Xtreme Triathlon race recap - stage 3

 

All things relative, we slept much better after stage 2. It was nice knowing that we didn't have to drive to the start of stage 3 - the finish of stage 2, lodging and start of stage 3 was all in the same area. We "slept in" until 5:30am and made our way to the swim start around 6:45am. Because we were so exhausted after stage 2 (93 miles of racing) that we didn't prepare as much as we should have after the race so we felt a bit more scattered and busy on the morning of stage 3. Al was a huge help as he packed up the car for us so that we could have a little more time to get ourselves ready in the morning. 

I failed to mention that going into the race, there was a chance that the event was going to be cancelled (or modified) due to hurricane Eta. Thankfully, the hurricane changed direction but it did leave Crystal River, FL (stage 1) with a bit of debris on the road (and trails). The weather could not have been more perfect during our event (no rain and in the upper 60's-upper 70's for stage 1 and 2). The only issue was that the hurricane brought some wind that stayed with us for all three days - regardless of our riding direction, it was windy. 

Although we slept better (still restless), our appetite for food was pretty low. But not eating was not an option. We laughed that it took us almost 90 minutes to finish our pre-race meal (oatmeal and toppings for Karel - hot water from the skillet and a bagel w/ nut butter, yogurt and toppings for me). This is all too common that extreme exercise can negatively impact the appetite so we prioritized energy dense food before/after each stage. 

After preparing our bottles and packing our gear bags, Karel and I rode down to the swim start (a minute down the road) - the spin was actually rather nice to move some blood. Al drove the car down to the swim start shortly after he finished packing up the car. 

We set up our transition area pretty quickly as it felt a bit like groundhog day. You could feel the energy that everyone was excited that this was the last stage of the event but also a bit sad because it was the last day that we would all get to do what we love to do with our body - swim, bike and run and test our physical and mental limits. At this point, the race staff knew us all and the overall vibe was much more relaxed.

After the national anthem (which we all sang because the loud speaker wasn't working - it was actually a beautiful experience), we made our way to the water for the pre-race athlete briefing and then the swim start. 

Karel and I were joking before the start that this stage was the shortest stage and we were brushing it off like NBD (no big deal). But then we thought about it that we were still racing for 82 miles today (2 mile swim, 67 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). Karel's cumulative racing time after 2 days (and covering 216 miles) was 14:49 and mine was 16:11. And now we were about to cover over a half ironman distance.  It's funny how perspectives can change. It was also a mindset boost knowing that this was the final day of racing so we didn't have to save anything for the next day. Although, there wasn't much left in us to leave it all out on the course. 

2 mile swim
Just before 7:30am, we jumped off a dock and into the dark, murky water of the camp Keystone lake. I was expecting the water to be a bit icky from the looks of it but it actually felt rather fresh. Exactly at 7:30am, the horn blew and we were off to complete our last swim of the Xtreme triathlon. Karel was really tired and he did not go out hard like he did in the past two races. I liked the 3 loop, counter clockwise, triangle-like course as it didn't feel long but it was long enough to settle into a rhythm. The sun was a little bright in the first section but other than that, it was easy to stay on course. I started to inch my way ahead of Karel during the first loop and that lead started to grow in loop 2. I didn't have my normal build effort but instead, I just stayed steady with each loop. My "strong" effort for the day didn't feel too strong so I just focused on my technique - making sure I was catching the water, driving my hips forward and staying taut. 

After finishing up loop 3, I made my way toward the dock and exited the water on a ladder. The ramp to the shore was rather uncomfortable on my feet and with the sandspurs on the grass, they allowed us to leave our shoes or sandals by the shore so that we could put them on before we made our way to the transition area. I slipped into my HOKA sandals and made my way to the transition area. And sure enough, here comes Karel sprinting past me. 

I thought that I had a bigger lead but Karel started to feel stronger as the swim went on and he inched himself closer to me. I figured there was no point digging deep in the swim as I needed to conserve all the energy I had left for the upcoming bike and run. 

