Rev3 Knox and M2M half ironman - quick recap

I've always been under the impression that to be a great coach, it's very difficult to coach and be an athlete at the same time. While many great coaches were former athletes, it can often be challenging to develop athletes to reach their goals while you, the coach, are training for your own racing goals.

While I have been an athlete longer than I have been a coach, I am still learning as an athlete and as a coach. As the sport of triathlon changes every year, I also find myself racing differently to adapt to our ever evolving sport.
With this being my 10th season of endurance triathlon racing, I can honestly say that it was only a few years ago that I started to really understand how to "race" in a long distance triathlon.

Ever since Karel got his feet wet in the sport of triathlon just 4 years ago, he has taught me so much about racing. I absolutely love watching Karel race and I feel so lucky to share the behind the scene racing moments with Karel. As a former cat 1 cyclist, Karel is exceptional at suffering through pain but he is also very smart when he races. He is patient with his development, he doesn't race with an ego, he has great sportsmanship, he trains incredible hard, he stays present during his workouts and he loves competition.
Karel applies tactics to every race, adapts quickly under pressure and never chases times, watts, speeds or paces when he races.

What I love so much about our sport (triathlon) is that it's very unpredictable. I love the dynamics of racing in a 3-sport event and how every course race has its challenges. I also love the camaraderie that is shared among all levels of athletes on race day - with every athlete having his/her own reasons for showing up and participating in our awesome multisport event called triathlon.

Although Karel and I are triathlon coaches, we are also athletes. I am not sure if we would be great coaches if we stopped being athletes.
I believe that we are in the prime of our racing years and while this doesn't mean that we put our business second to training, we recognize that we are still learning about the sport and we learn best by putting ourselves through the same situations, scenarios, workouts and experiences as our athletes.

At every race, we learn something.
Boy on boy, did we each learn a lot this past weekend. 

We face adversity, we overcome challenges and we suffer just like everyone else.
Although Karel and I will always live a very active lifestyle, when it comes to training and racing, we just can't simulate race-day scenarios in training. The best way that we can learn, grow and develop as coaches is to be athletes.

Karel and I raced in two different states this past weekend, with Karel staying local to race Mountains to Main Street (M2M - our new local half IM event by Set Up Events) in Greenville, SC and I traveled to Tennessee to race Rev3 Knox.

We were both accompanied by several of our Trimarni athletes as we both proudly support Rev3 and our local events in Greenville.

The M2M course suited Karel thanks to a lake swim (wetsuit legal), challenging bike (58 miles) and slightly hilly (for the first 6 miles) and then net downhill run.
Whereas when we raced Rev3 Knox last year (in the rain) I really loved the type of climbs on the bike course and the rolling hills on the run. Sadly, the run course was changed to eliminate the hilly section but it turned into a two loop run which was just fine as I love loop/out and back courses.

Karel and I each had a goal of placing overall male and female, respectively, at each race. While we didn't know who would show up on race day, a better way to describe this "winning" goal was that we were both willing to take a lot of risks to race as hard as we could on race day.

Karel and I had mentally, physically and nutritionally (ex. dialing in sport nutrition/hydration with every long workout as well as optimal pre-race foods) prepared for our races all season. Although we still have Ironman Austria approaching in 5 weeks (yippee and yikes!) and then Karel will race IMMT, we were both fired up for our early season "key" races.

After racing the Lake James 50 last weekend, we both felt like we were ready and willing to suffer to try to reach our goal. There were no paces, time goals, watts or metrics to chase - our focus was only on the nearest competition and swimming, biking and running as (sustainably) hard as we could possibly go for our races. 

Karel and I both had our challenges on race day - which is to be expected when you willing to lose in order to win.
I hope I can do my best to summarize our race day so bear with me as I try to gather the right words to give two detailed race recaps, each with their own high moments, shortcomings, challenges and obstacles. 

