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Trimarni is place where athletes and fitness enthusiasts receive motivation, inspiration, education, counseling and coaching in the areas of nutrition, fitness, health, sport nutrition, training and life.
We emphasize a real food diet and our coaching philosophy is simple: Train hard, recover harder. No junk miles but instead, respect for your amazing body. Every time you move your body you do so with a purpose. Our services are designed with your goals in mind so that you can live an active and healthy, balanced lifestyle.
I love international travel. I really enjoy the experience of immersing myself into a different culture and engaging with the local customs, traditions, food and people. We combined our love for travel with racing. There's a lot of logistics (and stressors) that come with traveling for a race but after several years, I feel we have developed a good system (Karel takes care of the bikes, I take care of the travel logistics).
RACING
I raced nine times and Karel raced ten times. We competed in mountain biking, off-road triathlon, stage racing, sprint triathlon, gravel racing, extreme triathlon and road triathlon.
Karel completed his first extreme triathlon in Ponte di Legno, Italy in June (The Stone) and completed his second extreme triathlon in Livigno, Italy in September. I finally checked off the Norseman XTRI and crossed the finish line in August. We really enjoy the extreme triathlon events because they challenge us in different ways compared to the standard long distance triathlon. We also enjoy the self-support aspect in that we both get to support one another throughout the event (and finish together).
I surprised myself with the overall female win at Louisville 70.3 (in my home state) and shocked myself with the overall amateur female win at IM Chattanooga.
HEALTH
I am really proud of my body for staying healthy and injury free over the past 6 years. Karel has struggled with his health a lot this year. He is experiencing a lot more aches and pains in his body (specifically his back) and he tore his medial meniscus in October and will be getting surgery on January 9th. He struggled with long Covid in August and September.
With physical health comes mental health and I have really struggled with the passing of Campy in July. My life will never be the same. I miss Campy so much and I still can't look at his pictures without crying. We also really miss Madison, who passed away 12 weeks after Campy.
I exceeded my expectations at almost every race and I find myself getting stronger and faster with age but this year was more than just the wins and accomplishments. This year has been a true test of resilience. Karel and I were challenged in many different ways and we were tested over and over again.
As we look ahead to 2025, there is excitement and uncertainty. This past year has shown us what we are capable of achieving and overcoming. We look forward to new challenges, new countries, new events to conquer and new comfort zones to stretch.
4-stage MTB PE PLETT Karel - 3rd solo male, 11:03.43 Marni - 1st solo female, 11:36.56 157 miles of mountain biking and 13,000+ feet of climbing over four days.
The Stone Xtreme Triathlon (Karel) 14:40, 7th overall 2.4 mile swim in the dark (4am race start) 109 miles of biking and 13,576 feet elevation gain covering Aprica, Mortirolo and Gavia pass 21.8 miles of running and 7830 feet elevation gain, starting in Ponte di Legno and finishing at Passo Paridiso
AUGUST Norseman XTRI World Championship (Marni) 2.4 mile swim: 1:06.03 (3rd female out of the water) 111 mile bike (10,819 feet): 6:43 (6:38 riding time, 9th female) 26 mile run (5,709 feet): 5:26.33 Total: 13:23.43, 9th female, first female American
15:14 - 16th overall 2.4 mile swim, 123 mile bike, 24 mile run: ~18,000 feet elevation gain, 5 mountain passes, including the iconic 48 switchbacks on the Stelvio pass.
Over the past few years, I've found that each season can be clearly defined by a theme or mantra.
In 2022 it was seeking change.
In 2021 it was don't give up, keep showing up. In 2020 it was never take anything for granted.
When thinking about 2023, the year was all about a pursuit of self-development.
Our racing season involved a lot of travel, ultra distance events and new locations. With so many different events, this could have brought on great fear, anxiety and worry, but instead, I felt great excitement for the unknown.
2023 wasn't about specific outcomes, places or times but rather it was all about self-discovery. Every race was an opportunity to improve our self-awareness, skills and strengths. Without even realizing it, the entire season was an opportunity to help us discover our fullest potential.
Unlike events/races in the past, our 2023 events had an uncertainty component to each of them. There was no guarantee that we would finish many of the events that we planned. The weather, extreme nature of the course and terrain or residual fatigue came with unsureness. Rather than selecting races that gave us a sense of control or predictability, we were selecting races that would challenge us in ways that we could truly discover our strengths while exposing our weaknesses.
Athletes are passionate beings. They often chase (or pursue) strengths - or qualities that come naturally and enable them to thrive. When passion, ability and confidence collide, it's easy to feel joy. While it's good to pursue something that brings out the best in you, it's difficult to discover your strengths if you rarely expose your weaknesses. A life that revolves around familiarity makes it hard to achieve personal growth.
When we embrace our weaknesses, we have an opportunity for learning and development. Embracing strengths and weaknesses fosters a strong sense of self-awareness. The pursuit of self-discovery is the greatest teacher in life.
January
We started off the year with our first trip to South Africa. We loved the food, culture and people. We participated in the Xterra South Africa race (outside of Cape Town) and then flew a bit north for our first Safari. It was an incredible trip and we knew we needed to return the next year.
It was cool to see how my mountain biking skills have improved over the past two years. Six hours on the ridge is a local race which involves completing as many laps as possible within 6 hours.
April was busy! I had an unexpected DNF at the Saluda SEG race. We had a very successful early season tri camp (which is our favorite camp of the year) and participated in the 6-gap gravel race. It was a hard month learning about Campy's declining health.
I experienced my first penalty in a triathlon race (or any race) but that didn't stop me from enjoying the incredible VBR race course and sharing the experience with our teammates.
BWR NC 131-mile gravel race - my longest time on a bike (longest distance too!) Karel - 6th AG Marni - 2nd AG
Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder 5-stage race - this was an incredible event for Karel and he had a really good time racing and camping. Karel - finished
July
I participated in my first XTRI event. It was a great "first" time extreme triathlon as it was a bit familiar to me but also very extreme. It was special to have Karel there with me as my "crew" and to share the experience with him.
High Cascades 100 MTB event - We loved this event. Riding 100 miles on a mountain bike is no easy feat but we enjoyed the event and the incredible terrain around Bend. We absolutely loved our trip to Oregon! After the event, we watched our athletes participate at Oregon 70.3 which was a great event and race venue. Karel - 3rd AG Marni - 1st AG
August
Karel and I can't stop talking about our time in Breckenridge. Spending over a week at 9000+ feet was an incredible experience. We can't say enough great things about this event and the area. There are so many cycling paths and trails!
September was an incredible month. I survived my 2nd XTRI in Livigno, Italy and qualified for Norseman XTRI world championship. We held another triathlon camp in Greenville and Karel performend amazingly well at IM Chattanooga - and broke 9 hours for the first time in an Ironman! ICON XTRI Marni - 2nd overall female
Our little golden nugget turned 16. Campy is getting older and we know we don't have much time left with him so we are trying to make the most of every day.