We ended up in the transition together. Karel swam 54:33 and I swam 54:20. We exited the transition pretty much at the same time (Karel just ahead of me) and then we rode out of the camp site. 

67 mile bike

The first few miles into the first hour was kinda a hot mess for us. We got ourselves a little lost/confused in the first mile, then we weren't sure if we needed to stay on the trail or go on the main road. Our garmin map was giving us different directions than what we read in the guidebook map. Plus, with this stage, there was a trail option and road option so it was a bit confusing for our computer. Karel was feeling completely empty inside and his quads were really sore. He could barely pedal. Since we were somewhat close together as we were trying to figure out where to go, I rode ahead of Karel and he stayed draft legal behind me. 

I forced myself to eat early in the ride even though I didn't want to chew or stomach any solid food. Drinking was easy as it was already over 80 degrees and sunny when we started the bike. 

Once we made our way to main road (a nice race volunteer told us that we were on the right part of the course - mental fatigue sure does make you doubt yourself!), Karel started to get his legs back and rode away from me. I felt like I didn't have it in me to push any harder so I just focused on my own effort. 

Technically, this bike was not a lot shorter than stage 2 bike so it still felt a bit long. Plus, we had long segments of road (like 10+ miles at a time without a turn in sight) as we made our way from the middle of the state to the Atlantic ocean in Palm Coast, Fl. It was also really windy, often with the wind at our face. For this bike, I just focused on keeping myself relaxed as I was sore in my upper body. It would have been easy to just sit up and stretch out all the time but that would have costed more energy (and time) as the wind was in my face. This bike ride was all about doing things well and staying focused with my body posture and pedal stroke. 

I met Al at our 41 mile sag stop and he told me that Karel was only about ten minutes ahead of me. I thought I had been riding really slow (I felt like I was on the struggle bus) but hearing that I wasn't that far away from Karel was a good motivation boost. I spent around 6 minutes at the sag stop as I wanted to reapply sun screen as it was getting really hot out. I also cooled myself with some water reapplied AMP cream for a little boost in the legs. After I left Al, I "only" had about 25 miles left to go. 

The bike portion on stage 3 was a little more exciting as we were making our way to the Atlantic ocean. We used to live not too far from Palm Coast (in Jacksonville, FL) so it was cool to ride on some familiar roads that we used to drive on. I continued to enjoy the scenery and to express gratitude to my body for allowing me to do this incredible adventure without sickness, health issues or injury. There was one relay team from Gainesville that was a huge energy boost every time I saw them. They would give me the biggest cheer from their car or when they stopped to change relay positions on the bike. 

I had to spend over 2 minutes at one big intersection because the light never changed for me (twice) but after I got rolling again.

The 14 miles after leaving Al were tough - physically and mentally. It was a long straight segment of road and it was really windy. Staying aero and staying focused on my pedal stroke was mentally challenging but I just focused on one mile at a time. As I started to smell the salt water and feel the sea breeze, I was excited to make the left turn onto A1A as I was welcoming a nice fast tailwind. 

Nope. 

Wind again. 

The next 7 miles were long but I just focused on clicking away one mile at a time. I had no idea how my body would allow me to run for a half marathon so I tried to enjoy my time on the bike (even though I was ready to not ride my bike anymore). 

When I arrived to the transition area, I was so relieved to make it there safely and to hear that Karel was only less than ten minutes ahead of me. I finished the bike in 3:31 (3:20 riding time) and Karel finished in 3:20 (3:13 riding time). 

13.1 mile run
I was in no hurry to exit the transition area. With the finish line being in a different location than the bike to run transition, I was a little sad not to have Al there but I was looking forward to seeing him at our cooler stop around mile 6-7. I took my time in the transition area - changing my top, applying sunscreen and putting on my run gear. I made the mistake of moving off the sand and onto the grass - not realizing that I stepped into a pile of sand spurs (ouch!). So I had to spend a few minutes picking out each sand spur from my sock. Also, since Al wasn't there, I decided to run with my phone in my naked belt as I didn't want to leave it in the transition bag (sitting out in the hot sun). Karel did the same. 