Mountains to Main StreetKarel
1.2 mile swim: 31:12
T1: 59.98
58 mile bike: 2:34:48
T2: 38.02
13.1 mile run: 1:24.03
Total: 4:31.35
Overall winner




Rev3 Knoxville
Marni
1.2 mile swim: 31.11
T1: 2:16
56 mile bike (+6 mile detour): 3:07:57
T2: :58
13.1 mile run: 1:39.07
Total: 5:21.29
2nd overall female 

Race to your full potential

Performing at your best requires an effort that goes beyond your old limits. This new limit (or unexplored territory) means that you will ask your body and mind to do something unfamiliar on race day.

If you are racing this weekend, you are capable of achieving something incredible on race day. 

However, first you need to get past all the self-doubts, fears, insecurities, pressures, anxieties and nerves that are possibly holding you back from achieving greatness on race day. 

While there is nothing wrong with pre-race nerves, it is important that you believe in your fitness and your ability to overcome anything that comes your way on race day.

Trust that you have done the work that you needed to do and be confident in your abilities. 

Do not take your race day for granted, especially if you are not sick or injured. 
Don’t live your life waiting for a better time to do something or assuming you will have another opportunity.  

Racing is hard. It hurts.
Acknowledge it, accept it and embrace it.
Pushing through fatigue, sore muscles, uncomfortable breathing, it’s not easy and it can sometimes be painful. When your heart is racing, your muscles are aching and your body is suffering.....this is exactly what you trained for!
Don't convince yourself that you want to give up or “take it easy."

When you are in the hurt locker on race day (which you will be), this is a reminder that you are feeling exactly what you trained to feel on race and that you are mentally and physically tough enough to hop on the pain train.

It's time to bottle up your energy. Have trust in yourself. You’ve done the hard work.
Race day is your reward.
Racing is fun.

It’s a hobby. Remind yourself how lucky you are that you have friends and family who support you and also who believe in you. There are so many people out there who wish to have the focus, patience, dedication and discipline that you do to put in the work to train for an event.
So many individuals struggle with consistency and balance in life, but not you. You found a way to get it all done. Be inspiring so you can show others, who are just as busy as you, that it is possible. 

There is absolutely nothing else that you would rather be doing on your race day.
You have trained early in the morning and late at night for THIS one day.
You have made sacrifices for this day and you have had a commitment to yourself that you would put in the work, for THIS day. 

While this may not be your only race this season, this is not just another race. 

So what now?
You put in the work and now it’s almost time to put all that training to the test. 

You need your mind to be ready for race day. 

It’s not going to be easy. You will have high moments and low moments. Enjoy the highs and when you have a low, remember all those great workouts that you had in training, even when you thought you weren’t going to have a good workout. 

Don’t forget that race day goal that helped you finish all those hard sets or start a workout when you just didn’t have the energy.  

Focus on things within your control and be prepared for every possible oh-no situation on race day. 

And most of all, visualize yourself succeeding. Believe in yourself and your abilities.

Tell yourself your race day goal - out loud. Be brave.
What is that goal, deep inside your heart, that you want to accomplish on race day?
Is it a place, a time goal, a feeling?

What is it that you worked so hard to achieve on race day?

Don't limit yourself.

Race to your full potential on race day. 

Reduce the pre-race stress

Racing is fun but it is also very stressful.
Stress can be a response to things out of your control whereas nerves can mean you care about your result.

I hate to be the party pooper but every athlete is going to have challenges before and/or on race day - whether it's the weather, terrain or something outside your control or feeling really, really uncomfortable because you are giving a hard effort.

While it is important to focus only on things within your control and to not waste energy on things out of your control, trying to control everything can increase anxiety when things don't work out like you had hoped for.

My suggestion......stop worrying about what's completely out of your control and put positive energy into trusting yourself, your fitness and your ability to overcome anything that comes your way before and on race day.

Race day is an opportunity to show off your consistent training efforts - not besting or matching what paces or watts that you held in training so that you can achieve a specific time-goal outcome.

Don't assume you are going to have a bad day because it's windy, hot/cold or rainy. Race day rewards a great effort and a smart execution.
Don't waste away months of training on worries, doubt or fear.With the conditions you are given on race day, be sure to race your nearest competition with your current level of fitness. 