We really enjoyed our time in Cozumel. It was a really cool experience to be on the island and to share the experience with our athletes. My new Cervelo triathlon bike
2022 theme: Seeking change For much of my life, I hated change. I feared failure and I did not like stepping out of my comfort zone. For the past 16 years, I've lived with someone who loves adventure. Karel has helped me become much more courageous when it comes to new or different experiences. With Karel leading the way in most of our adventures, it has forced me to understand (and work through) that paralyzing moment of anxiety, stress and worry when things are out of my control. Because fear has the power of stopping us from making the most out of opportunities, I realized (with time) that being courageous means making the choice to get more out of my one and only life.
It’s easy to avoid things that feel hard, uncomfortable and different. But this mindset means we never learn how to stretch our comfort zone. For many years, I was scared of failure. But I learned that I was robbing myself of great opportunities and meaningful experiences by shying away from difficulty.
Learning to be comfortable with discomfort is an important skill to living a truly fulfilling life. Over the past 12 months, I've taken on three new sports - gravel biking, trail running and mountain biking. Whereas in half and full distance triathlon racing, the experience is very familiar and routine for me, I've been filled with curiosity with each new sport.
Over the past 16 years of endurance triathlon racing, I've become good at racing. However, it wasn't always this way. If I only look at results, I won my age group at my first Ironman in 2007 (18-24 age group at IMFL) and did not win my age group again until 2017 (35-39 age group at Chattanooga). Since 2017, I've won my age group at an Ironman 4 times, placed 2nd and raced in my 5th and 6th Ironman World Championship. I guess you could say that it took me ten years to become an overnight success.
I love the sport of triathlon because I love to swim, bike and run. I also love what triathlon has given me - a job, a reason to travel, friends from all over the world, and a way to help others step outside their comfort zone. Triathlon gives me focus and purpose. It's part of who I am.
Although I can put myself into 'autopilot' mode when it comes to swimbikerun over 70.3 or 140.6 miles, I can't tell you how many times I've freaked out, fallen and struggled with trail running, gravel riding and mountain biking. Instead of knowing, I am growing.
In 2022, I did a lot of things for the first time. From participating in a mountain bike event to climbing mountains in the Alps of France, 2022 was a year of seeking change. New experiences. New possibilities. New goals. New limits.
For the past few years, I've enjoyed the yearly process of reflecting on and documenting the highs and lows in our training, racing and in life. Although there were several accomplishments and highlights to celebrate, it's hard to define the year as successful because there were a lot of challenges to overcome. If I had to pick a mantra to summarize this past year, it would be...
Don't give up. Keep showing up.
It's hard to stay focused and motivated when it feels like nothing is going as planned. It's so easy to crumble down in the face of traumatic situations and circumstances. It's difficult to stay positive when you can't seem to catch a break.
Don't give up. Keep showing up.
While 2021 had its setbacks, challenges and struggles, it also gave us the incredible opportunity to grow, learn and to step outside of our comfort zone. One of the biggest benefits of trying new things is beating the power of fear and expanding our sense of accomplishment. I feel that we are truly living a meaningful life because life is about taking risks, having fun, trying new things, making mistakes and learning.
Over the past 12 months, we kept showing up when we could have given up.
January
Participating in 7 of the 8 Greenville Winter Bike League Group Rides (GVL WBL) and winning a few QOM/Sprint competitions.
Karel participated in his first off-road triathlon at Xterra Oak Mountain (and picked up his new mountain bike two days before the event). He earned a spot to Xterra Worlds in Maui.
I had my best ever feeling 70.3 performance at IM 70.3 Chattanooga (while Karel was at home recovering from hand surgery). I finished 3rd overall female.
I turned 39 years old.
June
Placed 2nd overall female at the inaugural IM 70.3 Blue Ridge (2 weeks after IM 70.3 Chattanooga) and missed the overall win by 2 seconds (but first across the finisher tape due to the time trial start).
I successfully completed my first two ever mountain bike rides (Dupont State Forest and Pleasant Ridge Park).
RACE RESULTS Thomasville Clay Classic - 104 miles, 6:47 (Marni), 6:41 (Karel) Sumter Forest Gravel Race 72 miles - 4:01 (Marni), 3:16 (Karel) IM 70.3 Florida - 5:02.48, 2nd AG (Marni), 4:29.24, 1st AG (Karel) Peachtree International Triathlon - 2:08.30, 3rd overall (Karel)
Xterra Oak Mountain triathlon - 2:51.41, 1st AG (Karel)
Xterra Oak Mountain 20K trail run - 2:01.07, 3rd overall female (Marni) Spinners 10-mile Time Trial - Completed.
Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga - 4:42.39 3rd overall female, 3rd AG (Marni) Ironman 70.3 Blue Ridge - 5:00.14 2nd overall female, 1st AG (Marni)
Ironman Lake Placid - 10:40.40. 3rd overall amateur female, 1st AG (Marni) Lake Logan Half - 4:29.39, 2nd overall (Karel) Belgian Waffle Gravel/Road Ride 96 miles, 9600 feet elevation gain - 5:53.30
Ironman 70.3 World Championship - 5:08.24, 11th AG (Marni), 4:48.08, 11th AG (Karel)
Xterra USA Championship triathlon 2:45.13, 2nd AG (Karel) Xterra USA Championship 21K trail run, 2800 feet elevation gain - 2:10, 2nd AG (Marni)
Hincapie Gran Fondo 82 miles - 4:56 riding time (5:07 w/ stops), 7th overall female (Marni) Austin Rattler MTB - 5:12.16, 5th AG (Karel) Xterra World Championship triathlon, 4500+ total feet elevation gain - 3:08.56, 2nd AG (Karel) Xterra World Championship 21K trail run, 2300 feet elevation gain - 2:04, 2nd AG (Marni)
Every year I like to recap the year, sharing our highs and lows and everything in between. Although 2020 didn't give us our typical year of racing, it provided us with a lot of new opportunities and experiences.
I posted this picture on Facebook on January 21st with the caption:
"When it feels like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, remind yourself that it’s better for the world when you first take care of yourself."
With 2020 being such an extraordinary year, it reminded me to never take anything for granted. We are responsible for one another. Every human in this world is interdependent on each other. Your well-being is my well-being.
Although Karel and I love to race, we actually thrived during this year of cancelled races. We stayed healthy and injury free and we kept our training fun and flexible. The worst part of a season of cancelled races was the sadness we felt for our athletes. We really missed the excitement, stress, worry and emotional rollercoaster that becomes part of our lives during "triathlon race season."
I experienced a great amount of anxiety and stress when the pandemic hit in March and began to disrupt the normalcy over the next few months. I really struggled. I found it incredibly hard to be happy when so many people were suffering. In addition to the pandemic, I was also affected by politics, racial inequality and so much more. It's been a really tough year. Although I have so much to be thankful and grateful for, I can't help but feel tremendous sadness as so many people have lost so much.