When I started the run, I felt like my feet could barely get off the ground. I was sore all over and my body was really tired. But I just focused on one mile at a time (stay in the mile you are in) and I tried to imagine myself on different sections of road back at home (some of the places where I enjoy running). It was very warm out so I was happy that I decided to put my cooling towel in my transition bag (it was wet and in the container it came in so it stayed wet). Karel also wore his cooling towel. As we did in every stage, we also had our Naked running band with 2 flasks each filled with sport nutrition. 

The first few miles were lonely as I made my way south. I kept with my run walk strategy of running a mile and then taking a 20-30 sec walk break. This actually helped me loosen some fatigue and after a few miles I started to find my rhythm. I was actually shocked that I was holding around 8:20-8:35 min/miles for most of the run - albeit I needed the walk breaks to help me out but they were well worth it as I was able to get back into good run form pretty quickly after each walk break. Of course, the walk breaks felt so good so it was a mental battle to make sure those walk breaks during go too long. 

Karel felt pretty good on the run but he said that his quads were really sore and tired. We both focused on trying to make running feel as "easy" as possible. Controlling our form was key in helping us keep one foot in front of the other. 

Around mile 4.5, I started the "off road" trail section and I loved running on the boardwalk bridges and under the tall trees. I wanted that section to last longer but it was only 2 miles so I really took advantage of it as I felt really good on the trails. It even started to sprinkle a little bit which was so nice! 
After exiting the forest/trail, Al was there with the cooler and I was so happy to see him. He actually ran with me for about a mile which was so needed. I finally saw Karel and he looked so good and I gave him a big smile. The next 6 miles were really tough. It was windy and the miles felt really long. I told myself that my "finish line" was at the turn around 8.4 miles. Once I got there, I checked it off and then had my next "finish line" at mile 10.5. I was so happy to finally get to the cooler and to see Al there waiting for me. He told me that our friend/athlete/assistant coach Joe was going to meet Karel at the finish line (Joe lives in Jacksonville and came to watch us finish and to drive Al back to his car at Joe's house where he left it). 

Having Al there with me was so good as I was really struggling. We didn't do much talking as I had to stay focused - one foot in front of the other. I was still shocked to see that I was running so well but boy, I needed those walk breaks to keep me going. I told myself that once I got to the beach (a little over 12 miles), I would be so close that the last mile would feel so easy. HA. 

First off, climbing the sand dune to get to the beach forced me to a walk as I could barely get my feet through the sand. And then once we got to the ocean (which was beautiful and gave me a huge sigh of relief that I was so close to finishing this extreme event), the sand was so soft that I couldn't even run. With almost a mile left, I couldn't tell if I should laugh or cry. 

Al was made sure to keep me in a good mood so he was having fun zig zagging up and down the sand to find a packed place to run. He even told me "look - those are Karel's Nike shoes - run there!" I laughed and told Al I would rather just follow the paw prints in the sand. 

As we got closer to the finish line, I could see the big flags blowing in the wind. It was an epic last mile to finish an epic race. Karel was there waiting for me (along with Joe) and it was such an incredible feeling to think about what I had just done. I gave Karel a quick kiss and hug before stepping over my last finish line of this three day, three stage race across the state of Florida. 

Crossing the finish line as 2nd overall (around 40 minutes behind Karel) was just the icing on the cake. This race was all about you vs. you. Mind, body and soul. I walked to the finish line just to savor the last few steps and lifted the finisher tape above me with great relief.

I could not wait to take off my shoes as my feet were soooo sore. Out of everything on my body, my feet hurt the most, then my quads/calves and then everything else. There were times during the run when I felt like my toenails were falling off and I stopped just to press down my nails but thankfully, all was ok (no lost toenails!). 

Within a few minutes after taking pictures and wobbling my way to Joe's truck, I enjoyed a few slices of pizza that Joe brought and we all chatted about this epic adventure. Karel and I were so happy that we completed the event in good health (and without any major niggles or issues). With this gratitude came joy that we didn't have to do anything on Monday! 

