you to start planning. With a bit of saving and a lot of planning, you too can have a life-changing trip.

For those who are curious, here is the breakdown of our trip (I'm pretty proud of myself for planning a 2-week race-cation to South Africa, including a 4-day safari for less than $5000!)

Paid in advance: 
Flights - $1160 per person (main cabin on Delta, booked late October) = $2320 
Airbnb - $594 (7 nights)
Rental car - $445 (Rav4 SUV from Hertz for 8 days)
Flights for Safari - $305 (Safair airline, priority boarding)
4-day Kruger Safari Package - $481 per person (Safari with us) = $962
Garden Court Sandton City - $76 (breakfast for two included)
Xterra race entry - $36 per person = $72
TOTAL = $4774

What was free: 
-No money spent at airports (and we were 11 of them) with lounge accesst thanks to our Amex Platinum Business Cards (which includes Priority Pass membership). 
-Free luggage storage at Best Western while we were away at our Safari. 
-Free night at Best Western thanks to Credit Card points from Capital One Visa. 
-Free shuttle to airport from Best Western. 

Extra money spent during trip (1 USD = 17.6 South African Rand): 
-Uber
-Meals/Groceries
-Tips and donations 
-Souvenirs and gifts
-Enterance fees (ex. hiking, mountain biking)

We left our house/pet sitter and our furry crew around 11:30am on Sunday. It was strange leaving on a Sunday (and later in the day) so it almost felt like a normal weekend day for us. We did a workout in the morning (Karel rode the trainer and I ran) and finished our packing/house cleaning before we were driven to the airport by my mom’s partner Alan. I hired a pet sitter from Rover.com and she stayed at our house for the entire 2 weeks that we were away. 

We arrived early to the airport to give ourself time to check in with our bike bags and to enjoy the airport lounge, thanks to our new Amex platinum business card (with all of our travels this year, I’m seeing if this CC is worth the yearly payment. So far, with our lounge access, it’s well worth it!). There was no line for checking in with Delta for our 2 suitcases and bike bags (with our mountain bikes inside – including Apple air tags on each bike and in our suitcases for tracking) and we were quick through security with TSA pre-check. We got some work done in the lounge and enjoyed a light meal before boarding our plane around 2 for our 2:50pm flight to Atlanta.

It was a quick flight to Atlanta and I watched some of a movie that I downloaded onto my iPad. When we arrived, we needed to go from the B terminal to F so we took the plane train to the international terminal. We waited in line for the Delta Sky Club lounge for around 10 minutes. This was our first time in this lounge and the food was amazing. It was so nice to enjoy “free” food, especially a salad w/ tofu. Although we only had an hour before heading to our gate, we thouroughly enjoyed our time in the lounge (and Karel loved the coffee options with good tasting coffee). 

Around 4:50, the boarding process started for our 6pm flight to Johannesburg. This was home for the next 15 hours - our longest flight ever. Karel was not excited. I sat in the middle seat, next to a nice guy who was visiting his mom for the first time in 6 years. Karel had the aisle. I thought I was booking the front row of Main (behind Comfort +) but turns out there was no bulkhead so my idea to have extra leg room failed through. I should have just booked to aisle seats for us next to one another. Oh well. We had two meals on the plane and snacked on our trail mix that we brought. We each watched two movies and slept on and off. I enjoyed one vegetarian meal that I requested prior to the flight (for some reason they didn't have my request in so they had to search for an extra meal. They do have a vegetarian option with the complimentary meal service but I always request a 'special meal' (which is free) as the options are a lot better - and you get served first. We got up for the restroom and to stretch a lot. Overall, for this being our longest flight so far, it wasn’t too bad. It actually went by rather fast and I think going through the night helped as we were naturally tired and the flight was long enough that we could take a few longer naps.

Fruit, bread, bulgur salad and rice with vegetarian meat, beet sauce and vegetables. 

We arrived to the Johannesburg airport around 2:30pm and had a two hour layover. Because we were on the same plane to Cape Town, we departed the plane for cleaning and stayed in a holding wing. We were provided water and snacks while waiting. We then re-boarded our plane and made the 2 hour flight to Cape Town. I tried not to nap but I caved and fell asleep for a short time. We finally touched down to South Africa on Monday evening around 8pm. It was a long two days of travel but we were so excited to finally touch down on this new continent.

There was no line for passport control so that went by quickly (unlike the time it takes to enter the US) and then we picked up our bags/bikes. We then went to the rental car kiosk to get our SUV from Hertz. We were both very nervous about the driving situation with a right side of the car driver and driving on the left side of the road so for our dark 45 min drive to Gordon’s Bay, I had to remind Karel “left, left!” a lot throughout the drive. We survived. We made a quick stop at the gas station as we were really hungry. This was our first opportunity to try new foods. Karel got some type of meat "pastry" and I got a yogurt drink and a bag of ginger crackers. We were notified by our Airbnb host that load-shedding (shut down of power) was at 10pm so when we arrived just after 10pm, it was pitch dark out. Thankfully the host had a few portable lights for us to use. She showed us around the Airbnb and we were welcomed with a lot of wind – which made for a refreshing night of sleep with our door open (no AC). Surprisingly, we both slept pretty good after falling asleep just after 11pm local time (7 hours ahead of EST). We had a good night of sleep and I woke up around 9am excited for our first official day in South Africa.

Hello from Czech Republic!

 

We’ve traveled to Europe every other year since 2012 to visit Karel’s family (and in 2014, 2016, and 2018 we raced Ironman Austria and in 2018 we also raced Challenge Prague). Packing for this Europe trip was a bit different compared to years past. With all the recent issues and complaints with international travel, packing was not as easy as throwing everything into a suitcase.

With two bikes (we brought our mountain bikes for Xterra European Championship and we are renting road bikes for Haute route – more on this later) and two suitcases to get us through two races and 4 weeks in Europe, we needed to account for the chance of lost/delayed luggage. We both brought a carry-one with all our race stuff – mountain bike and road shoes, helmet, 3 cycling kits, Xterra race kit, 2 pairs of regular clothes and other race stuff. We packed our sport nutrition in our checked bag, with the rest of our everyday clothing and a few more cycling kits. For this trip, we ordered 4 Apple Air tags ($99 on Amazon) as well as tag key rings and bike adapters (for under the frame bottle cage) so that we could track our bags and bikes throughout our travels. The app is free and you get real time info on where your stuff is as well as when it’s handled/moved. This would give us peace of mind that we would know where our luggage was at all times. 

Karel packed our Biknd bike cases to be 50 lbs so that our bikes could travel free on Delta. Packing our mountain bikes was really easy for him in these cases – much easier than tri bikes. The Biknd cases are soft cases but reinforced with airbags inside for extra protection. The only downside is that there are only wheels on one end so you have to lift one end and pull the case to wheel it.

We did most of our packing on the weekend (and by we I mean I packed on Saturday, Karel tends to wait until the last minute to pack so I was proud that he actually started packing on the weekend – but finished on Tuesday) and then did a good cleaning of the house on Tuesday. We have a few different pet sitters for the cats while we are away and my mom will have Campy.

On Wednesday morning, I went for a 40 minute run. I didn’t have time for any longer so I did 8 x 30 sec hill repeaters to add some quality and intensity to the run. Karel planned to do a workout but he didn’t sleep well so he tried to get a little extra sleep in the morning.