Personally, 2019 was an extremely difficult year for us as we lost so much. 2020 paled in comparison to what we endured in 2019. In 2019 we experienced.... -Campy getting attacked by a dog off the leash (requiring stitches in his side). -The loss of our friend and athlete to suicide. -Saying good-bye to our16-year old cat Smudla. -Me experiencing a hip/back injury which stopped me from running for 3 months. -Me getting my cornea scratched by Campy. -My grandpa passing away at the age of 93. -Five days later after my grandpa passed away, we had to say good-bye to our new kitten Felix after only 6 days together, due to pneumonia. -Karel getting sick soon after returning home from the Ironman World Championship.
After surviving 2019, we had a lot to be thankful for in 2020 - we personally did not lose anything or anyone. If 2020 taught me not to take anything for granted, 2019 taught me just how fragile life can be.
Despite so much darkness in the year, there was light. I was able to find gratitude during such a difficult time. Here's a look into the past twelve months.....
My third book was released in December and I went on my first book tour to Charlotte, NC and Roanoke, Virginia. I also had great support from our local running store Run In. Over the next few weeks, we also had several private camps with athletes from all over. We dedicated the early part of our year to helping out our athletes as much as possible as we had planned a trip to Europe for much of August and early September. My Ventum received a beautiful makeover and I couldn't wait to show it off at the upcoming races.
Alongside traveling to promote my new book and a few private camps, I traveled to my alma mater (Transylvania University in Lexington, KY) to speak to the swim team, triathlon team and exercise science students. Karel raced his only "planned" race of the year - a 10-mile road race just a few miles down the road. I had planned to do the race but my hip was acting up so I decided to skip the event. Karel ended up 3rd with a pace of 5:47 and placed 3rd overall after two youngsters.
The month started out with the arrival of my new Ventum NS1 road bike. Little did I know at the time that I would be spending a lot of time on it over the summer. After a loooong two months of winter training, we were super excited to head down south to Clermont, Florida for the official kick-off of the 2020 racing season. With a packed camp roster of over 16 campers, we were really looking forward to this 4.5 day all-level training camp in warm and sunny Florida. While the weather did not let us down, our camp occurred right before the news started to escalate about Covid-19. This was the last time that we would hug and be physically close to our athletes. Our camp race (which was a USAT-sanctioned event) was cancelled just an hour after we picked up our packets. This was the start of many more race cancellations. To help keep our athletes motivated, we created the Spring Challenge which was a 10-day training plan that we would all complete together for motivation and inspiration. We created our own bib numbers and opened it to the public (it was free) - with several dozen athletes joining us!
April - The new normal.
As plans changed, travel arrangements were cancelled and races were deferred to 2021, my focus changed from providing race tips and sport nutrition advice on my blog to discussing the importance of taking care of mental and physical health during such an unanticipated time in our life. You can check back to my blog as the entire month of April (and onward) focused on ways to manage during a difficult time of life changes, stress and cancelled races. This was also an interesting time for our coaching business as we needed to change our approach to help our athletes manage their emotions during such a tough time of uncertainty. We needed to find new ways to keep our athletes motivated and learn on the fly as to how to adjust training to prevent burnout in the case of racing in the late part of the season. I also struggled during this month as it's my dad's birthday month, which remains a difficult time of grieving for me - combined with the anxiety and sadness that I felt with everything else going on. Let's just say that April was a rough month. And when the pools were closed, my "happy place" was taken away from me. We adjusted by finding the nearest boat ramp for open water swimming (thanks to Karel for finding this "hidden gem") and we purchased an above-ground pool for at-home swimming. It was an essential purchase that really helped with my mental health. With a bit of a mindset shift, I kept myself moving by exploring new experiences and opportunities.
Leave it to Karel to do something epic and exciting during a time of cancelled races. Karel planned his own Ironman distance race course - which was strategically designed to be difficult and challenging. I was his on-the-go aid station and support crew, as well as his commentator and photographer. You can check out the above link for the full recap (with videos) of his solo 140.6 mile event in and around Greenville, SC. After Karel's event, I was inspired to set my own challenges. A few weeks later, I completed the "mini" coronaman with our friend Alvi. It was so much fun to feel competitive, even if we were not in a race environment. This reminded me how much I love triathlon and how it enriches my life in so many ways. Sadly, I didn't blog about it. I think I was feeling overwhelmed with emotions as I was excited about my mini coronaman (half Ironman distance event) but also sad with the current status of our nation. A few days later, I took a self-care trip to Lexington, KY (my hometown) with Campy as I needed a change of scenery. It was a very quick trip but just what I needed for a bit of a mental reboot.
To celebrate my 38th birthday on May 31st, Karel arranged a trip to Jehova Farm in NC. This was the perfect birthday gift from Karel as he knows how much I love animals and felt so much joy being around so many furry creatures. It was the perfect little get-away. Although we had to cancel our endurance group camp, as well as cancel several of our planned private camps, I found my purpose coming back as we kicked off triathlon week. During this month, we started to have some fun exploring new routes and finding new ways to have fun with our triathlon training in Greenville, SC. During our trip to the farm, I had the opportunity to create a beautiful yarn piece using a floor loom. This really excited my creative brain and helped me discover my love for string art. Over the next few months, we held a few more private camps and also celebrated our athletes accomplishing their own personal challenges and "mock" races.
With the theme of new opportunities and experiences, it was so much fun to feel all of the emotions, nerves and excitement for a race. While only a 10-mile time trial event just 20 miles away from where we live, it was so much fun to look forward to an event and to see familiar faces. We also kept exploring new routes and finding ourselves spending a lot of time on our road bikes. Over the next two months, we climbed a lot of mountains!
With several new precautions in place, we were able to safely pull off two small training camps after the cancellation of our group training camp in June. We decided to hold two group camps (each with 5-6 athletes) for 3-days each. So over 6 days we welcome 10 athletes to Greenville - and by the end, we were exhausted. But it was so worth it! A few days later we took part in another time trial event and this time Karel joined me as a "racer." It was so much fun to feel the good hurt that comes with racing. Near the end of the month, we took a trip to the Smokey Mountains for a bit of a getaway with Campy. We left our triathlon gear at home and traded swim/bike/run for hiking in the mountains. It was nice to change up the normal routine and to get deep inside nature. It was a nice bit of normalcy during such a stressful time. I also got into string art, which has been a great stress relief during this stressful time.