I finished the 13.1 mile run in 2:03.02 and Karel finished the run in 1:35. 
Total time for stage 3 was 6:38 for me and 5:58 for Karel. 

Total for all three stages (292 miles = 6 miles swimming, 242 miles biking, 50 miles running): 
Karel: 20 hours and 47 minutes.
Marni: 23 hours and 16 minutes.

A few fun stats (times from our Garmins):
 
Swimming average pace per 100: 
Stage 1 (Marni/Karel): 1:24/1:17 (Karel's garmin thought he swam 3900 yards but we finished around the same time)
Stage 2 (Marni/Karel): 1:33/1:34
Stage 3 (Marni/Karel): 1:27/1:29

Biking average speed: 
Stage 1 (Marni/Karel): 20.6 mph/21.9 mph
Stage 2 (Marni/Karel): 20.4 mph/20.6 mph
Stage 3 (Marni/Karel): 20.1 mph/20.7 mph

Running average pace min/mile
Stage 1 (Marni/Karel): 8:50 (8:21 removing walk/stop breaks*)/6:56 min/mile
Stage 2 (Marni/Karel): 9:01 (8:28 removing walk/stop breaks)/7:07 min/mile
Stage 3 (Marni/Karel): 9:21 (8:47 removing walk/stop breaks)/7:18 min/mile
*I wanted to show how my walk breaks help me run steady and that they don't cause massive slowdowns in my running. It's a strategy that I firmly believe in to help with consistent running.

After the race we drove to T2 to get our bikes and then made our way to our Airbnb a few miles down the road for a well-needed shower, real food and lots of salty snacks. 

Xtreme Triathlon Race Recap - Stage 1

When we arrived to the transition area at Hunter Springs in Crystal River, it felt like any other triathlon. Although there were only 17 participants, the atmosphere felt familiar. There was music, spectators (crew for each athlete), an announcer, lots of signage, rules to follow, race volunteers and staff, and a fenced in transition area. While this event was technically called a "gathering," it felt really good to be showing up to a triathlon race - especially after a season of cancelled races. 

After setting up our transition area and turning in our run gear bag to the race staff (for them to bring to T2 - which was ~102 miles away in Ocala), it was almost time for the national anthem, followed by the athlete pre-race meeting. The energy around us was positive and there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the group. We instantly felt like we were all part of a family. 

2 mile swim

Karel and I lined up near the front on the grassy/sandy shore and exactly at 7:30am, the event officially started. We were treated with a crystal clear swim but sadly, no sightings of any manatees this year. The swim course was 10 loops of a ~350 yard counter clockwise course. While ten loops may sound tedious and boring, it was actually a great way to start the race. Once we got familiar with the loop, it was easy to settle into a good rhythm. In typical fashion, Karel went out fast for the first two loops. Later he told me that he didn't feel like it was a hard effort, but he said it felt really easy. I couldn't help but laugh at Karel for swimming away from me. 

In my head I chuckled at myself and thought "don't you worry Karel, I'll catch you soon." After a few laps, I was back on Karel's feet and swam away from him. I got myself a little confused on my laps near the end so I lifted my head up and our crew support Al told me that I was on lap 8. The race staff was keeping track of the loops for each athlete as it was a continuous swim in the water (no exiting the water). I started to build my effort a bit and finished the 2 mile swim in 50 minutes and 18 seconds. Karel exited the water around 20 seconds behind me in 50 minutes and 39 seconds. Our average pace was around 1:24/100 yards. 



Within a few steps, I removed my wetsuit, cap and goggles and handed my swim gear to Al who was outside of the transition area (crew wasn't allowed inside the transition area). Although our typical motto is "nothing good happens in the transition area - get in and out" we didn't feel too rushed transitioning from swim to bike. I even sat down to put on my gear. We turned on our Garmin bike computers as well as our Varia radar lights and put on our cycling gear. Although it felt like we were in the transition area for forever, it was all of less than 3 minutes (2:16 for Karel and 2:50 for me). Karel left on his bike just a little ahead of me but by the time I mounted my bike after the mount line, I was still able to see him in the distance. We were required to wear our bib numbers on the bike and all normal USAT triathlon rules applied (ex. no drafting). And if you were wondering, Karel and I had no plans to ride together (and no way he would let me beat him out of the transition area) but it was nice to know that we were somewhat close to one another throughout the first hour of the bike. 