After packing up our Jeep (leaving one extra seat for Karel’s mom to return home with us for 3 months), we said a long good-bye to the furries. It’s so hard to leave them. We dropped Campy off with my mom who lives a mile away and then we made the 2 hour drive to Charlotte, NC for the first of two flights to Prague Czech Republic.

We drove to our friends house – Kelly and Meg Fillnow – and arrived around 11am. I gave us a buffer of around 30 minutes in case we had any delays before heading to the airport at 11:30am. Kelly drove us to the airport (in our Jeep) and she will be keeping our car at her place for the month. So thankful for them to save us some money by not having to keep the car at long term parking. We arrived to the airport just before noon and there was no line to check in for our 3:50pm flight. I wanted to give us at least 3 hours before boarding due to all the delays and issues at the airport lately. We checked in two bags each (bike + suitcase = both were free) and by 12:20pm we were all checked in. Karel and I signed up for TSA pre-check ($85 for 5 years) but only I was approved within a few days – Karel’s application is still awaiting approval – it can take up to 60 days) so I got to go through the TSA pre-check (which was a breeze) and Karel went through the regular security check. 

Since we had over 3 hours until we boarded our flight, we got smoothies (and Karel had a pita sandwich, I brought a PBJ bagel sandwich) and worked on Training Peaks until it was time for us to board.

I selected Comfort Plus seats (front row) for our flights – a luxury that I will always pay for when traveling. We both napped for our 80-minute flight to JFK.

When we arrived in JFK around 5:30pm we walked from gate 40 to 26 for our next flight which boarded at 8:30 (9:30 take off). We would be getting dinner on the plane but we were hungry so we purchased food from a vending machine – and it was really good! I got hardboiled eggs from Vital Farms with my bowl and Karel got chicken. After we ate, we learned that our gate changed to 38 so we walked back to where we landed in JFK and worked some more on the computer until we started to board. 

As we were waiting to board, we started to track our bags with our apple air tag. It was fun to see our bags/bikes being moved in Charlotte. But when we were in JFK we noticed that our bikes were still sitting near gate 26 (our original gate) and our suitcases were near 38. This had us a little concerned but they still had time to move the bikes over 12 gates.

Tracking our bags in Charlotte - everything was on our plane.

We got settled in our seats and continued to track our bikes….which were not moving. Around 9pm, we were getting a bit stressed so I approached the flight attendant and showed her our bikes on the app and asked if there was anything that she could do. Without hesitation, she contacted a gate attendant from her phone and continued to send her messages for the next 20 minutes. Finally, around 10 minutes before the door closed to the plane, we received notification that our bikes were on the plane (along with our suitcases). If it wasn’t for the Apple Air Tags, we would not have known that our bikes were still sitting at another gate. And we had proof that our bikes were there for the flight attendant to notify someone to help us out. When we finally took off, we felt relieved and could relax on our 8-hour flight to Prague.

We fell asleep pretty quickly but woke up for our dinner around 11pm. I requested a lacto-ovo vegetarian meal online (special meal) and it was delicious. Karel got the chicken dish and he said it was pretty good. After we ate, I started to watch Marry Me but was too tired to pay attention and slept on and off for the rest of the flight. With 90 min to go, we woke up for “breakfast” – they gave me a plain bagel as my vegetarian meal so I asked for the egg sandwich that everyone else was getting for some protein. I watched a bit more of Marry Me (I love a good RomCom) until we landed in Prague.

It was smooth going through customs (Karel has dual citizenship but since he’s with me he uses his US passport) and then our bikes were waiting for us in the luggage area (and our bags came shortly after we got our bikes).

Our good friend and athlete Roman (who lives outside of Prague) had his assistant pick us up and he was waiting for us when we walked out of the terminal. We are very lucky that Karel has so many wonderful people in Czech who help us out when we travel. It saves us money as well as stress. I feel asleep in the car in route to Roman’s house (Roman is traveling but we will see him next week at the Xterra race) but woke up in time for a popsicle and mineral water at the gas station. Karel enjoyed a non-alcoholic beer with his popsicle. After arriving to Roman’s house, we checked out his new endless pool (which took over a year to arrive and install), Karel checked out Roman’s new Mercedes and then Karel had an espresso before it was time for us to pack up our “rental” car from Roman and make the 2.5 hour drive to Znojmo – Karel’s hometown to see his mom. Karel’s mom is so excited to see us and feed us. On Sunday, as Karel was skyping with his mom, she asked us what we wanted to eat when arrive. 😊

Our new car. 

Just kidding! This is our car for the next few weeks ;) It's a stick so Karel will be doing all the driving. 

It's been 4 years since Karel has been home (Czech Republic) and three years since seeing his mom. Sadly, his dad passed away unexpectedly from Covid in Feb of 2021 and Karel was unable to travel home due to border closures. This trip will not be normal for us as we are used to spending time with his mom and his dad (who lived in the same town but in separate flats). Although Karel is excited to be back home, I know it’s going to bring a host of different emotions for him. We are really looking forward to our time in Europe and I’m excited to share our experiences with you. 

Hello from St. George!

 

St. George, Utah is one of our favorite race venues. Our first time to St. George was in May of 2017 for the 70.3 event. We couldn't wait to return in 2018 to race for a 2nd time. Karel loves St. George so much that he returned again for the 70.3 in 2019. And then in September of 2021, we once again traveled to St. George to participate in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. 

The St. George scenery gets us every time. The red rocks are incredible and the race course takes us through several different towns, allowing us to see so much of the area. With such a challenging course (hills, heat and wind), the spectacular views make it easy to temporarily forget about the suffering. 

For the first time ever, the Ironman World Championship is taking place outside of Hawaii. On May 7th, Karel and I will be participating in the 2021 Ironman World Championship (because no World Championship took place last year, this race is being called the 2021 World Championship). This will be my 6th Ironman World Championship and 18th Ironman event. This will be Karel's 5th Ironman World Championship and 15th Ironman event. We love tough and challenging events and we will be tested on Saturday. 

Our travel started off super early on Monday morning. We woke up around 3:30am, quickly got ourselves ready, said good-bye to our five furry kids (who will be well taken care of while we are away) and drove to the Greenville airport. Due to our small airport, we rarely need more than 90-minutes to go from parking to the plane. Well, this time was different. The airport was packed at 4:15am! With a 5:30am departure to Atlanta, we were cutting it close and then at security, Karel was told that his birthdate didn't match his ticket because the lady at the counter entered it wrong. So he had to sprint back to the counter to get it changed. By the time he got through security and then we got to the gate, the door was shut and we - along with a handful of others - were not on our plane. 

In all my years of traveling, I've never missed a flight before. It was our fault for not allowing more time. I was so upset. This trip was not starting off on a good note. We were put on the next flight (7am) and on a different flight from Atlanta to Vegas so thankfully we got to our final destination on the same day (just a few hours later than planned). 

Things turned from bad to good when we picked up our rental car. This was my first time using Turo and it was awesome. We went from the luggage area to short term parking and there was our car with instructions as to how to get the keys inside of it. Not only was this process super easy but this rental car was almost $500 less than had I rented from a rental car company at the airport. We loaded up our Ford Edge and made our way to get some food....Chipotle! 