Although all of our planned races were cancelled (a total of 9), in addition to our trip to Europe (to participate in the 7-day cycling Haute Route Alps and to visit Karel's family), we started to thrive during our season of cancelled races and recruited some friends to be part of our quarenteam. We created some epic rides and had a lot of fun exploring our mental and physical limits. We did more 100+ mile rides this summer than ever before (probably combined since moving to Greenville in 2014). It was so much fun to enjoy conquering epic challenges with other like-minded individuals. With no races on the schedule, it was so much fun to use our fitness for different adventures. When we heard that a local Olympic distance triathlon event was a go in early September, we registered and looked forward to our first triathlon event since competing in the Ironman World Championship in October 2019. Of course, it rained on our drive to the race - in typical 2020 fashion :) We called this a "team" race as we had a large handful of Trimarnis out on the race course. Although there were new precautions in place, we didn't mind them as we were all out there doing what we love - and it felt completely normal during the race. A few weeks later, just before Karel's 44th birthday, we participated in another event - a 2.4 mile open water swim event at Lake Jocassee (about 50 minutes away). It was another wonderful opportunity to be in the race environment. We were so thankful to all of the race organizers for putting on such safe environment during such unsafe times. And a week later we completed 6-gap in Dahlonega, Georgia (which was our largest participant event since Kona!).
Although it was so much fun racing in September, the highlight of September was rescuing Sylvester (Sylvi) from a pile of spikey bushes along the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Ella now has a forever best friend and play mate. I still need to blog about his story (it's a good one!).
Feeling the itch to race more in 2020, Karel started to search for more adventures. He applied for the 2021 Ultraman in Florida (which was cancelled in December) and he registered for the Xtreme Florida Triathlon in November. After giving it some thought, I decided that I wanted to participate in the Xtreme triathlon with Karel. This required us to have support since both of us were racing so our friend Alvi offered to take time away from his family and work to crew for us for 3 days. With only registering for the event just a few weeks prior, we spent the month of October "priming" for the race with a few "race specific" workouts and a slight drop in volume. Since this would be our first ultra endurance triathlon, we felt nervous and excited. Still unsure if the event would actually happen, we stayed positive - even in the face of a hurricane passing through the venues just two days before the event).
Karel voted for the first time after becoming a US citizen in 2019. A week later, we made our way down south for a coast to coast, 3-day triathlon event. We were amazed with the crew and staff that put on the event as they made us feel safe and special. Certainly this was our highlight of the year as we did something that we had never done before and we even won the event! It was an incredible experience and one that has forever changed me - mentally and physically. After covering 300+ miles over 3 days, somehow my body managed to compete in the 10-mile road race that I had registered for long before the registration of the Xtreme Triathlon. Karel's knee was acting up on the morning of the race so he decided to sit out the event as to not take any risks in this fun run.
After a refreshing "off season" break around Thanksgiving, we have enjoyed a bit of a "fun" December. We joined our local master swim team and have really enjoyed the comradery of swimming in a group three times a week. This has really re-ignited my love for swimming (as if I didn't love it enough). Karel is still learning to appreciate swimming :) We also joined a local group ride (GVL WBL) which is a weekly ride on Saturdays at 10am. This ride has been something that I look forward to every week and it also fills me with a bit of nerves and anticipation. But I really enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone and the good hurt that comes with riding in a group of cyclists. I was a bit all-consumed with a new program that I am offering at Trimarni, which is called The Whole Athlete. I spent the entire month of December putting together this program and I learned a lot through this process. I am so excited to finally open it to the public. We really miss traveling. I miss hugs. Karel really misses his family (who is in Czech). We were supposed to visit them after our 7-day cycling event (Haute Route Alps) in late August but since that was cancelled, we aren't sure when we will be able to get back to Czech to visit them. Thankfully there is Skype so Karel can continue to speak to his family once a week.
Thank you for reading our year in review. I hope that your year was filled with safety, health and gratitude. Life is hard, no doubt. Right now it's really hard. Don't forget to take care of your mental and physical health. I look forward to a great year ahead - and lots of hugs and high fives!
After a well-deserved mental and physical break from structured training, we have officially closed the chapter to our 2018 season of racing. We are excited about the partnerships, opportunities and events that we have planned for 2019 and most of all, living a lifestyle of swimbikerun. Our excitement and passion for triathlon is just as great as when we started the sport and I contribute so much of that to coaching and surrounding ourselves with mentors/professionals who also love the sport. As a coach, I am reminded daily of how the sport of triathlon enriches the lives of so many people, of all backgrounds, from around the world.
After a race, it's normal for your inner self critic to break down the race, reflecting on the mistakes, errors and failures. While it's good to reflect on your flaws to find ways to improve, it's important to acknowledge what went well.
Every year, Karel and I reflect and talk about our season. The highs and lows and everything in between. Through reflection, we make sure not to put all our focus on results, such as finishing times, PR's or places. We find it important to take note of what was going on in life before the race and how, in spite of obstacles or setbacks, we were able to get to the start and finish line.
Ironman 70.3 Haines City Marni - 4:44.52, 1st AG (35-39), 5th female Karel - 4:27.33, 3rd AG (40-44)
As the first race of the 2018 season, we didn't put any pressure on us to perform. I still get very nervous before I race so I always look forward to the first race of the season as a great opportunity to dust off the rust and work through some race-day nerves. Plus, with so many of our athletes participating (as part of the Tri Club Championships) I had a smile on my face all day as I had so much fun racing. I was able to put together a strong performance whereas Karel didn't have too stellar of a race. He didn't let it get to him as a month-long cough affected his training for most of February. Karel went into the race knowing that he was not there to break any records and he had a very long season ahead. He knew it would take some time to build his race fitness so he didn't care too much about his result/time.
We arrive to St. George excited to race. With this being our 2nd time racing this very challenging event, we felt like we knew the course much better, which would help us better execute. Karel felt like he was racing his way into fitness and he executed/felt much better at St. George compared to Haines City. Karel doesn't like to gain fitness very quickly in the early part of the season (or else he risks injury) so he was really happy with this race, especially compared to how he felt/performed at Haines City. We both improved our overall times compared to 2017 but the competition was super fierce. I was most happy with my performance as I was in the thick of writing my book and so much of my mental energy was on researching and writing. While I managed to stay up with (most of) my training, it was hard to put my focus on this race as I had a tight deadline approaching. I gave it my best and I was happy with what I could do on race day. Soon after the race, it was back to writing.
A last minute (more like 2 weeks out) decision to race Raleigh turned out to be a great decision for Karel. As I was nearing the end of my book-writing process, Karel took a solo trip to Raleigh to see what it was like to race a half Ironman without a taper. As mentioned above, Karel feels like he gains fitness better when he races more often compared to training weekend after weekend. With a tough week of training on Mon-Thurs, Karel dialed back the training on Fri/Sat and felt surprisingly good (mentally and physically) going into the race. This was one of those races that doesn't happen often for an athlete - everything just felt good all day long for Karel. Despite a very hot run, Karel was flying through the competition. Karel ran a 1:22.47 half marathon off the bike, which was the fastest amateur run of the day and he placed 2nd overall amateur (a youngest in the 25-29 age group beat him by a minute). This was also Karel's very first AG win in a 70.3! Karel left this race confident and happy about his current fitness. After Haines City, Karel wondered if he would be able to run "fast" (or keep getting faster) as he got older and he was thrilled that he was not slowing down.