Racing is all about being proactive. It requires extreme focus to troubleshoot every situation and to not get ahead of yourself (don't think about how you are going to feel on the run when you are swimming). You must execute in the best possible way, on your race course, with the weather you are given on your race day.

The only time you will know what you are capable of achieving on race day is when you cross the finish line, knowing that you gave your absolute best effort and overcame everything that you experienced on race day. 

To race to your full ability and to achieve the best possible outcome, you must understand that racing is a process - it's dynamic and it's very task driven. This is why we encourage athletes to race a few times at lower priority races before racing in a key race so you can go through all the motions and emotions of racing.

When you race, your entire race is built on steps, with each mile affecting the next mile. While there are many things within your control, holding x-watts or x-pace to give you x-final result is not true racing. 

While it may seem as if having metric guidelines (ex. hold x-watts or x-pace) or a time goal to chase will give you comfort so you race to your potential and/or you don't blow yourself up, putting all your energy into the end result will likely cause you to lose focus on the elements that you can control - your fueling/hydrating, the course, your economy, how you manage your efforts (based on the terrain and weather), your mindset and what your body is telling you at each moment during the race.

To help you relax your mind before a race, focus on simply being present during your race. Give your best effort. Be grateful for what your body can do and what it allows you to do. Be proud of your discipline, which allowed you to gain fitness for your race day.

Don't stress about the outcome.

The best race day outcome is determined by how you manage what you can control and how you overcome what you can't control.... from start to finish.

Enjoy the challenges that you will experience on race day and don't stress out before you start your amazing day with your awesome body.

New eats. Well-Bred

Enjoying the basil strawberry lemonade from Laughing Seed.

I have spent many, many years figuring out the role of food in my life. While I want my food choices to positively affect my health and athletic performance, I have also worked hard to discover a way that I can eat, perform well, and still function well in life to enjoy the things that mean so much to me, like being with Karel, traveling and spending time with close friends and family.
Ultimately, my diet enhances my life and it does not control my life.

Seeing that my career and formal education both revolve around food, it would be easy to assume that I am obsessed with food.
While I am passionate about food and have dedicated my life to learning about food and how it impacts the physiology and health of the human body, food is not my life. I eat when I am hungry, I feel satisfied and I move on with my life. OR, I eat when I need the energy to perform, I train to maximize my performance, I recover and I stay consistent with training.

How about you? Do you find yourself at ease with your diet, comfortable when eating out or when someone else prepares your food and happy when you eat?
Or, do you find yourself stressing, obsessing, feeling guilty, restricted or overwhelmed by food.

There are no food rules and certainly no off-limit food lists in our diet.
Neither of us have ever followed a diet plan.
In my opinion, this is food freedom. 

I feel it is important for every athlete to understand what foods work best for your body and when.
Regardless if you have a clinical reason to avoid certain foods, you want to lose/gain weight or you feel otherwise healthy, I believe that every individual should have flexibility with the diet but with enough structure that assists in reaching health goals and athletic expectations.

While this is easier said than done and takes time (and consistency), one way that I achieve food freedom and a great relationship with food is not obsessing about my weight.

While Karel and I could both probably be leaner, skinner, thinner or however you want to describe the body image, there's a line that neither of us want to cross when it comes to our enjoyment of food and what it would take with our diet to be "less" with our bodies.

If you know anything about me and Karel, we absolutely love trying new restaurants, specifically when we travel. While I try to not be too adventurous with my eating before a race to ensure a happy tummy with familiar and easy-to-digest foods, traveling (especially for a race) provides a unique opportunity to be inspired by new foods, new recipes and new creations.

While returning home from our race (Lake James 50), it took a good 2+ hours or so before either of us had enough of an appetite to eat a meal. I looked up places to eat in Asheville, NC and came across Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe.



Seeing that the name made our mouth water, we couldn't wait to eat our first "real" meal of the day (around 3:30pm)


Decisions, decisions. 


Karel ordered the Tempeh sandwich with sauerkraut and melted cheese on marble rye with a side of pea salad. 

