'24 Whitewater off-road triathlon recap
Trimarni
On Saturday 5/4 we kicked off the first race in our racing block:
💫Whitewater Off-Road Triathlon (Charlotte, NC)
💫Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast (Panama City Beach, FL)
💫Xterra Oak Mountain (Pelham, Alabama)
Three races over three weeks.
We define a racing block as 2+ races within a 4-ish week time frame. Although we've completed racing blocks in the past, this race block approach is unique in that we have been training on three different bikes (road, TT, mountain bike) and running on road and trail. Preparing for events with different skills, terrain and physiological demands has been fun for us as it adds variety to training and keeps our body and mind sharp.
We love racing blocks as it is the culmination of several months of periodized training and intentional overload. Knowing that there won't be much "training" between each race, arriving to a racing block healthy, fit, strong and resilient is the goal.
Within each race of the racing block, we will recover quickly, sharpen and race again. This allows us to get familiar with the dynamics of racing: understanding race intensity, managing nerves/emotions, nailing sport nutrition, execution, perfecting transitions, stretching the comfort zone. After each race, the confidence and excitement builds for the next race.
After this racing block we will recover from three weeks of racing and then build into our next training block as we prepare for our XTRI events:
⭐Karel: 6/29 Stonebrixiaman (Italy)
⭐Marni: 8/3 Norseman (Norway)
We drove to the Whitewater Center around 9am. We got stuck in a little traffic and arrived a little after 11am. We quickly changed into our cycling gear and I rode the first few miles of the race course and Karel rode the last few miles. We regrouped at the parking lot at noon to meet with four athletes attending our MTB skills clinic.
We started in the gravel parking lot, working on skills like stopping, balancing, cornering and "rowing." We then headed on to the race course. We spent the next few hours riding the race course and stopping at specific sections that required a certain skill set. Karel rode in the front and I rode in the middle to help call out advice for certain sections, like "seat down."
We were really impressed with the skills of our campers as they showed great awareness and ability to make quick decisions. It was also a great opportunity for me to recon this course as the Whitewater Center trails are extremely technical. Although there are some challenging sections requiring a lot of power and skills, the most challenging part for me is the tight turns on roots and between trees. The single tracks are really narrow and filled with jagged rocks or roots. I have improved a lot with my ability to go over rocky and rooty sections but my struggle continues to be tight turns at faster speeds.
After the ride, it started the drizzle and we finished the session around 4pm. We changed and waited around until packet-pickup at 5pm (they opened early so we were able to check in at 4:45pm). We drove ~20 min to our friend's house to stay for the night. Karel had sushi and mashed potatoes and I had leftover spaghetti w/ veggie meat sauce and mushrooms. We were both very tired so we went to sleep around 8pm and slept great throughout the night.
We woke up at 4:50am, at our pre-race meal (bagel + PB and jam for me, oatmeal for Karel) and got ready for the race. We left around 5:55pm to drive the 20 min to the venue. It was wet outside from overnight rain and the forecast was showing heavy rain around 10am.
Thankfully no rain when we arrived. This was a small event with first come first serve in the transition area. We set up our transition and then gathered our swim gear to make our way to the water. This race is unique in that there is a half mile run from the swim to T1 on a gravel path so it's advised to leave shoes by the water for after the swim.
The race meeting was at 7:15am at the dock and the race started a little late, around 7:45pm.
The water was fresh (around 67 degrees) but felt great after a short warmup. I have been experiencing some anxiety around open water swimming ever since ICON XTRI so this was a good opportunity to work through some of those negative thoughts.
When the race started (in water start) I went strong for several minutes and then settled into a good rhythm. I was 3rd out of the water. I have been swimming a lot so I was really happy with how I felt in the water. There were two buoys for sighting (one on each far end of the out and back course). I climbed out of the swim via the dock ladder, ran to my shoes, took my wetsuit off and put my socks and running shoes on and ran up the big hill to the gravel road, carrying my wetsuit around my neck. I was able to get in and out of transition before Karel.
On to the bike, I soft pedaled to let Karel get ahead of me as I knew he would pass me early on in the bike and the first part of the bike is a rooty downhill.
We started in the gravel parking lot, working on skills like stopping, balancing, cornering and "rowing." We then headed on to the race course. We spent the next few hours riding the race course and stopping at specific sections that required a certain skill set. Karel rode in the front and I rode in the middle to help call out advice for certain sections, like "seat down."
We were really impressed with the skills of our campers as they showed great awareness and ability to make quick decisions. It was also a great opportunity for me to recon this course as the Whitewater Center trails are extremely technical. Although there are some challenging sections requiring a lot of power and skills, the most challenging part for me is the tight turns on roots and between trees. The single tracks are really narrow and filled with jagged rocks or roots. I have improved a lot with my ability to go over rocky and rooty sections but my struggle continues to be tight turns at faster speeds.
After the ride, it started the drizzle and we finished the session around 4pm. We changed and waited around until packet-pickup at 5pm (they opened early so we were able to check in at 4:45pm). We drove ~20 min to our friend's house to stay for the night. Karel had sushi and mashed potatoes and I had leftover spaghetti w/ veggie meat sauce and mushrooms. We were both very tired so we went to sleep around 8pm and slept great throughout the night.
We woke up at 4:50am, at our pre-race meal (bagel + PB and jam for me, oatmeal for Karel) and got ready for the race. We left around 5:55pm to drive the 20 min to the venue. It was wet outside from overnight rain and the forecast was showing heavy rain around 10am.