I put a lot of pressure on myself with specific time goals that I wanted to achieve at this race. Going into the race, I felt like I was capable of achieving my goals. However, when our bikes did not arrive with us in Prague, my mental strength was tested. Once we received our bikes, race week presented us with a few uncontrollable events that left me a bit frazzled (yet still smiling because hey, we are in beautiful Austria!). With this being our third time racing IM Austria, it was a treat to share it with two of our athletes, Justine and Natalie. But when the day turned out to be a tough day of racing for us all, reaching the finish line was the main goal. My body felt empty all day and I really questioned why I was doing this sport. It was a huge effort just to reach the finish line and I was unsure of my future as a triathlete. I finished the race feeling accomplished (and in shock that I placed 2nd in my age group despite feeling so blah all day) but also sad about how my body performed. After a week of sorting through my thoughts, I was determined to put together a solid performance at Ironman Wisconsin. Although a tough day for Karel as he continues to deal with back issues on the bike, he was happy that he finished top 5 in a very competitive age group (40-44), with tough international competition. This was a special race because Karel's mom came to watch us and it was her first time seeing Karel in a triathlon. Karel and I love IM Austria but we didn't feel like this race left us with the same amazing feeling that we received the past two times we raced there (2014 and 2016). I suppose mentally, we just were exhausted from all that happened during our travels and on race week.
What an experience! Racing in the heart of downtown Prague goes down as one of the coolest triathlon experiences of my life. Challenge put on a great event in a logistically tough venue. Plus, racing in Karel's home country of Czech Republic made this race extra special. My body did not recover very quickly from Ironman Austria so it was a big unknown as to what my body would do in a half Ironman just four weeks after a full distance Ironman. It took a solid 2 weeks until my body felt somewhat normal again. With only one week of true "training", Karel and I went into this race with no expectations. There was also the new experience of racing a half Ironman that started at 12pm! Which by the way, we loved the later start time. We both surprised ourselves with how we performed and we had a blast racing! The course was incredible and it was the perfect way to end our 5-week European race-cation.
Marni - 10:32.29, 1st AG, 5th female amateur Kona qualified
After feeling flat for much of Ironman Austria, I didn't want to experience that same feeling at Ironman. To help with that, I really focused on my mental state going into the race. This was a bit difficult as there was a lot of talk about a cancelled swim and modifications to the course because of the flooding in the area. I tried to focus on what I could control and prepare myself for all types of scenarios. I also had no outcome goals for this race, except with the goal of Kona qualifying. After a 4-year hiatus from racing in Kona, I finally felt ready to return back to the big island, if I got a slot. But most important to me, I wanted to put together a solid race. While I had a few low moments on the bike, I put together a run that made me so proud. It was a very exciting day as I felt like I was "racing" for all 140.6 miles. After 13 Ironmnas, #14 was my perfect race. I was grateful to have Karel (and his mom) cheering me on on the sidelines and being able to share the course with so many of our athletes. Plus, Campy was there with us which helped with my pre-race nerves. Unlike IM Austria, I felt strong and in control of my body for all of the race. And I also loved riding my new Ventum, which I had only ridden just a handful of times before race day.
Karel loves to race. He would much rather race than train. Augusta was a tune-up race for Kona so like Raleigh, Karel decided not to taper but instead, to train like normal up until Thursday evening and then treat Friday/Sat as he would for any other race. While a normally fast downstream swim for everyone, Karel was able to put together his best-ever bike/run combo, finishing with a 1:21.29 half marathon off the bike. Karel won his age group for the second time (both wins were this season) and he had the 2nd fastest amateur run. With this performance and how well he managed the heat, Karel felt even more excited for Kona in 3 weeks time and felt like he could put together top-notch performance on the big island.
With all signs pointing to a phenomenal race day performance by Karel, he felt calm, cool and collected going into the race. After a best-ever Kona swim for Karel, his heart sank to his feet when he took his first few pedal strokes on the bike and realized that his electronic shifting was not working. On a record setting day for many of the athletes, Karel had his own battle to fight for the next 112 miles. Karel used so much mental energy to get through 5+ hours of riding on one gear. Although he was able to put together a decent run performance on a very hot and humid day, this was not the performance that he trained so hard for all summer. Karel was healthy and strong but was not able to showcase his fitness. But as every athlete will learn, racing can be cruel and unfair. It's through these lessons that you learn so much about yourself.
As a last minute decision to participate in a half marathon road race (my first in nearly 6 years), I had no expectations as to what my body would be able to do after a long season of triathlon racing. I was super proud of my body and I had a lot of fun racing as a runner. But I'll stick with triathlons...this race beat me up so bad! I took me longer to recover from this half compared to a half distance Ironman!
Karel - 9:28.14, 1st AG, 6th overall Kona Qualified
With the recent location change of IMFL (from PCB to Haines City), Karel was looking forward to a more difficult race course, which would suit his strengths. IMFL was a big test/experiment to see how his body would perform with two back-to-back Ironmans within 3 weeks. Well, Karel learned the hard way that his body was not recovered from Kona - mentally or physically. With Karel's back bothering him for much of the bike (nothing new for Karel) and all of his mental energy spent on Kona, Karel did not feel like himself for the run - for a solid 24 miles. With the thought of quitting in the front of his mind for much of the race, something inside of him kept him going. In 26 miles, Karel moved from 7th to 1st and managed to close a 25-minute gap to win his age group. With the 2nd fastest run of the day, it didn't take him long to get into the medical tent once he crossed the finish line. Karel was mentally and physically done. With no idea of how the day went, Karel couldn't believe his results. When I told him the news of his overall and age group result and his run time, Karel was in shock. Although he retired from the sport of triathlon many times during the race, Karel is looking forward to heading back to the big island where we will race together in our 4th (Karel) and 5th (Marni) Ironman World Championship.
For many athletes, there's a constant allure that the more perfect you are with your training and diet - if you do everything "right" - success will come your way.
If you ask any "successful" athlete about his/her road to success, there's a 99% chance that he/she will tell you that true success involves taking risks and it also involves failure. The best part about failing is that it gives you an opportunity to learn from the given situation and not being perfect means that you are always learning and there is room for improvement.
In looking back at our 2017 racing season, Karel and I both feel that it was a very successful season of racing. While there were some less than ideal situations that we faced before and on race day, we have learned all too well that you don't have to have a perfect race for it to be a successful race.
With the 2018 triathlon racing season awaiting us, I thought it would be a great time to reflect on our 2017 season.
Great Clermont Triathlon Marni - 1st overall female - 2:21.47 Karel - 2nd overall male - 2:08.16
"Good things come when you least expect them."