I ordered the breakfast burrito with eggs, potatoes, beans and cheese with a side of salsa and sour cream. 

For dessert, Karel ordered (his favorite) Key Lime pie and a piece of rugelach.

We both shared each other's meal as they were both delicious and we wanted to each share the yumminess with each other.
Lucky for me that Karel doesn't mind vegetarian food options as it isn't that often that I can eat what Karel eats at a restaurant.

After the meal, we left the restaurant with happy tummies, feeling absolutely great with our food choices.

Lake James 50 - race recap

Although the Lake James 50 race was not a key race for me and Karel, we gave it our best effort as that is what race day is all about.
No training session will ever prepare you for all the emotions that you feel on (and before) race day when you want/expect your body to perform and no workout will take you through all the motions of racing as race day is dynamic and you are constantly trying to be proactive to set yourself up for a better next mile, all while trying to delay fatigue.

As I mentioned in my last blog, this venue was absolutely beautiful. The challenging bike and run course allowed us to race and to not be tied to any metrics to control or time goals to achieve.

Rather than writing about the race, I thought I would document this special double win occasion with a video. And rather than just me giving all the play-by-play details, Karel joined me for a special video blog recap from the Lake James 50.

A few extra details that we left out of our recap:

PRE RACE NUTRITION: 
Night before the race (in our hotel room - Comfort Inn, around 7pm)
Marni: Rice + veggie burger + fruit
Karel: Rice + veggie burger, a little chicken + bread (and butter)

Race morning (in our hotel room, around 6am)
Marni: 2 waffles + natural PB + cinnamon + banana and a handful of granola
Karel: Oatmeal + chocolate Bolthouse yogurt drink
Coffee (from french press that we brought) + Water

Race morning (at race venue)
Marni - sipping on 16 ounce water (from plastic throw away bottle)
Karel - 1 bar + 20 ounce water (with ~140 calories in it) to sip on (didn't finish it all)

SPORT NUTRITION: Bike: Marni: 2 x 24 ounce bottles (each with 280 calories, 70g carbs(with 15g as dextrose/cane sugar and 55g as maltodextrin, ~700mg of sodium). Each bottle was a different flavor.
Consumed both (sipping 4-5 swallows of bottle every ~12-15 minutes or a sip as needed)
Extra (JIC - just in case) bottle of 100 calories.
Karel: 2 x 24 ounce bottles (each with ~220 calories, ~550mg sodium).
Consumed 2 "gummy bears" (Margarita Clif Bloks)
Consumed one It's the Nerve before the swim and one before 2nd loop of bike.

Run: Marni: 2 x 10 ounce flasks (Nathan Hydration Mercury 2 belt) each with 100 calories (1 heaping scoop Clif Hydration Cran Razz)
Consumed a total of 1 flask (100 calories and 10 ounces water) in addition to a few tiny sips water from aid station while cooling the body
Karel: 4 x 10 ounce flasks - 1 with gel and 3 with each 1 scoop sport drink.
Consumed 2.5 flasks (120 calories, 30 ounce water) + a few sips of gel flask.

GEAR
Marni:
Clothing: Canari one piece short sleeve tri suit, Oakley Women continuity sport bra, CEP calf sleeves, newton socks
Swim: Xterra vengeance wetsuit, Speedo Vanquisher goggles
Bike: Bontrager shoes, Oakley sunglasses flak 2.0, Giro attack (no shield), Garmin Edge 810, Alto Wheels CC-56, Solestar kontrol insoles
Run: Brooks Pure Flow 4 running shoes, Nathan Mercury 2 hydration belt, Clif Bar visor, Garmin 910

Karel:
Clothing: Canari one piece short sleeve tri suit, CEP calf sleeves
Swim: Xterra Vector Pro, Speedo MDR 2.4 goggles
Bike: Lazer Wasp Air helmet (with shield), Alto Wheels CT-56 front, 86 rear, Bontrager RL road high visability shoes, Solestar insoles, Garmin Edge 810
Run: Oakley Radar vent, Cupcakes with Cal BOCO Gear hat, Nathan 4 flask belt, New Balance Zante V2 running shoes, Garmin 910

Lake James 50 - the double win (quick recap)

I heard about the Lake James 50 event (by Set Up Events) from a nutrition athlete of mine (thanks Stephanie!) a few weeks ago. After giving it some thought and talking it over with Karel, I figured it would be a great opportunity for me to get out some nerves before Rev3 Knoxville.
It was only 2 weeks ago when Karel mentioned that he was interested in the race too so we thought it would be a fun opportunity for us to both race together on a tough course.
And for only $100 as the registration fee, it was hard to turn this race down, even if just for a "tune-up" race.