We started our ~1:45 hour drive to Vegas - which turned into almost 3 hours due to ~4 miles of construction work. We finally arrived to our condo (the same area that we stayed in September) around 5pm after a very long day of traveling. It was so nice to finally arrive in St. George. Despite a long and semi stressful travel day, we took one look around and we were quickly reminded why we love it here. 

As Karel put together the bikes, I went to Albertsons to get groceries (~3 miles away). By the time I got back, Karel was finished with the bikes. I was mentally exhausted so I made myself dinner (well more like breakfast - a yogurt parfait with fruit, granola and bread with peanut butter) and Karel went for a short run to shake off the fatigue from the flight. 

Around 8pm mountain time, we were tired and ready to sleep. Thankfully, a good night of sleep was all we needed as we woke up on Tuesday morning around 6am feeling excited to get on our bikes to check out a new part of this Ironman race course. 

More to come tomorrow.....

Xterra World Championship Course Recon

 

The weather has been interesting this week. Our first morning in Maui gave us light rain. As the rain continued to fall, the trails got muddy and slippery. Even though Karel changed out his tires prior to the trip (in anticipation for muddy conditions), it only took one ride for Karel to feel that he needed even better tires suited for even muddier conditions. The trails were so slippery and his tires were covered in mud it was as if he was ice skating on his bike. Thankfully he only had one fall and didn't injure himself. 

I decided to stick to the road for my shake out run and just walked a few sections of the end of the course (trail). It was slippery and I didn't have my trail shoes on so I was extra careful. 

On Wednesday, Karel purchased new tires from the expo and installed them himself in our condo. Even though the course was dry on Wednesday, there is a big rain storm coming this weekend (starting tomorrow) so he is happy with his new setup - even though the conditions will make the course extra challenging and his tires will still get super muddy.

On Wednesday morning we went for an ocean swim and around mid day, while Karel and our friend Ross (from Greenville, SC) were biking the course, I went out for a trail run. I ran on Karel's triathlon run course (~6 miles of the 6.5 mile course) which is also part of my 21K run course. The course was clearly marked with red run signs. 

Within the first 1/2 mile, my heart was beating rapidly and my legs were burning. For the next few miles, I felt like I was constantly climbing and climbing and climbing. Even when there was a downhill, he never lasted long enough to recover. To not fully exhaust/damage my legs and to minimize the risk for a fall/injury/niggle, I walked (aka hiked) more than I ran - especially on the more technical sections. Even though the course was "dry" my shoes were still covered in mud and I could feel them getting heavier and heavier as the mud was accumulating under my shoes (I stopped a few times to wipe the mud off with sticks). 

As I marveled in the beauty of this course - a bit Jurassic park like - I could not help but think how challenging, exhausting and difficult this 21K trail run will be. The course map shows just under 2000 feet of elevation that we will experience over all types of terrain. And from what I experienced during my recon run, the hills are super steep and relentless. Even though there was beauty all around me while running, I couldn't help but feel the scream in my legs and my heart beating out of my chest. And while it's warm here, it's not overly hot - just hot enough to remind me that I am on an island. 

While I'm excited and grateful for this trail run experience, I am also very nervous as it's going to be an incredible test of mental strength, resiliency, endurance, strength, stamina and focus. 

Karel is excited for his adventure and wants the most epic race experience possible. With the predicted weather forecast and difficulty of the course, I think he's in for a very memorable Xterra World Championship event. 

Here are some pics from the past few days, exercising in Maui. 

Hello from Maui, Hawaii!

After seven trips to the big island of Kona for the Ironman World Championship (5x racing, 2x spectating Karel), I now have the incredible opportunity to travel to Maui. This experience is actually another unexpected opportunity that came out of the pandemic.

In the winter of 2021, Karel was really getting into gravel biking. With so many new off-road adventures around our area, he also found himself riding his mountain bike a lot more frequently than in years past. After hearing about Xterra Oak Mountain from Eric Lagerstrom on his TTL (That Triathlon Life) YouTube channel, Karel decided to participate in his first off-road triathlon - where he placed 1st AG (45-49) and 5th overall amateur.  He had so much fun and he was itching for more off-road adventures.

Next came the USA Championship in Snowbasin, Utah in late September (a week after we participated in the IM 70.3 World Championship event in St. George) and now, here we are in Maui for Karel to participate in the Xterra World Championship. Although the participant list is smaller than in years past due to COVID (and the event is being held several weeks later than normal), Karel is really 'stoked' to have this first-time opportunity to participate in the 25th anniversary of this legendary race. Although a trip to Maui is serving as an amazing opportunity for us to escape the colder temps in late November/early December, I'll also be participating in the Xterra World Championship, but in the 21K Trail Run. I race on Saturday and Karel races on Sunday. This will be a true race-cation for us both! 

Travel Day.....
Because Xterra didn't get the green light for holding the event in Maui, Hawaii until a few weeks ago, I waited to book our flights until we knew 100% that the race would happen. Earlier this summer, I had booked our Airbnb and reserved a rental car knowing that I could cancel both of those without being charged. Our flight options were not the best as the flights were either expensive, the seat options were slim or the route options were not ideal. However, after comparing lots of different options, I was able to book a reasonably priced United flight from Charlotte to Denver and then Denver to Maui. We decided to leave for the airport super early on Monday morning to avoid any type of Thanksgiving traffic. 

We left for the airport at 4:15am and arrived to the Charlotte airport around 5:45am. I reserved our parking online which is something that I have never done before. As I was looking up a map for the airport to get familiar with the parking layout, I came across a link for pre-paid parking. For an incredible deal, I was able to reserve 9 days of parking at the hourly parking garage right across from the terminal - no long-term parking shuttle needed! Even though it would cost ~$40 more than long-term parking, that extra cost was worth it as it meant we didn't have to worry about waiting for the shuttle and having to lug our suitcases and Karel's bike case around. Since we were traveling the day after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I wanted to minimize any extra possible stressors (or delays) that we could encounter. 

Since we arrived a little over 2 hours before our scheduled flight to Denver, there was no line for checking in our luggage with United. Karel packed his bike case to be 50 lbs so there was no charge for the bike and no charge for our luggage (2 bags each) since we were flying premium cabin (2 free bags each). I've become rather creative with booking our travel so I always weigh all the costs, pros and cons and possible issues to try to ensure a smooth traveling experience for our race-cations. So far, all went smoothly. 

The line for security was somewhat long but we weren't rushed so there were no issues there. We finally boarded our plane around 8am and we were off to Denver. For our ~4 hour flight to Denver, I watched a few shows on my iPad with the free United entertainment app and took a few short naps. Karel purchased Wifi so he could work on Training Peaks. 

When we arrived in Denver, we had a little less than 90 minutes before our next flight. At this point we were a bit hungry so we purchased a delicious early lunch at Garbanzo Fresh Mediterranean. OMG it was so good, Karel and I could not stop yumming. 

We finally boarded our long flight to Maui (~7 hr flight) and waited another 30+ minutes before leaving the runway. We were lucky to get front row seats in the Premium section (just behind First Class) which meant lots of leg room and space to move around. Karel gets extra cranky during long flights (especially when they are really peopley so he was much more relaxed with our two seats at the front of our section. We even had leg rests and two hot meals! 

I watched a few movies and took a few short naps. Although the flight was long, it was nice knowing that it was our final flight before arriving to Maui. The plane was packed and it had a very different vibe compared to our Kona travel for the Ironman World Championship. There's something about sharing a plane with so many triathletes as you can feel all the excited, nervous energy. But nonetheless, we were excited for our first trip to Maui. 