102 mile bike

Going into this event, Karel and I felt a little overwhelmed with the course maps. Even after reviewing the course maps that were provided to us online and in our race swag bag (a full binder of printed maps), it was still a bit different for us knowing that we would be self navigating throughout each bike leg. Although the race staff did a great job marking the entire course (all but the trail sections which were not allowed to be marked due to the permits allowing us to only be a "gathering" and not an event due to Covid), we were required to follow all of the rules of the road like stopping at stop signs and lights. We also had to navigate through a few busy segments of roads (crossing lanes) to get to the more quiet segments of road. Whereas most triathlon races have police to control certain segments of road and you can often rely on having athletes around you to keep you on course, this part of the race was a very different from most races. 

But like most events (even the ones that are familiar), sometimes our thoughts of what could be are different than what really is. In other words, sometimes the mind can make a situation more scary or confusing than it really is. After a few miles, all of my worries started to settle. Between the course being well marked with plenty of ground and sign arrows, the course map loaded into my Garmin and Karel being within eye sight ahead of me, I felt much more confident. At one point, Karel and I ended up at a red light together and after a few lights, Karel rode away (he got lucky and got a lot of green lights while I got the red lights). And just before I made my way to the Withlacoochee trail, Al drove up behind me in our car at a light so it was nice to see him (Al didn't follow us on the course but instead met us at our pre-decided SAG stops). 

Although this was a different style of racing with 3 days of triathlon events, stage 1 felt really familiar. It felt much like a normal Ironman distance triathlon so we raced it as if we were racing any other long distance event - but without the pressure or need to dig deep. We set out wanting to give our best, explore our limits and of course, have fun. We didn't take it easy and didn't ease up a lot if it felt too hard. We trusted our good health and resilience that we would be able to overcome the fatigue from a long day of racing to do it all again the next day (and the day after). 

Once I got onto the trail, I had almost 30 miles of something that we don't get to do very often - ride aero! With almost 30 miles of flat, paved, car-free trail, it was fun to spend a bit of time in the aero bars (I still got out of aero every now and then to stretch my back/hips). Although there were plenty of aid stations (around every 20 miles) throughout the bike course, we only relied on Al for our refill stops. We coordinated our refuel stop at mile 66 (which was also an event super SAG stop - plenty of items to refuel). Not only was it necessary to grab our prepared bottles from Al (to fuel and hydrate for the rest of the bike) but it was something to look forward to. Like the special needs stop in an Ironman distance triathlon, it really helped looking forward to an opportunity to put our feet on the group. Knowing that we could have a quick break to experience Al's positive energy and to break the long bike portion into two segments was something to keep our mind in a good place. Karel and I had our phones on us (allowed and encouraged at this event) in the case that we needed to communicate with Al but we only needed him for that one stop. Al continued driving on the main roads to T2 so that he would be there ready for us after our bike. 

I continued to fuel and hydrate like I would in any other Ironman event but I did try to take in a bit more calories than normal of solid food knowing that I was not just fueling for this day but also in need of keeping my body well fueled for the next two days. I didn't consume any "real" food during the event but all sport nutrition products (easy to consume, easy to digest, well formulated and effective). I took one bathroom stop along the trail and while I needed to go once more after I stopped to see Al, I was able to wait until I arrived in T2. Karel stopped a few times for bathroom breaks. I did stop a few times to stretch out my back as I was having a few tight spots (probably from so much time being aero) and didn't want anything to get too sticky in my hips/back and affect me on the run. 