The event featured a 1 mile swim, 40 mile bike and 9 mile run (although it was shortened to 8.4 miles on race day due to logistics of the run course in the state park) which was just long enough to test our endurance fitness before our key races next weekend. Seeing that Karel and I will only be racing together in Ironman Austria this year, I looked forward to the opportunity to race with Karel - as he has a special way of helping me suffer better on race day.

The race course was absolutely beautiful and the event staff was great. We couldn't find one thing about this event that we didn't like. Then again, we both absolutely love really hard courses that include a lot of hills.

This course did not disappoint our expectations!

The weather was low to mid 50's when when arrived to the race around 6am and by the race start at 8am, it was in the 60's. The high for the day was predicted to be in the mid to low 70's and sunny. The water temp was 73 - so wetsuit legal.
The swim was a two loop triangle swim with ample buoys to stay on course. After one loop, we exited the water for 5-10 steps and then ran back into the water for loop two. 

The water was calm, clean and fairly clear for swimming.

After exiting the swim, we ran up a sidewalk (uphill) to T1. With this being a small race and only around 100 athletes, the transition was easy to navigate through. Karel and I have always been big fans of smaller races as it provides a very fair and low stress racing experience. Plus, we like to support the smaller event companies.

The bike course started in Lake James Beach park with around 2.2 miles on undulating terrain, which was also our run course. It was hard to establish a nice riding rhythm from the start so once we exited the park, we had 2 loops of 18 miles of rolling hills (with a few longer climbs) to get into "race" mode.

The course was very well marked with orange arrows on the road and very little traffic. The course only had 3 turns which made it very easy to navigate (and each right hand turn had a volunteer and/or police officer). We felt very safe on the course and overall, the road pavement was great (then again, anything is better than our pavement near the mountains in Gville :)

When Karel and I drove the course on Friday evening before the athlete meeting (the day before the race), we kept saying out loud "this is going to be hard, this will be so much fun!" If that is any indication of how much we love hard courses. 

Karel and I both prefer hilly and technical courses which allow us to use our bike skills and muscular endurance. While my cycling has been a work in progress over the past 10 years, I am constantly finding myself feeling more and more comfortable executing well on the bike on hilly courses. Karel, on the other hand, is made for hilly, hard and technical courses thanks to his lifetime of bike racing.

The 40 mile bike course was filled with mountain and water views with a sprinkle of farms and the occasional farm animal for me to say hello to (yep, those furry ones always get a hello from me, even on race day).

After 36 miles of riding, the bike courses finishes with 2.2 miles in the park with another preview of the run course.

If you like running up and up and up hills, with the occasional downhill (this run course feels like it has far more uphills than downhills), this is your run course. For Karel and myself, this run course was made for us. Although it's never easy running hills off the bike, our legs favor the change of rhythm of running hills vs just running flats as we can run strong on hills and we don't have to be "fast" (although Karel would say that he likes hilly bike courses and a flat run but he doesn't mind a hilly run too).

Whereas the bike had one aid station with water (per loop), the run course had two aid stations (so about 1 each mile). With the run course being two loops (out and back twice), it was easy to break this run into segments.

And if you love running loops like I do (or out and backs), you will absolutely love the turn around which is a scenic look-out point at the top of a hill. It kinda made you want to stop and enjoy the view!

The finish of the run lead us down to the beach (where we started) and it was a straight shot on packed sand to the finish.

We plan on racing this event next year as we absolutely loved the course, the venue and the Set Up Events staff (and state park staff) was very welcoming, helpful and caring. 