After 3.5 rewarding and exhausting days of non-stop training, education and supporting our campers at our All-Levels Clermont camp, we concluded the camp with the Great Clermont Olympic distance triathlon. This was a no-stress race for our athletes (and for us) to dust off the rust and to be in the race environment. We had a blast racing with our athletes to conclude our training camp and the results were just an added bonus.
Marni - 1st AG (35-39), 3rd overall female - 4:48.08* Karel - 3rd AG (40-44) - 4:19.46* *IM 70.3 World Championship qualified
"No expectations. No disappointments." For some reason, I was incredibly nervous for this race. A new age group for me and my first time racing on this course. It had been a long time since I had raced in an Ironman branded half ironman event so I knew the competition would be fierce for this early season race. Karel, on the other hand, had no nerves and he felt no pressure to perform. With a few Trimarnis out racing with us, we had a lot of fun out on this course and can't wait to head back in April of 2018. Since I was dedicated my entire season to half Ironman distance racing and hoping to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships at St. George, this was a nice surprise to kick-start my season. Karel ran a speedy 1:24 on the course (run time) and for the first time, he placed top three in an IM branded half IM event and also earned his spot to the 70.3 WC.
Ironman 70.3 St. George Marni - 1st AG - 5:04.41* Karel - 3rd AG - 4:32.23* *IM 70.3 World Championship qualified
"Challenges are not set to destroy you but to challenge you."
St. George had been on our bucket list for a long time. We were so excited to finally experience this challenging course. As a key Trimarni race, we were equally excited to share the experience with eleven of our athletes. The course lived up to its hype and we will be returning back to St. George in 2018 for another chance to tackle the course and to experience all of the beauty that St. George (and the community) has to offer us triathletes. Karel and I were happy to land on the podium again (a repeat of IM 70.3 Florida 4 weeks prior) but the best part was winning the division 5 category for the Tri Club rankings!
"You may not end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be."
Well that sucked. We selected Mountains to Mainstreet as a key Trimarni event as a way to bring our athletes to Greenville so that they could experience our amazing cycling routes. Sadly, Mother Nature had other plans for us with a nasty storm on race day morning. We couldn't let all that pre-race pizza go to waste so we all headed out to the Swamp Rabbit Trail for a wet and soggy run on part of the M2M run course. In looking back, maybe it was meant to be for me not to race as my legs needed a good 3.5 weeks to fully recover from St. George. We felt bad for all of our athletes who traveled to Greenville for the race but I'd like to think that this only made them hungrier for their next race.
Ironman Lake Placid Karel - 3rd AG - 9:41.35* *Ironman World Championship qualified
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Karel was ready for his return to Lake Placid after his planned DNF after the bike, in 2015, due to his torn plantar. Lake Placid holds a special place in our heart as it is where we raced our first Ironman together in 2013. The lead-up to Placid was going great until Karel found himself with a very bad sickness that knocked him out for several days during his taper (a week out from the race). With the help of some homemade potato and garlic soup (his mom's recipe for when he was sick as a child), Karel was able to improve his health by the time that we arrived to Placid. There was a lot of uncertainty for the day but Karel didn't overthink the race. It was a gusty performance and somehow, Karel managed to get to the finish line and land on the podium. He also managed to land inside the medical tent (no IV's needed, just lots of rest and broth) as he was completely depleted and exhausted from giving what he could, with what he had, on race day. It was great to share the race experience with our Trimarnis out on the course. Karel declined his IM Kona slot as we are planning to return to Kona in 2018 so the slot rolled down to Karel's friend Roman who traveled to Placid all the way from Czech!
"Some days you just have to create your own sunshine."
As another key Trimarni race, I was super excited to return back to Lake Logan for another opportunity to race on this extremely challenging course. Although a beautiful bike course, there's nothing easy about the course as it beats up your legs before a 2 loop, up and down run. Knowing that there would be some competition out on the course (my good friend Katie Morales), I was excited for the opportunity to race to defend my overall win title (even though I knew that Katie would take that title from me). To summarize the day, I felt very flat on the bike and it was frustrating. Although I was able to put together a very strong run off the bike, I just didn't have it. Oh well. I was pleased to finish 3rd overall female and to have this race behind me as my next focus was my big race of the year - the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
"Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about."
With my entire season devoted to this one race, using the word disappointed would be an understatement. After smashing my face on the floor on race day morning due to blacking out quickly after getting out of bed, I not only felt sad about missing this race but I also was concerned about my health. Luckily, after lots of testing, I was cleared to return back to racing but without another race on my schedule. Karel had no pressure for worlds as his focus was on Ironman Chattanooga just two weeks later. Surprisingly, the course suited him very well and he shocked himself by placing 8th in his AG. It was a fantastic way to finish the weekend despite me not being able to race. Thanks to Karel's good thinking, I registered for Ironman Chattanooga (foundation entry) as my comeback race. While I didn't train specifically for Ironman Chattanooga, it felt so right to be racing an Ironman as my last race of the season.
Ironman Chattanooga Marni - Female amateur champion, 1st AG - 10:28.50* Karel - 2nd amateur male, 3rd overall, 1st AG - 9:20.55*
*Ironman World Championship qualified
"Good vibes, positive energy and amazing souls are all I ever want around me."
Words can't describe how great it felt to start and finish Ironman Chattanooga. We had 14 other Trimarnis racing, including 2 first timers and I had some unfinished business in Chattanooga to take care of. I was super excited for Karel and that I could be on the same course as his first AG win and oh-so-close to finishing 1st overall male. I was shocked beyond belief to have won my first Ironman as an amateur as it's something that I have been dreaming of and was a big goal of mine for 2018. A big thank you to my body for allowing me to do amazing things with it on race day. The IM Chatty run course was so challenging, especially with the heat, but I had a reason to finish what I started despite all the pain and hurt that comes with Ironman racing. Karel accepted his slot to Kona (as that was his plan for the season) whereas I declined my spot so that another deserving female in my age group could experience racing on the big island of Kona. I'll be returning to Kona as a spectathlete!
Nothing makes me happier than riding my bike in the mountains, especially in and around Greenville. Although a fun event in Greenville, I was excited to "race" the Hincapie Gran Fondo with Karel as my domestique to pull me along. It was so much fun to suffer with Karel and I felt strong throughout the entire 80-mile (8,000 feet of elevation gain) route, all while tackling three of our difficult climbs (and everything else in between). What a great way to end the season!
Along with our races, we put on 4 training camps this summer. It was a lot of work but so rewarding and fun!
Karel and I like to set big goals in early season in an effort to keep the motivation high throughout the upcoming year. However, we never want to lose the fun and passion of this hobby so all goals come with no pressure or extreme changes in our lifestyle.