Thankfully no rain when we arrived. This was a small event with first come first serve in the transition area. We set up our transition and then gathered our swim gear to make our way to the water. This race is unique in that there is a half mile run from the swim to T1 on a gravel path so it's advised to leave shoes by the water for after the swim.
The race meeting was at 7:15am at the dock and the race started a little late, around 7:45pm.
The water was fresh (around 67 degrees) but felt great after a short warmup. I have been experiencing some anxiety around open water swimming ever since ICON XTRI so this was a good opportunity to work through some of those negative thoughts.
When the race started (in water start) I went strong for several minutes and then settled into a good rhythm. I was 3rd out of the water. I have been swimming a lot so I was really happy with how I felt in the water. There were two buoys for sighting (one on each far end of the out and back course). I climbed out of the swim via the dock ladder, ran to my shoes, took my wetsuit off and put my socks and running shoes on and ran up the big hill to the gravel road, carrying my wetsuit around my neck. I was able to get in and out of transition before Karel.
On to the bike, I soft pedaled to let Karel get ahead of me as I knew he would pass me early on in the bike and the first part of the bike is a rooty downhill.
I knew the bike course was going to be technical and slippery but I didn't realize how much my skills were lacking for this course on this day. My focus was riding smooth and clearing obstacles but I quickly learned that I needed to change my focus to navigating the terrain safely. After a few miles, I slipped on a root and my handlebar hit a tree and I went down hard on my left side. I got back up and several miles later, I felt again. The roots were so slippery, it felt like I was riding on ice. I was getting frustrated and also my confidence was dwindling. Karel also crashed on a wooden bridge (that didn't have any netting) and despite doing everything right that he was trying to do, he crashed and broke a spoke and also his shifter broke (thankfully it still worked but he had to hold it in a certain way to allow it to shift).
I was passed by a female around half way on the bike. Her skills were incredible. I was trying to mimic what she was doing but I was still so unsteady and unsure. I was getting passed by more male riders and it got to a point where I would get off my bike to go over sections that I would normally have no trouble with, just because I was so worried about crashing. The truth is no matter how much I want to improve my turns, I don't ride my MTB enough to see a noticeable improvement in these skills.
When I got off my bike and ran to T2, I was so relieved. It was raining and I was so ready to be off my bike on those trails. Because of all the slow riding and getting off the bike so many times, my legs felt relatively fresh for the run. From the first step, I felt great.
I saw Karel as I was climbing up the road and he was running down the climb. I told him that I crashed so many times and he said that he did as well. It felt good to exchange this information.
The rain was coming down and my goal was to run as strong as I could to see how close I could get to the 1st place girl. I really enjoyed the run. The up and down nature of this trail run made it so much fun. And with the rain coming down, it was like I was playing. I was really happy with how I felt on the run, especially on the slippery trails.
After I crossed the finish line, the rain was coming down hard. Karel met me at the finish line and we quickly got our things, showered at the Whitewater center, loaded the car and then drove home.
Results:
Karel - 2:15.59, 2nd overall
Marni - 2:45.32, 2nd overall female
Mistakes are tough. Feeling your shortcomings can make you feel like you are a failure. But mistakes are needed in life. Anytime you try something for the first time or you are learning something new, you are going to make mistakes. This doesn't make you a loser or a bad person. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and to improve. Making mistakes shows that you are trying. Making mistakes and learning from those mistakes is part of the continuous learning process of being human.
The next time you feel yourself struggling, ask yourself:
-What am I struggling with?
-Why do I feel this way?
-What can I learn from this situation?
In our society, flooded with highlight-reels on social media, it's easy to see a successful outcome and not see the work, struggles, setbacks and perseverance that were part of process of achieving success. Hardships are core to growth. The path to success included failure. Learning from your mistakes is key to self-improvement.
Learn to fail. Own your mistakes. Never stop learning.
I saw Karel as I was climbing up the road and he was running down the climb. I told him that I crashed so many times and he said that he did as well. It felt good to exchange this information.
The rain was coming down and my goal was to run as strong as I could to see how close I could get to the 1st place girl. I really enjoyed the run. The up and down nature of this trail run made it so much fun. And with the rain coming down, it was like I was playing. I was really happy with how I felt on the run, especially on the slippery trails.
After I crossed the finish line, the rain was coming down hard. Karel met me at the finish line and we quickly got our things, showered at the Whitewater center, loaded the car and then drove home.
Results:
Karel - 2:15.59, 2nd overall
Marni - 2:45.32, 2nd overall female
Mistakes are tough. Feeling your shortcomings can make you feel like you are a failure. But mistakes are needed in life. Anytime you try something for the first time or you are learning something new, you are going to make mistakes. This doesn't make you a loser or a bad person. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and to improve. Making mistakes shows that you are trying. Making mistakes and learning from those mistakes is part of the continuous learning process of being human.
The next time you feel yourself struggling, ask yourself:
-What am I struggling with?
-Why do I feel this way?
-What can I learn from this situation?
In our society, flooded with highlight-reels on social media, it's easy to see a successful outcome and not see the work, struggles, setbacks and perseverance that were part of process of achieving success. Hardships are core to growth. The path to success included failure. Learning from your mistakes is key to self-improvement.
Learn to fail. Own your mistakes. Never stop learning.