After we landed, we entered the airport (which was covered, not like the outdoor airport in Kona) and couldn't wait to smell the salty flowery air. But first was a 40+ minute wait to show proof of our Hawaii Safe Travel QR code to show proof that we were vaccinated so that we didn't have to do a 10-day quarantine. The line was very long and slow so this was the biggest delay of our trip. But we finally made it through the line and on our way to get our luggage. Next came the short shuttle to pick up our rental car from Budget and finally, a little after 5pm we were finally on the road in Maui to make the ~1 hour drive to our Airbnb. 

The sights and smells were familiar yet different. It's hard to not compare Maui to Kona and to feel like so much is so different. But the more I think about it, the allure of Kona is more about the history of the Ironman World Championship and the beauty, mystery and variety of the elements on the Ironman World Championship course. Maui is not Kona but there is still a lot to be in awe about on this island. 

As we were driving to our Airbnb, we made a quick stop at a beach parking lot to snap a few pics as the sun was setting. We then made a quick stop at the Safeway grocery store (groceries are very expensive here as usual and there is only one Walmart on the island which is by the airport) before arriving at our Airbnb. Because it was very dark when we arrived (~6:30pm) we could only hear the waves crashing in the distance. We were really tired but mustered up a bit of energy for a light meal (Karel made himself a deli meat sandwich and I had yogurt, fruit and granola) before we hitting the bed around 8:30pm. 

It was a long day of travel but it felt so good to finally lay down and get some good sleep. 

As usual, we were up around 3am tossing and turning and eventually Karel got up around 5am and I got up around 5:45am. We started our morning with a cup of coffee (of course, Karel brings his travel espresso machine on every trip whereas I enjoy Nescafe Gold Instant coffee) before spending the next two hours catching up on emails and a bit of work. 

Even though we woke up to rain, we instantly felt that good island energy. 

2021 Xterra USA Championship Race Recap (Karel)

 

A few weeks ago we heard from Xterra that the triathlon would be turned into a duathlon (2.5-mile trail run/19-mile MTB/5.5-mile trail run). Although Karel was a little bummed that he was not participating in the swim-bike-run format, one needs a flexible mindset when approaching an off-road race. With this being his second ever off-road triathlon (and first triathlon at altitude), he was looking forward to the unknown challenge and welcomed whatever the day would bring. No race is ever the same with Xterra and that makes each race exciting.

After pre-riding the bike and run course on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he knew it was going to be an incredibly tough day of racing. Excited for the adventure ahead and the opportunity to be competitive, Karel didn't have any nerves going into the race as he views Xterra racing as "playtime" on his bike and loves the chill vibe on race day. 

We arrived to the race venue at Snow Basin around 7:30am and it was a cold start to the morning in the low 50's. The race started at 9am with the professional wave and then a few minutes later, Karel's wave went off to start the first run. Immediately with an uphill start to the race, he was breathing hard right from the start. The climb continued for a mile and Karel averaged 9:03 min/mile. The next 1.6 miles were mostly downhill and he averaged ~6:11 min/mile. But with the altitude (race started at ~6400 feet) Karel never had a chance to lower his heart rate, even on the downhill. Over the entire 2.66 miles, he covered ~600 feet elevation, which included running on gravel and over rocks. 

Once he got into the transition, he was near the front of his age group. His transition was a bit slow so that is an area he will continue to work on. He put on his hydration pack and shoes and then he was off to ride. 

The 18.1 mile mountain bike ride was primarily off-road with just a very short section on the paved road. Over the 18 miles, the course was broken into two main sections. The first went up to Sardine Peak and then a loop by Wheeler Creek. The bike course had ~2900 feet of elevation gain and it took him 1:39 to complete (average speed 10.9mph). The nearly 4 mile climb to start the bike took almost 28 minutes. But once he got at the top, it became very rocky and technical with a lot of switch backs. The course continued on and with a little more climbing and descending, Karel had to stay mentally engaged to navigate on this technical course. He had one minor fall where his wheel slipped but nothing serious. There were several crashes which is normal at these Xterra races. It was really inspiring to see all different levels of athletes out on the course. I walked 1.5 miles out on the course to see Karel on the bike course and then walked back to the venue and headed up the hill to see him on the run.

After the bike, it was back up the hill again to start the 5.5 mile run. Karel was able to run for most of the first climb but eventually started walking (for ~75 seconds) as he was not gaining much ground running (and expending too much energy with the altitude and fatigue). The second run was longer but just a bit more elevation (~700 feet). After the first 1 mile climb, he had a bit of a downhill - although it was not really downhill and very rocky. Karel even had a slight fall on one of the rocky sections (he was thankful he had on his cycling gloves). Around 1.75 miles in, it was time for an even longer climbing section of 1.87 miles. This section took him just under 17 minutes (8:56 min/mile). Finally the descend for 1.65 miles (6:49 min/mile). It started to get really warm out so Karel was thankful he had his flask of Skratch with him for the run (in his kit pocket) and that he had his camelback with NBS Carbo-hydration for the bike. He got thirsty on the first run but there were only aid stations on the 2nd run. I was able to tell Karel his results as I was tracking him throughout the race and although he wasn't going to take first, he was in a strong fight for top 10 overall amateur (and 2nd in his age group). It took him 43:50 (8:11 min/mile) to complete the run and he had a nice sprint to finish the day (this time isn't exact as Karel didn't start his watch until he was up the climb so it didn't capture all of the 5.5 miles).

The total distance isn't correct. 

RESULTS HERE.

Between the altitude, course, terrain and competition, Karel was pretty beat up after the race (and even on Sunday while spectating me during my 21-k trial run). He was mentally and physically exhausted from the event, especially after just racing the 70.3 in St. George a week prior. But he had so much fun and just loves the atmosphere at these races. Plus, we met several new friends! 

Here's a video I put together of his race. Enjoy! 

The adventure continues - hello from Ogden, Utah!

I was in rough shape the day after the IM 70.3 World Championship. I was empty and oh-so-sore. It felt like I had just done an Ironman! Karel was sore but not as exhausted as I was. 

After a somewhat ok night of sleep, we took our time in the morning and did a little work on the computer. By late morning, we made our way to Snow Canyon for a scenic hike. Karel brought his mountain bike to spin his legs while Ashley, Zach and I walked around for ~2 hours. We met up with our athlete Gin and her mom so it was a fun time exploring the trails. Although there wasn't much for Karel to mountain bike on (only one trail which wasn't too technical), he said it was the perfect way to loosen out after the race. In the evening, Alvi, Karel and I went to our community pool to splash around. Karel swam ~1500 yards, I did a few laps (no swim cap, truly a splash) and then spent a little time relaxing my sore muscles in the hot tub. 

On Monday, I was still sore and exhausted but I knew I needed to start moving my body to help expedite the recovery. Since Karel had dropped off his tri bike with Tri Bike Transport after the race, he only had his mountain bike left at the house. Karel went out for a ~90-minute mountain bike ride on the trails behind where we were staying and I went out on my tri bike for an almost 2 hour sightseeing journey on two wheels. I mostly stayed on the bike course and headed from Washington to the Red Hills Parkway but took a few detours to check out the big houses higher up off the course. I finished the ride feeling so much better than when I started and decided to shake out the legs with an easy ~22 min jog around our Airbnb complex. My quads were still super sore and tender but with each step I found myself loosening out a bit. On Tuesday, our check-out of the Airbnb day, we went for a morning swim at the pool (3300 yards) which felt good to be non weight bearing and move through the water. I actually started to feel a little better during the swim than when I started - always a good sign that recovery is going well. 