For next year, Karel's "big goals" are to get close to the 9-hour mark at Ironman Austria and to try to place top-10 at IM Kona. He realizes that the Kona goal is a big stretch goal but it's something that means a lot to him and hopes to one day achieve it.
For next year, my "big goals" are to break 10-hours at Ironman Austria and to place overall female amateur at Ironman Wisconsin. Although I can't control who shows up and what will happen on race day, these two goals are getting me super excited for my 12th consecutive season of triathlon training and racing.
2016 was an eventful year for us. It was hard to select our top moments so here are a few of our favorites memories each month (with links to the blog post) from last year.
Looking back, 2016 was a very successful season for me and Karel.
I fulfilled a long time goal of placing on the podium at an international Ironman, where I finished 2nd AG and 4th female amateur (10th overall female) at Ironman Austria. It was also my highest ever overall placing in an Ironman since winning the 18-24 AG at IMFL in 2006 (my first Ironman). Only this time, 11 Ironmans later, I finished 54 minutes faster than at my first Ironman (10:06 at IM Austria vs. 11:00 at IMFL).
I placed overall female at the Lake James 50 triathlon.
Eight days later, I was leading the race by several minutes with 1 mile to go, at Rev3 Knox, until a pink arrow lead me and several others off the bike portion of the race course. Due to a 6+ mile detour, I tried to make up the 15+ minutes that I lost on the bike and missed the win by less than a minute. Bright side - I had the fastest female run split of the day (running frustrated and on a mission!).
And to conclude the season, a win at Lake Logan Half which was the result of a very strong performance on a very tough race course, and one of my best executed bike performance.
And, let's not forget Karel's 3 very successful Ironman finishes (IM Austria, IMMT, IMKona), 3 overall race wins, an IM podium (and Kona qualification) at IMMT and the fastest male amateur run split at IMMT.
While successes are worth highlighting (it's good to acknowledge when you are doing something right), it would be wrong for me to not mention the many, MANY lessons, mistakes and failures that have occurred since I started racing in endurance events back in 2006.
I'd like to bring up my horrible decision in 2007 when I decided to race my first Kona with an injury. No running for 30 days due to hip issues and a quick-fix, please heal me, approach to every doctor that I saw, only to try to get myself uninjured before race day, results in extreme damage to my body during and after the race. With a stubborn head, I finished (and made it onto the NBC Kona broadcast coverage - yep, I was one of those athletes falling across the finish line) and it negatively affected me for several years (like 6!).
I'd like to bring up 2011, where I didn't race a single triathlon for the entire year, except IM Kona in October, due to another 3 months of no running (hip/back issues) and a time-consuming dietetic internship that took up every hour of my day (10+ hours a day of interning and school work) for 10 months.
I'd like to bring up the 3 months that I didn't run before IM Placid in 2013 and managed to get myself into as good of shape as I could, to feel prepared for that race, with only 8 weeks of consistent running. This also occurred during the time when my dad was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic cancer. Somehow, I managed to get to the start line and qualify for Kona with a roll down slot.
I'd like to bring up the 6 years that I suffered from chronic hip/back issues, which caused many days of frustration, tears and anger toward my body. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to quit the sport of triathlon throughout those 6 years and how much time was spent on PT, doc appointments and anything and everything to try to get myself healed.
And let's not forget Karel's recent issues, with a tear in his plantar fascia just 5 months before his first Kona in 2015 and then a diagnosis of a labral hip tear this past May and painful back issues leading up to IM Austria.
I should also mention the passing of my dad, three days before my birthday in 2014. This is something that I deal with on an ongoing basis. I don't think you ever get over the loss of a loved one, especially a parent.
You see, failure is a step to success. Actually, it is the road to success.
Perhaps you have followed us for many years or you are a new Trimarni follower. Regardless, it is important that you understand that our successes are not without failures.
I don't know that I will ever be able to document my 10 years of learning into one blog post but I will continue to document my journey on this blog, with the intention of inspiring you and motivating you to never ever give up on your dreams. If you don't give up, you never fail. You just keep on learning.
Sure, we can call it a failure when we get injured, race poorly or make some kind of bad decision in training but failing is an opportunity to learn....that is, if you see it as a valuable opportunity to learn.
The way I see it, I have successfully failed to get to where I am today.
As a sport dietitian, coach and still developing triathlete, I have 10 years of formal education with 10 years of endurance training and racing behind me. I have learned a lot in 10 years and I don't believe I'm even close to reaching my peak performances by my boy. I think Karel, even at 40 years of age, still hasn't reached his best. He's getting faster, stronger, more efficient and smarter as an endurance triathlete with every season. And next season will only be his 6 season of endurance triathlon racing.
Thanks toBrad Brown with The Kona Edge, I was recently given a special opportunity to share some of my lessons learned along my successful (and not so successful) journey.
We had such a great conversation talking about all things triathlon, Kona and coaching, as well as discussing my thoughts on race weight. I hope you enjoy hearing about some of the mistakes that I've made over the past 10 years as an endurance triathlete.
Although this podcast may be about me, Brad wanted to make sure that this podcast interview was also educational, so that I could discuss practical advice to help athletes move closer to reaching personal athletic goals, without compromising health.
Is success a feeling or an action?
Is success a time or placement or from something more internal?
In looking back at our 2016 racing season (starting from December 2015), we would define 2016 as a successful racing season.
Perhaps the most successful racing season for both of us (in my 10 years of endurance racing and in Karel's short 4-years since he started triathlon training).
While the wins, podiums and PR's can define success, our 2016 success wasn't defined simply by our end results.
A few things come to mind when it comes to defining "success" in 2016.
-Consistency - despite a major setback with Karel in late May with a MRI diagnosis of a hip labral tear, followed by SI joint/back issues, which followed 11 months of overcoming a plantar tear, Karel was still able to train somewhat consistently to absorb a lot of training stress throughout the season. These injuries required a lot of help from PT's, massage therapy and doctor visits but also a smart mindset with the ability to focus on the can's and not the cant's. I have not been injured in over 3.5 years (after 6 years of chronic hip/back issues) which has not only helped me become more resilient but I have improved my confidence in racing as I can take more risks when I train and race with trust that my body that it is not fragile, but instead, it's very strong right now.
-Team approach - we have a strong support system. We believe in a team approach when it comes to coaching our athletes and when it comes to our own individual athletic journey. We like to surround ourselves with professionals and resources to give us the help, guidance and assistance that we can not give ourselves. We have a great coaching mentor, we have amazing sponsors, we have supportive friends and family and we have highly educated and experienced professionals to help us when we have problems...and you better believe that we use them a lot!
-Hard work ethic, not obsessed - it goes without saying but to achieve great things, you can't have a mediocre mindset. You also can't fear failure. Karel and I are passionate about our sport and training has a defined place in our lifestyle - but triathlon is not our life. We set boundaries for ourselves in terms of finding that right balance between being extremely dedicated to our sport and putting in the work but also staying extremely focused on our business, on our athletes and our close friendships and family. I don't think balance is necessarily the right word as there is a constant shift in daily priorities. Sometimes training is not a high priority.