As for the effort that we gave during the bike, it was steady and strong. I wouldn't say that we held back too much but instead, just rode a strong effort with the energy that we felt from being fresh on day one. 
Like usual, we had low moments and had to adjust. The weather was great - in the upper 60's when we started. It stayed cloudy most of the day as the temps entered into the 70's. As we raced, we made sure to keep things in perspective as we wanted to race with gratitude. We thanked the volunteers and anytime we saw other participants (ex. run) we cheered them on. Karel felt really good on the bike and didn't have any major back pains. We both enjoyed seeing some familiar segments of road that we would drive on when we visited by parents in New Port Richey when we lived in Jacksonville, Fl. 

It was great to arrive to T2 because it was a location that we were familiar with! Back in 2014, Karel and I raced the HITS Ocala half distance triathlon in the same location of the run of Stage 1 and the swim of Stage 2. Karel finished the 102 mile ride in 4:44 and I rode 5:05. This includes all of our stops. Actual ride time was 4:55 for me and 4:39 for Karel. 

18.6 mile run 
When I arrived to the transition area, Karel was already out on the run course. Al greeted me at the transition area. I took my time in the transition and also went to the bathroom before the start of the run. I didn't rush the transition from bike to run. My transition time was 6 minutes and Karel's was 3 minutes. I wanted to make sure that when I crossed the line to start the run that I was ready to start running. 

With a 3 loop run course, my plan was to run the first loop to get into a good rhythm and then run loop 2 with Al. Per the rules of the race, we were allowed to have a run support with us (on two feet, not wheels) during the run of each stage. 

Karel was flying on the run although I never saw him running. As for myself, I felt tired and stiff. It was a long run for me and I really struggled at times. My shoes felt heavy and the trail section (which I usually enjoy) didn't feel too good. But with this race experience was an opportunity to push through boundaries and barriers. So instead of giving up or finding the easy way (walking), I just broke down the race into one mile at a time. I made the mistake of running too long without a walk break on the first loop so after Al joined me, I started to incorporate more planned walk breaks. I know that not taking walk breaks in the first loop contributed to never feeling good for all 18.6 miles of the run. And that's a long time to run without feeling like I ever settled into a rhythm. Al strategically put the cooler with our running flasks at mile 3, which was allowed us to access it twice on each of the 3 loops. Our crew was allowed to give us nutrition at any point on the run. I really enjoyed having Al as my pacer as it helped me to keep my mind busy and off the motions of running. Once more athletes started to arrive to the venue, it felt good seeing other people on the course. With an ultra endurance, 3 day event like this one, it was clear that every athlete was racing for their own reasons - not against one another. I was passed by a lady who was part of a relay and she was flying. 

It worked out great that I was nearing mile 12 as Karel was finishing his run. This was perfect timing because I was refilling my flask and I was watching Karel cross the finish line as first overall. He ran a blazing fast time of 2:09 (6:58 min/mile)! I'm used to Karel finishing around ~6 miles ahead of me in Ironman events so this was no surprise for me. Talk about the gut punch when Karel is done and I still have another 45-60 minutes of running to go. After Karel cleaned up, he went back to our cooler stop (mile 15) and cheered for the other athletes and helped to keep me going as I was about to finish up loop 3 (the trail section). The run was ~3 miles pavement, ~3 miles trail). Al ran almost 12 miles with me and it was so good to have his company. I finished the run in 2:45 (8:54 min/mile) which included a lot of short walk/stop breaks after the first loop. I didn't feel empty or too sore when I finished but I was certainly exhausted and tired. 

Karel finished first in 7:49.49 and I finished 2nd in 8:50.14. 

Funny story: As Karel was starting his run, the race staff was not expecting him so quickly. Karel ended up running past the volunteer girl who was marking the run course. She told him where to run as she was marking the course.  :) They also weren't expecting Karel to run so fast so they made him run back through the finishing chute again so that he could hold up the finisher tape (it was so special that every athlete got to hold up the finisher tape for crossing the finish line). 

After the event, we cleaned up, had a Skratch/milk recovery drink, ate lots of salty snacks and headed to the hotel to unpack, pack, sleep (kinda) and do it all over again the next day at 7:30am for stage 2. 

RESULTS STAGE 1
STAGE 1 PHOTOS