After we checked out of our rental place and exchanged our rental truck for an SUV, we made our way 4.5 hours north to Ogden, Utah. The next adventure of our Utah trip!

Soon after Karel participated in his first Xterra off-road triathlon event back in May (and before breaking his hand), he registered for the Xterra USA Championship in Ogden/Snow Basin, Utah. With the event happening a week after the IM 70.3 World Championship, it was the perfect excuse to extend our stay in Utah by another week. Of course, logistically, this required me to be super creative with our travel arrangements - two one-way flights, two rental cars, two Airbnbs and a lot of other research to ensure a smooth and stress-free race-cation. Luckily, so far, it's all working out. 

And here we are in Huntsville, Utah near Ogden and Snow Basin. Altitude just around 5,000 feet. We are staying by Pineview Reservoir in a cute ski-resort type villa community. We didn't find out until a few weeks ago that the Xterra swim portion of the triathlon was cancelled due to bacteria in the lake but I decided to keep our rental as the location is still central to Snow Basin Ski Resort - where the duathlon will take place (2.5-mile trail run/19-mile MTB/5.5-mile trail run). 

After unloading our car and catching up on a few emails, we each went for a short jog to stretch out the legs. We ended up jogging around the nearby campsite which had a beautiful view of the Reservoir. We then made a late-evening drive to the local grocery store for a few more grocery items. After dinner, we were ready to get a good night of sleep and sleep in. 

Well so much for sleeping in. I guess we were both excited to start the day just before 7am. And it was Karel's 45th birthday!! After working on the computer for a few hours, we drove up to Snow Basin (~8 mile drive, ~6300 feet altitude) to check out the trails. It was a cool morning in the upper 50's but it warmed up nicely throughout the day. There was no cost to access the trails at Snow Basin and the Xterra crew had already started marking the course with blue arrows for the bike course. Karel biked almost the entire course (just short by a mile) and it took him ~2 hours to cover the 19 miles. The course either goes up or down and there are many technical sections with rocks and tight switch backs.

While Karel was riding the course, I ran the first part of his bike course which is also the big loop (and 2nd part) of the 21K Xterra Trail Race that I will be participating in on Sunday. My legs are still sore and I can really feel them when I walk upstairs but oddly, when I run I feel ok - certainly I am not able to run hard or fast but I can quickly put one foot in front of the other and call it running ;) I really enjoy trail running as I feel it suits my style of running and I just love being in nature. Like the bike course, I went up and up to almost 7300 feet (starting at 6300) and then made my way back down the other side (although the highest peak is 9300 feet so there may be more to climb there!). A hiker told me there were moose ahead off the trail but sadly I didn't see any. Karel was also on the lookout as he heard the same thing. I walked a few sections that were super steep so that I wouldn't overstress my calves. I had a lot of fun and just took my time when there was a scenic view to enjoy. I ran for 80 minutes and covered 8-miles of the course. I waited for Karel to finish and then he went for a short run just to check out the mile that he didn't see on the bike. This course is going to be crazy difficult but also absolutely stunning. We are both excited for our adventures this weekend!

Today (Thursday) we started out our morning somewhat early by driving to Ogden High School for a morning swim. The high school pool was so nice and for only $3, it was the perfect way to start our day. Karel swam 3000 yards and I swam 4000 yards. We aren't feeling any effects at altitude and overall, I'd say we are feeling relatively healthy after Worlds. We then made a necessary stop at Kneaders bakery for a fresh baguette and a delish cinnamon-roll type bread. 

The scenery is just beautiful around this area and I couldn't wait to get on my bike in the afternoon. I ventured out alone and rode around the reservoir (~15 miles) which was incredibly scenic with the fall colors on the leaves of the trees and the rocks on the mountains. And so much farm life - something I was really missing in St. George. There was even a nice paved path to ride on on the far side of the lake. I then challenged myself by riding 7 miles up to Snow Basin. While the climb wasn't technical or overly difficult, it was more of the descend that kinda scared me as it was a fast, steep, straight descend for over 4 miles. And I was also worried about the wind. But I did it and I am proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone. Karel left to drive to Snow Basin for his mountain bike ride on the trail around the same time as me and ironically, we both arrived home at the very same time! I rode 30 miles in just under 2 hours (~15 mph) and covered ~2300 feet of elevation gain. 

We are really looking forward to the weekend! Here are some pics of the past few days in Ogden, Utah.....

Karel heading out to check out the Xterra bike course.

At the top! 

My view from the trail. That parking lot waaaay in the distance is where we started.

Technical section at the top. 

More rocks at the top.

Beautiful valley on the run course.

Karel finishing his short run after the bike.

Happy 45th Karel (Wednesday). Thank you Claire for the Birthday cupcakes. Never too much chocolate for Karel. 

Ogden High School swimming pool. Great aquatic complex!

Kneaders Bakery. YUM!

Views in Ogden (we are staying in Huntsville, about 20-min away). 

Exploring around the reservoir in Huntsville.

Biking up to Snow Basin. Up and Up for 7-miles. 

Thanks for following along! 
If you'd like to track Karel at the Xterra race on Saturday:

 💥  Photos and videos on the Xterra Facebook page.
 💥 Link to live results: HERE. 
 💥 Final Results from all races will be loaded HERE.

Xterra Oak Mountain Off-Road Triathlon Race Recap (Karel)

 

On Friday morning, Karel drove from our hotel to the race venue at Oak Mountain state park (~5 miles away) for his pre-race workout while I stayed at our hotel (Homewood Suites) to do a run (and to not be gone too long from Campy). Around 9am, Karel did a ~1000 yard open water swim followed by a ~1 hour mountain bike followed by a 2 mile run. He said the trails were pretty quiet and he really enjoyed being out in nature. He did just enough movement to move some blood and test out the new gear. Karel was having so much fun on his mountain bike that if it wasn't for the race, I'm pretty sure he would have spent all morning out on the trails. As for my run, I ran around our hotel area (which was very beautiful) on the hilly roads for ~50 minutes and included 5 x 20 sec strides at the end. 

As for the rest of the day, we worked for a bit in our hotel room and then went back to Oak Mountain State Park around 3pm so that Karel could get his race packet and for me to register for the 20K trail run on Sunday. The overall race vibe was pretty laid back and was a refreshing change from the 2000+ participants at an Ironman branded triathlon event. We met new people and saw a few familiar faces. 

I was craving an open water swim in the beautiful lake and with the buoys set up for the race, I swam the 1500 yard race course (~21 minutes) that Karel would do for his race on Saturday. The water was the perfect temperature in the low 70's (wetsuit legal) and I loved being in the murky waters surrounded by nature. After my swim we made a quick stop at Publix so that Karel could pick up some chicken to go along with the rice that we brought from home and then we headed back to our hotel. We had a nice kitchen in our hotel room which made it easy to prep food. 

As for the rest of the evening, we got a bit more work done and then we were in bed around 8pm. 