-Moving on - it's great to be critical of yourself in terms of seeking improvements. We are never too hard on ourselves as constantly focusing on the bad and bashing the body can be limiting when it comes to development. We find it somewhat easy to move on from a bad workout and we never over-analyze a race. While we do express thoughts about what didn't go well in a workout or race, we make sure to each keep us both in check so that we don't dwell too much on the past but instead, stay focused on forward progress.
-Having fun - whether it's part of our lifestyle or we just love to swim/bike/run, training is always fun. Some workouts are miserable and sometimes the motivation to train is low but in the end, our triathlon hobby makes us happy. A big part of keeping our training fun is staying processed driven and not outcome obsessed. Being too focused on end results can be mentally exhausting.
-Staying healthy - while some things are out of our control, great performances come from a healthy body and mind. Our healthy habits drive our actions....not our performances. Eating enough, fueling smart and sleeping well keep us healthy. When we are healthy, we can perform consistently well. Far too many athletes take extreme measures with training and the diet, only to achieve marginal gains. Many short term fixes prove to be performance enhancing but in the end, they have long term consequences. Our healthy lifestyle choices will never take a backseat to training harder or longer.
I have not been sick since 2007 and Karel has not been sick since 2009 or 2010. Neither of us have ever had a stress fracture or broken bone.
-A smart approach - we are all about improving performance with the least amount of work possible. This doesn't mean we seek "easy" when it comes to boosting our fitness but instead, we take a smart approach to training and racing in order to set us up for the best performance outcome. This season has been filled with many lows, surrounded by many successful race day performances. Ironically, a big component to our racing success has been the concept of learning how to train and race smarter.
As we become laser focused our triathlon goals for our 2017 racing season, our 2016 racing season has given us a lot of confidence to dream a bit bigger next season.
Thanks for being part of our triathlon journey - your support means a lot to us.
We hope that we can inspire you to dream big and to be willing to work hard for your goals.
A fun race to break up the monotony of our foundation training. Funny enough, despite no speed work, we both ran really well due to a heavy focus on strength training in our foundation phase.
Concluding a 4-day triathlon camp, all of our campers raced in the Olympic triathlon. With no pressure on race outcomes, many of our campers placed on the podium!
First ever overall half ironman win for Karel as a triathlete. What an exciting day for him to cross the line in first place, for the very first time in a half ironman. He also ran speedy fast!
Our first ever double win! We selected this race because of the location but also because it was a week prior to our key early season half IM races. It was nice for me to get out some racing nerves but also to place on the top of the overall podium with Karel.
Karel's third overall win of the season! Karel targeted this inaugural local race as his first key race of the season and the race that he wanted to win. Escorted by a motorcycle for almost the entire race, Karel left it all out on the course with an incredible performance from start to finish. And what a run! This course was extremely tough.
2nd overall female due to a 6 mile detour at mile 55 of the bike course.
Despite the detour, I placed 2nd but missed first place by less than a minute. I lead the swim and the bike before the detour and nearly missed first place overall. I was incredibly sad about the detour but it fired me up for IM Austria.
Karel was in tremendous back/hip pain going into this race after the long travel but somehow managed to pull it together on race day and run his fastest ever marathon in an Ironman.
I achieved my big goal of placing on the podium (top 3) at an international Ironman. I also had a few personal bests throughout the race.
Overall female win!
I achieved my second season goal of winning the Lake Logan half IM. I had a PR for my overall time and left it all out on the course - this was one of the hardest bike courses I have ever raced on (St. Croix is up there with it) and I biked extremely hard without fearing failure - I was willing to take some risks for my last key race of the season.
(My other season goal was to win Rev3 Knoxville but the detour on the bike course detoured that goal from happening...but I still gave it my all.)
Although not a race, I participated in the 4-day Greenville camp just 5 days after winning Lake Logan half IM. I suppose I was on a high and filled with endorphins after Lake Logan because I pushed really hard at the camp (encouraged by Coach Matt and Paul and inspired by the other campers). The Monday after the camp, I was completely exhausted. We traveled to Mont Tremblant a few days later and my body was completely empty. I called it a season as I needed a full 2 weeks to recover from my season. I decided to sign up for the Hincapie Gran Fondo on October 22nd as a fun "race" event instead of training for another half ironman in September. As a coach, I learned so much from taking part in this camp and as an athlete, I was pushed to my physical limits.
Just 8 weeks after a super performance at IM Austria, Karel ran his way into 2nd place for his age group on a very tough (chilly, pouring rain) day of racing. He also had the fastest male amateur run split. This was also a key Trimarni race, which made it even more exciting to see so many of our Trimarnis in action on the race course.
Not a race or a performance-enhancing trip but instead, a fun trip with a few guy friends to ride road bikes in CO and check out of life for a few days (Karel also did some running and a little swimming in the hypoxic conditions out West).
OCTOBER
Ironman World Championship
Kona, Hawaii
25th AG, 7th fastest AG run
There's a saying that reads "forget all the 99 reasons why it won't work and believe in the 1 reason why it will work".
Just six weeks after a dig-deep performance at IM Mont Tremblant, which came just 8 weeks after IM Austria, Karel set out on his 3rd IM since June - in extreme hot and windy conditions, on a tough race course.
Karel was mentally and physically in a great place and it was almost as if he felt like he didn't race the prior two Ironmans (and 3 prior endurance triathlons) as he felt fitter than ever and not the least bit burnt out or fatigued. Coach Matt Dixon designed a smart training block for Karel between Mont Tremblant and Kona, due to the short turn around. It's almost as if he was racing himself into shape over the summer! We don't recommend this strategy....there's probably 99 reasons why it won't work!.
As I always say - thank you body for letting me live this extreme lifestyle filled with activity, travel and pushing my limits.
There may be a day when I can't do this with my body but now is not that time.
2017.....we can't wait to see what you have in store.
No doubt, it will be filled with challenges, obstacles and low moments but if you dream it, there's a good chance that you can achieve it with the right mindset and dedication.
Favorite country visited: Italy
Best food: South Africa
Most unique race experience: Xterra South Africa
Most humbling race: Whitewater Off-Road Triathlon 
Favorite team race: IM 70.3 Gulf Coast 
Most fun racing experience: Lakeside double sprint
Most memorable finish line: The Stone extreme triathlon (Karel)
Most surprising race result: IM 70.3 Louisville 
Favorite open water swim: XTRI Norseman 
Favorite run course: Ironman Chattanooga
Best day on the bike: Gavia to Stelvio to Gavia - 8:43 ride time. 105.22 miles, 17,261 feet gained.
Most fun trip: Cozumel 
Bucket list race: Paris Roubaix (Karel)
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