And, with the race venue only being around 40 minutes from Asheville, NC there are many places to eat at (and yum) before and after the race.

This race distance (longer than an Oly and shorter than a half) is perfect for any athlete who is looking for a long distance tri early season to build confidence on hilly terrain, to use as a supported training day, to dust off some rust after several months of winter training or to shake out any pre-race nerves before another key race.

Karel and I will be giving our full recap of the race in my next blog.

RESULTS

Karel - Overall Male Winner -

26:57 swim (4th fastest male swim)
1:47:19 (1st fastest bike)
54:53 (2nd fastest run)
Total: 3:11.26

Marni - Overall Female Winner -

25:19 swim (1st fastest female swim, 2nd overall fastest swim)
1:58.20 bike (1st fastest female bike, 7th overall fastest bike)
1:04.03 (2nd fastest female run, 9th overall fastest run)
Total: 3:30.33 

A big thank you to our amazing 2016 Trimarni sponsors.

Finding the right professional

With so many experts out there who are doing what I do for a profession and so many experts who have decades more experience than I do, I carefully select the mentors from which I learn from and the same is true for the professionals that Karel and I welcome into our life to help us with our own needs.

Seeing that a mentor has experience, I find this valuable as I want to understand different approaches and methods to help me determine the most appropriate advice that aligns with my philosophy and that will help me better serve my coaching and nutrition athletes. 


With so many experts out there, here are some ways that I select the professionals that help out with our coaching athletes (ex. physical therapists, sport psychologists, PhD researchers, other coaches, etc.) as well as the experts who I look up to and consult with as mentors. 

1. You believe in his/her philosophy. When you have insight on how an expert approaches situations and how he/she helps others, you will gain trust in this individual as you have similar views and understand his/her methodologies. 

2. Your expert has credentials, competence, experience and a good reputation. 

3. You feel safe and not judged by your expert and you feel like you are treated like an individual. 

4. Your expert has a specialty area or is an expert in a specific field, based on personal experience and formal education.

5. Your expert is actively involved in learning with continuing education, writing and speaking.

6. Your expert has patience for you and does not rush your journey. She/he doesn't have a quick fix or an one-approach-only method.

7. Your expert gives you his/her full attention, provides a supportive environment and does not ignore or dismiss your questions during your consultation. Your expert values a team approach when working together.

8. Your expert challenges you and wants you to step outside your comfort zone. She/he doesn't tell you exactly what you want to hear or give you false or too-good-to-be true promises.

9. Your expert maintains your confidentiality.

10. Your expert doesn't change his/her approach based on what is "in" or trendy, especially when  she/he can sell something to you in order to buy you into his/her method.

As you search for the best expert(s) to help you with your personal needs, keep in mind that the same expert may not work for two different athletes.

Always understand what you need from an expert, keeping in mind that not every problem has a clear or easy answer. 

Despite having knowledge, education and being the full package, experts are not magicians and there is no wand to cure a problem in one day or in one session. 

Are you seeking help?

Do you find yourself using forums to gather advice on yourself when you are vulnerable and in need of help?

Did you ever consider that the people giving you advice are strangers, knowing nothing about you, your life, your struggles, your needs, your journey and your goals?

While forums can be a great place to learn, don't just seek help from anyone. There's an expert out there who is a professional, trained to help you with your individual needs.

Often times, when a question is asked on a forum, there are dozens, if not hundreds of responses, from all types of people. The same goes for articles and information on the internet.
While some information may be valuable and credible, it becomes very difficult to decipher between all the "this works for me" advice vs. what will work best for you.
Rather than getting a concise or clear "right" answer, you end up more confused and overwhelmed than before you asked your one question.

Be careful and very wary when seeking advice on forums (or the internet) as the information or feedback that you are given may be incorrect, incomplete or biased.