Race Day

The alarm went off at 5:45am, which again, was a wonderful change from the typical 4am wake-up before an Ironman distance triathlon. With the race not starting until 8:25pm for Karel (Full distance of 1.5km swim / 33km mountain bike / 10km trail run), it was nice not to feel rushed in the morning. We left the hotel around 6:45am and arrived to the race venue around 7am. Karel did a short jog before an open water swim warm-up and as we neared 8am, it was getting closer to the race start. 

As a first-timer, this was the first time that Karel set up his transition area for an off-road triathlon. He did a few looks around to see what other people were doing. Karel was not nervous but instead, super excited. 

He kept telling me how excited he was that he gets to ride his mountain bike and run on trails for a race. It was refreshing to hear the excitement coming from Karel as I knew this change of scenery would be so good for him - mentally and physically. The athletes were so nice and welcoming and Campy even got a few butt rubs from athletes. Although Campy can get rather feisty and protective, he was very chill and calm (likely due to being a bit tired from all of the adventures). Still at 13.5 years old, Campy is staying strong and lives for his adventures with us. It was great to see our athletes Eedee and Josh at the race venue and to see a few more familiar faces. 

After the shorter distances went off, it was time for the professional field of men and women, and then it was time for Karel's race start. Xterra did a great job keeping athletes staff and following CDC guidelines. This was the first race back in the US after COVID so the race staff was really happy to be back and to welcome the athletes back. There's something about these smaller races that make athletes feel so welcomed and cared about.

1.5K Swim - 21:10 (1:25 min/100meters)

Karel was a little worried about how the trail situation would be with slower/faster riders and having to pass or be passed so he lined up near the front of the swim. Karel was able to settle into his race rhythm pretty quickly and felt really good in the water. With just three turn buoys, it was easy to keep that rhythm throughout. Karel got a little bothered as another athlete was swimming right next to Karel and kept running into him. After several minutes of this, Karel made a surge to get away and to get back to swimming in clean water without disturbances. The air temperature was perfect - cloudy and in the 60's. 

T1 - 1:38

After exiting the water, Karel ran into the transition area and to his bike (racks were first come first serve and not assigned by bib number. This transition was a bit new to him with his camelback, mountain bike shoes and cycling gloves. He opted not to wear the cycling gloves but put on his hydration back, shoes, helmet and sunglasses and then made his way out of the transition area. He buckled in his camelback as he was riding as the first few minutes were on the paved road before getting on the trails. He felt like his transition was a bit slow so he will practice it to get it a bit smoother.

33K Bike - 1:38.43 (12.03mph)

Karel had a blast. He was able to shake off the swim pretty quickly and get into his element of having fun off road on two wheels. Karel is loving his new Specialized full suspension mountain bike (which he picked up on Thursday at Bob's Bikes in Alabama) and he really enjoyed not having to be in the aerobars (and "only" riding for a little over 90 minutes). The course was technical and included some water crossings, climbing and descending. There was a very rocky section that Karel pre-rode on Friday but opted to get off his bike on race day and run down the rocks instead of riding just to be sure he didn't make any silly mistakes. Karel's worry was being too aggressive on the mountain bike (aka having too much fun) but after not really riding a mountain bike in almost a year, he minimized the risks as he wants to practice a bit more to get the feel of choosing the right line and better handling his bike on the sketchy sections. The course was really well marked and the volunteers were great. Karel never looked at his computer but just stayed hyper focused on the terrain. He was really happy that he had the camelback as it made it much easier to stay hydrated and fueled. He did have one gentle fall as he was trying to pass two riders and asked to pass a few times but they wouldn't move over for Karel to pass. So Karel tried to squeeze by but he slide and fell. He was finally able to get by. Karel was by himself for a while and then got passed by another rider who finished just in front of him at the finish line. Karel actually liked having the guy in front of him on the bike as he could watch the lines that the guy took on the bike. Some guys were riding super hard and Karel was very impressed with the competition ahead of him. After dismounting the bike, Karel was wondering what his legs would feel like for the run. With so much torquing on the mountain bike, his entire body was tired as he ran in the transition area. 

T2 - 1:26
The bike to run transition was a bit quicker and Karel put on his new ON trail shoes (and socks), grabbed his flask of his sport drink and stuck it in his kit pocket and put on his hat and he was out. As he made his way out of the transition area and then on to the pavement, he instantly felt his quads. He said he never feels his quads when he runs but this was an entirely different run-off-the-bike feeling. With no specific training for this event, Karel was just learning as he went along. 

10K Run - 48:46 (8:08 min/mile)

The run course had a bit of everything. There were some short steep climbs but overall it was rolling. There were some technical sections with rocks, trees to jump over and wooden bridges but for the most part, it wasn't rooty. Karel was focused on the ground under him but his legs were aching from the bike and his entire body was sore and tired. He totally underestimated the difficulty of running after mountain biking but he also had fun experiencing something new. Normally the run is where he is able to run down the competition ahead of him but this time around, he was just trying to not get passed. Some of the guys ahead of him were running really fast and again, he was in awe of the fitness and skills of the other competitors. The run course had about 600 feet elevation gain (the bike course had about 1500 feet) and it went by really fast. Aside from the first few minutes of running on the pavement and the last few minutes of the pavement, the entire run was off-road, tucked under the trees and one exposed section by the lake. 

As Karel made his way to the last off-road section before the finish line, he was relieved that he was about to finish his first off-road triathlon - but more surprised with how much fun he had during the race. He had no idea of his finishing place or time so he was shocked to hear that he won his age group and was 5th overall amateur male. Total time - 2:51.41. Full results here.

With no expectations or pressure, Karel found himself in his element - being competitive and having fun. This was a welcomed change from the road as he is normally in a world of hurt during a long distance triathlon but this was a different type of hurt. It was such a joyful way to be competitive and there's something special about racing in nature (and loving what you are doing in the moment). 

With his first place age group finish, Karel qualified for the 2021 Xterra World Championship in Maui, Hawaii in December!

Here's a recap video of the event:        

 After receiving his awards, we made our way back to the hotel (with an exhausted Karel and an even more exhausted Campy), a quick stop at Arby's for Curly fries and a Rueben Sandwhich for Karel and then to watch the Giro. It was then time for me to recover from the morning and gear up for my first trail run on Sunday.

My race report coming soon....

IM 70.3 Florida race report: Pre-Race

 

After a 60-minute, ~3600 meter long course swim on Wednesday, we returned home to pack up the car and we headed down south to Jacksonville, FL around noon. The ~6 hour drive (with stops) was fairly uneventful and it was nice to listen to triathlon podcasts, knowing that we would be participating in a triathlon event in just a few days. Thank goodness for hot spot as we both could get some work done as the other person was driving. 

When we arrived to Joe's house (our good friend, assistant coach at Trimarni and long-time athlete), we were greeted by his son Weston, Erica and my favorite Weimaraner Reagan. Karel and I ate our Chipotle that we picked up just before arriving to Joe's (we both got Sofritas on rice, w/ black beans, veggies, cheese and guac). I had a bit more work to get done after dinner and Karel and Joe put the final touches on our athlete's new Scott Plasma tri bike (Karel built it up the days leading up to our trip and we brought it for our athlete) in Joe's fit studio. 

On Thursday morning, we went for a run (not together) and included a few pick-up efforts during the run. Karel ran 44 minutes (6.5 miles) and I ran 53 minutes (6.6 miles). It was so nice to run on flat roads! We have very little flat around us (except for the Swamp Rabbit Trail) so the change in terrain is always nice - plus water and palm trees are nice to see while running. 

Side note: we lived in Jacksonville, Florida for six years before moving to Greenville, SC in 2014. We are very happy with our current living (and training) situation but it is nice to see our old friends when return back to the state of Florida. 

Around noon we packed up the car and made our trek even more south to Haines City (south of Orlando) and after dealing with some traffic and a Publix stop for subs (I got the tofu option which was delicious!), around 3.5 hours later we finally made it to Haines City to our rental home. Joe arrived just before us as he didn't make the Publix stop. 

Our roomies Ashley and Zach (athletes of ours) were not arriving until the evening as they were flying in from the midwest. After unpacking the car in our roomy rental home in Southern Dunes property (just a few miles from the race course - this is where we typically stay for the race), I went to Wal-mart for a big grocery shop. 

We had a nice dinner of bread and lentil soup and then went to bed around 9:30pm. 

Friday was a fun day. We rode 32 miles (1:45) of the bike course (the first and last part of the course) and I also did a stationary swim in the backyard pool w/ our swim tether. I hadn't worn my wetsuit since Nov so I wore it during my tether swim (we didn't know if it would be wetsuit legal or not until race morning - the race day water temp was 78 so not wetsuits).

After working out in the morning, we checked in at our scheduled 1-2pm slot. The process was extremely smooth and efficient and it was very safe. The volunteers were great and we were in and out in less than 15 minutes. After a quick walk through the expo, we made our way back to the rental home. 

A few hours later we had our team pizza party with most of our racers. It was so great to have so many familiar faces in one house. Most of our racers were fully (or almost fully) vaccinated which also made for a safe evening. 

It was early to bed before the day before race day. 

On Saturday I ventured out on my own and rode my bike from our rental house to the race venue and did a recon of the new run course. Some of it was familiar but most of it was new. After the bike I went for a 20 minute (2.5 mile) run to shake out the legs. We then checked in our bikes at our designated check-in time of 1-2pm and it was such a great feeling to see familiar faces and to be one sleep away from the race. Of course, my pre-race routine included some dog kisses. 

Our friend Stephen,  Karel and Joe on the same rack. 

Karel noticed this man who was struggling with his bike chain falling off. Karel went to help. We later learned this man won his age group! 

The "new" pre-race aspects due to Covid were very welcomed. The check-in procedure was much more efficient and quick, the bike racks allowed for much more room between bikes and overall, there were less crowds (which meant less waiting around). We had to wear masks at all times inside the transition area and for the start and finish of the race (not while racing). The downside was that the transition area was double the size which meant a lot of barefoot running on race day. The Ironman staff did an exceptional job with the new rules and procedures and the Haines city community was very welcoming (as always). 

It was early to bed knowing that the night would probably be a restless one for sleeping. And it was. I felt like I never fall asleep. Oddly enough, I wasn't nervous for the race. Neither was Karel. I had a lot of positive energy, no expectations and just joy for the opportunity to race. 

When my alarm went off at 4:45am, I got myself out of bed and as usual, needed to go to the bathroom to empty my bladder. After I was done, I quickly found myself starting to black out. And just like what happened four years ago on the morning of the IM 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, I fainted from the toilet. Only this time I did not smash my face on the hardwood floor. Luckily, I softly landed on the carpet. When I woke up and realized what happened (it all occurred so quickly), I found myself covered in sweat and completely exhausted. I moved myself to the bed and Karel came into the room - surprised why I didn't get him up. I told him what happened and he was worried for me again. I told him that there was no way that I could race as I was just exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep. 

Karel helped me go through the motions of the morning. I had a glass of OJ and sat on the couch with my feet up. I also had my normal pre race meal of waffles w/ peanut butter, syrup and banana but I couldn't finish it all as I was a bit out of it still. I told Karel that I just wanted to go back to sleep but he convinced me that I should try to race. After all the tests that I had done the last time this happened, we knew nothing serious was going on with my body. Still not knowing why this happened (although rare - twice in 4 years with a very similar scenario each time but no other fainting incidences in my adult life), I waited until the very last moment that we could leave (it was nearing 6am) and I finally started to feel a bit better. Because my normal routine was a bit off, I felt a bit rushed in the morning but also just focused on being grateful that I was able to start the race after a very stressful and scary morning. 

When we arrived to the race venue, I started to feel better. I was starting to feel more alert and the energy was coming back. It was so nice to see our athletes in the transition area and to run into so many familiar faces. 

After laying out my transition area, the next 20 minutes were a bit hectic. I went for a pre-race jog and then went to the port-o-potty and as I was jogging back to the transition area, there were already lines of athletes for the self seeded start. I saw the 30-34 group walking to the beach as I was still jogging back to the transition area. I quickly changed out of my pre-race gear, grabbed my cap, swimskin and goggles and sport drink and quickly ran barefoot w/ my mask on toward the front of the groups (each group had a leader holding a sign) until I found Karel and Joe. Our athlete Yannick joined us as well. 

But after all that rushing, we waited in corrals (which were supposed to be 6-feet apart by athlete but we still had plenty of space on the beach). We then waited for a good 20+ minutes in the sand. I sat down just to relax a bit but I felt a lot better and much more normal. 

Once the age group start went off (after the pro men and women), the lines moved rather quickly and a few minutes later we found ourselves ready to jump into the lake for our first half Ironman event in almost a year. 

Photo: Paige Prave

Race report coming soon.....

Planning your race travel

Race-cations (as we like to call them) provide a special opportunity to travel to a destination, race somewhere new and (hopefully) enjoy a little sight-seeing and R&R after the race. Although traveling to a race should be exciting, racing outside of your home environment can be stressful, as there are many unknowns and potential logistical nightmares of racing in an unfamiliar venue. For many athletes, the normal anxiety, worries and fears that occur during race week can be doubled when racing outside of your home environment or in a new location.

While stories like lost luggage, a broken bike or a cancelled swim may have worried about a race-cation, some of your most memorable racing experiences will likely occur at a destination race.

Here are a few race travel tips to help you make the most of your traveling experience:

• Plan ahead - Although you can't control everything, you can reduce anxiety/stress by being meticulously prepared. Having an itinerary - detailing what may or will happen between x-date and race day during your travel - will help you feel more at ease. Don't wait until the last minute to plan your travel. Months before you race, research the best places to eat, park, sleep, etc. so that you know your race location as if it was in your local hometown. Remind yourself that part of traveling is knowing that things will not always go as planned - bring a positive and calm attitude and always have a plan B. If something does disrupt your plan, this doesn't mean that you are doomed to have a bad race.

Trimarni travel tip: Always review the airline requirements for your luggage and bike bag well in advance as every airline is different, especially when flying international. Make sure you review the amenities where you are staying, such as AC, washer/dryer, kitchen appliances, etc. Consider some of the obstacles you'll need to overcome when traveling to your race (and the race course).

• Stay relaxed - Every athlete has his/her own definition of being relaxed. For some athletes it may mean surrounding yourself with friends, family and staying busy with activities, whereas for others, it may mean isolating yourself from others (or away from the race venue) so you can stay in your zone. Recognize what works best for you and then communicate this with your travel companions. Take into account your needs when planning your travel.