As a guideline for athletes, you should not use forums as the main outlet for the following:

-Treating or diagnosing a health condition, illness (health or mental) or injury

-Correcting or fixing your biomechanics (or form/posture/position) when training/exercising

-Dialing in your personalized daily diet and/or fueling approach

-Changing equipment or gear mid-season (or during peak training)

If you have a concern, struggle, issue or limiter in a specific area, consult with a professional (who specializes in the field of your question) that will help you understand what will work best for you and can give ongoing feedback throughout your journey.

So there lies another question.

How do you find the right professional or "expert" to help you out? 

In my next blog, I will talk about how to find the right professional to help you in your individual journey. 

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Conquer yourself

In my last blog, I talked about getting out of your own way.
I find that many athletes are so focused on what everyone else is doing that when it comes back to your own reality, you believe that you are not good enough, doing enough, fast enough, strong enough, working hard enough or lean/skinny enough.

Every day you are filled with thoughts and while some are positive, many of those thoughts can be negative interpretations of your weaknesses and mistakes.

Ultimately, when you believe in negative thoughts, you self-esteem drops.
It's easy to understand why so many athletes give up on themselves simply because of fear of failing and negative thinking.

Let's look at some of the ways that you may be limiting yourself from reaching your full potential so you can conquer yourself and achieve your goals.

PERFECTIONISM

Are you never satisfied with your effort or performance? 

Are constant negative thoughts filling your head as you are so self-critical with every action? 

Do you feel as if you are never happy with yourself or you can never do well enough? Are you  constantly wasting energy comparing your life to the lives of others?

Training and racing with a constant fear of failure and a very critical mindset will not only 

damage your self-esteem but it could also hinder your ability to improve. 

For better results in training and racing and in life, focus on small, manageable goals.
Even better, focus on executing to the best of your ability and just see what happens. 

Keep great enjoyment for your sport with a developing mindset. 

Stop the unrealistic, high expectations and focusing too much on the outcome. 

You are human.
You are allowed to make mistakes.
When you make mistakes, you learn. 

ANXIETY

Uncertainty and things out of your control can often bring anger and anxiety. 

Injuries, travel, a change in schedule, sickness, missed workouts, a bike mechanical, unplanned bad weather or GI issues.

Accept the fact that you cannot control every situation but you can control how you deal with it.

To perform to the best of your ability, you must first learn how to manage your emotions.

Athletes who can prevent frustration turning into anger, will stay more relaxed in training and 

racing.
Athletes who are confident in their abilities, embrace competition and don't stress about challenges and obstacles will notice a more relaxed mind and body. 

Identify what makes you so angry or anxious before and during training sessions and in your races. 

With every "oh no, this makes me anxious" situation that comes your way, create a go-to strategy to better handle your emotions. 

STUBBORN

It takes a lot of courage to stop doing what you are comfortable doing in order to change and work on weaknesses. 

In order to be open to change, you can't be defensive when you feel challenged or threatened, especially if you are trying to protect your ego when someone (ex. coach) suggests to try something different.
Being open-minded will allow you to experiment and to try new things. A closed mind will never let you grow. 

In sports, you can't keep doing the same things over and over and hope for different results. To be successful, you will have to make changes and with changes comes the possibility of making mistakes. 

Throughout your individual athletic journey, you can be optimistic and persistent but always be open to a different approach.   

DISTRACTIONS

Do you live a conflicting lifestyle? 

You have goals and you love to race but it can be a struggle to put in the work to train.
You know your diet is limiting your health and/or performance but you just can't seem to hold yourself accountable to your nutritional goals.

There appears to be an epidemic of being easily overwhelmed. With so much information available and the ease of being connected to everyone at anytime, there is a cost of being so distracted - it's very hard to focus on what works best for you.
Distractions are exhausting so consider how much energy and time you spend focusing on what other people are doing. How's it working for you?

Be an active participant in your life. Be present during your workouts, listen to your appetite and hunger cues during the day and always respect your body. 

Get out of your own way

If you are training for a race that is happening in the next 6-8 weeks, you may find that this is a tough time of the year. While your excitement is building to put your fitness to the test, you may find that your motivation, focus and determination to train is like a rollercoaster - some days you are exhausted and struggle to get started whereas other days you have the energy to tackle what's on your training plan...and crave more.