Trimarni tip: Be sure to schedule downtown for yourself to relax and put your feet up and of course, eat! Focus on yourself and what makes you feel the best during your race-cation. If something stresses you out at home (ex. traffic, waiting in line, etc.) try your best to avoid those situations at your race-cation.

• Planning your travel - Be willing to spend a little extra money on lodging/travel to help you minimize stressful situations. If you can, get the necessary time off work so that you don't have to rush to and from your race. Instead of trying to save costs during the most important time of the year (race week), save money throughout the year so that you can spoil yourself during your race-cation. Consider the following travel tips when traveling across time zones for a half or full distance event:

-2-3 hour time difference - arrive at least 2 days before the event
-3-6 hour time difference - arrive at least 3-5 days before the event
-6+ hour time difference - arrive at least 6-7 days before the event
-For a half distance event, we suggest to arrive at least two days before the event. For a full distance event, we suggest to arrive at least 4-5 days before the event.

Trimarni tip: When it comes to traveling to a race, plan for more time than you really need to get settled. If you are wanting to drive or train on some of the race course, plan that into your trip so you aren't rushed. Save the sight-seeing and family fun activities for after the race. Consider spending a few dollars on a massage chair in the airport between flights. Start adjusting to the new time zone as soon as you arrive.

• Do your race research - Regardless where you race (another state or in another country), you need to do some research. Certainly, you will learn something new every time you travel but it's important to keep up with your race website/emails for any last minute changes and to ask for suggestions from others who have traveled to your upcoming race venue. Review course maps, race day itinerary/schedule, packet pick-up information, transition area layout, read forums to better understand logistics/timing of race week to-do's, review parking, things for your family to do on race day or where they can see you and any other details.

Trimarni travel tip: When traveling international for a race, make sure to call your airline (at least a month prior) to notify that you will be flying with a bike. If you have dietary requests (ex. Vegan, gluten-free), notify the airline at least a few weeks in advance. If traveling international, review the requirements for entry into your destination country (ex. Visa). Review water quality, language, currency, weather, time zone, internet access and anything else that will help you feel more prepared for your trip. When traveling, do you research and don't wait until last minute (or a few weeks before your race) to start making travel plans and learning about your upcoming race course. Learn about your race venue/lodging environment - is it safe/accessible for cycling or running? Can you swim before the race (pool or open water)?

• Check, re-check and double check - Review all travel arrangements in the months and weeks leading up the race, review race website and pack and re-pack. Avoid making plans very last minute. Regardless of when you make your plans or pack for a race, recheck to make sure that you have everything that you need. Double check your reservation (lodging, rental car, flight info, etc.).

Trimarni travel tip: Bring what you need, and a little more/extra. Consider anything and everything that could go wrong. As the saying goes, plan for the worst but hope for the best. Bring your must-have triathlon gear with you on the airplane (think about gear that you can use right away for workouts in case your bike/luggage doesn't arrive with you). Don't forget to pack medications and chargers.

• Get excited - It's a very special experience to travel to a new destination and this is often why athletes choose to invest into a race-cation over a local event. Regardless of the outcome of your race performance, you are gaining a new experience for your book of life. Don't take your race-cation for granted - you are lucky that you have the time, income, support from others and ability to take your hobby to another part of the world (or another state/city) in order to do what you love with your body.

Trimarni travel tip: Race-cations are costly but they often bring extra stress and anxiety that may make your family/friends feel unwelcomed. Consider arriving to your race before your family and then when your family arrives (the day/night before the race) to cheer you on, make sure to spend a few days after the race with your family, when you can relax and thank them for all their support. Prior to the race, make it all about you. Don't let the predicted weather or stress of traveling freak you out. Focus on what you can control and remind yourself that this is your hobby and a sport that makes you happy.

The ultimate cycling experience: Haute Route Alps!!

Pic Source

We are registered for the 20202 Haute Route Alps!! 

For the past 8 years, we have been traveling to Europe every other year to visit Karel's family in his hometown of Znojmo, Czech Republic. For the past 3 visits (2014, 2016, 2018) we combined our trip with racing Ironman Austria - which is now one of our favorite race venues.

For the past few years, I've been wowing over this event called the Haute Route Alps (pronounced "oat" "root". The more videos I watched and more I learned about the event, the more excited we got for a new challenge (Karel and I like to share our crazy adventure ideas together). Although we are not removing ourselves from the sport of triathlon (we are already registered for two Ironmans and 5+ half IM's between us), we are constantly seeking different/new events to keep our spark alive for endurance training and racing. Through long distance training and racing, we have both developed great endurance, strength and mental toughness and we can use this fitness to test our physical and mental boundaries.

From August 22-28th, 2020, our endurance, strength and mental toughness will be challnged more than it's ever been tested before. And this excites us....and makes us a bit nervous too!

Here are some quick facts from the event: 

• 7 consecutive days of cycling
• ~500 miles
• ~65,000 ft total elevation gain

"The Haute Route Alps features bucket list climbs made famous by the Tour de France including six cols culminating over 2,000 metres (6,500 ft) above sea level and gives you the rare opportunity to pin on a number and test yourself on long point-to-point stages."


2020 stages:

• Stage 1: Megève – Megève (Côte 2000): ~68 miles / ~9842 feet
• Stage 2: Megève – Tignes: ~67 miles / ~11,320 feet
• Stage 3: Tignes – Serre Chevalier Briançon (Col du Galibier): ~86 miles / ~11,320 feet
• Stage 4: Serre Chevalier Briançon – Risoul: ~45 miles / ~7700 feet
• Stage 5: Risoul – Auron: ~71 miles / 10,660 feet
• Stage 6: Auron – Nice (Col de Vence): 106 miles/ ~10,826 feet
• Stage 7: ITT Nice – Col d’Èze: ~7.5 miles / ~1640 feet

Although this event costs a lot more than what we would pay for an Ironman, we also get a lot more than what we would receive in a one-day event. More so, it's the challenge, memories and experience that excites us the most as we train for something that we have never done before.

"The Haute Route’s objective is to deliver an unparalleled 'professional' experience for amateur cyclists. This means not only delivering first class hospitality and event management, but all the key ingredients that make up the culture and experience of professional road racing."

What's included in our registration fee:

• Rider's Pack - cycling apparel, backpack
• Welcome dinner
• Live timing
• Detailed road book
• Road mobile mechanics, safety vehicles, course marshals, feed stations, medical team
• Breakfast and post-stage meal
• Post-stage massage
• Post-race bike wash
• Professional photos
• Daily stage highlight video
• Daily rankings and awards
• Closing cermony
• Finisher apparel
• Medal
• Accomodations (for all 7-nights)
• Airport pick-up
• Daily travel of race bag
• Mid week laundry service

"Relax between stages with a post-ride meal, daily massage, and stress-free accommodation packages. On the road, enjoy the support of professional mechanics, French Gendarme moto escorts, staffed feed stations, and sag vehicles. A seven-day event is a major undertaking. You focus on riding; we’ll handle the rest."

Over the next 8 months, I'll be sharing more about our training (how we are preparing for this event while still training for long-distance triathlons), sport nutrition (fueling/hydration), gear, travel and anything else that related to this extreme endurance challenge.

Note to self: make room on your phone for lots and lots of pictures during the Haute Route Alps!