While all of this is normal for a hard working athlete like yourself, it's very easy to let your mind get in the way of the body.

If you don't believe me, how many times have you felt so exhausted, tired and sore, struggling to even start a workout and then after the warm-up you feel great and surprise yourself with the energy that you thought you didn't have?

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If you want to conquer yourself and reach your goals, you have to believe in yourself.

It’s human nature to enjoy doing things that come easy and are within your comfort zone and to put off things that are uncomfortable or difficult.

Don’t be afraid to fail when trying something new.
Fear of failure is often the main reason why athletes do not move closer to their goals.

Many people resist making changes because it is uncomfortable to change.

If you believe in yourself and your own ability to be successful, you will put yourself into a position to be eligible to reach your goals.
Don't let your mind be an obstacle in your journey.

Beliefs drive behaviors. 

If you believe in yourself and your abilities, you will succeed.

As a goal-driven, hard-working and dedicated athlete, it’s very easy to lose enjoyment of your sport simply because there are too many self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that weaken great training sessions and strong race-day performances.

You don't have to have perfect to be successful. You just have to give your best effort.

If this post resonates with you, identify why you are letting yourself get into your own way.

Like anything in life, goals require hard work.

If you stay focused, determined and motivated AND find a way to have fun, your goals will become reachable.

Next time you find yourself mentally unfocused or in an uncomfortable situation, don't let your mind get in the way of your body.

How do I fuel if.....

Writing an article for a magazine usually goes like this....

I pitch a lot of articles to a magazine and a few (or one or none) gets selected OR a magazine reaches out to me with an article topic for me to write about.

Back in December, after I received confirmation that I would be writing three articles for Triathlete Magazine for the May (Fueling the Vegetarian athlete), June (Sport Nutrition - progressing from short to long course racing) and July (Common fueling mistakes) issues, I was asked to write a 2000-word, feature assignment for the March/April issue on "How do I fuel if...." with the following topics discussed:
-I don't have time to cook
-I'm trying to lose weight
-I'm (going) gluten-free
-I'm a female athlete
-I bonk in races

The article would include 5 different scenarios (each around 200-300 words or the equivalent of a short article) with specific advice, tips and suggestions for each topic, in addition to a sidebar of common-race day fueling mistakes. 

Not only was this the longest article I have ever written for print (essentially, 6 articles into one) but I had a two week turnaround with a very quick deadline as it was a last minute addition to the magazine.

While reading an article after it is completed is rewarding (and hopefully, it flows well and makes sense), the process of writing an article is not easy. And I think any writer can admit that sometimes words easily flow from the brain to the fingers to paper and viola, an article is written quickly but many times, writing an article is a tough process with a lot of mental struggles, either lack of creativity or difficulty getting anything done.

When I am about to write an article, I always do a lot of research before I start typing and this includes reading a lot of current scientific studies as well as learning/understanding what the masses (athletes) are doing, not doing or are most concerned about (or struggling with). There is a lot of thinking that goes into writing easy to read, easy to apply and easy to understand sentences. Finding a way to get 2000 words on to a blank piece of paper is not an easy process but I love the challenge of being a writer.
(If I didn't write, my brain would stay filled with words. Getting those thoughts on paper clears up my head).

While this article took a lot of time, energy and brain power, and several long days of locking myself in a room (with Campy - who is a professional napper) to work on this article, I loved the challenge of writing this feature article and I am really happy with how it turned out. 

I hope you enjoy the article and can take away something helpful from one or all six of my nutrition topics.

How to be a well-fueled machine
(2016 March/April issue)

If you need a more personalized approach with nutrition or have concerns about specific nutrition topics, be sure to reach out to professional who can help in your individual journey. 

It's out of your control

As an athlete, you can control how you prepare for a race by focusing on one day at a time but you can't control what will happen on race day, until it is race day. And sometimes, even when you focus on what you can control (attitude, nutrition, pacing, clothing) things may not always go as planned so you have to adjust. 

However, you can always be prepared to handle the controllables and uncontrollables. 

Obsessing over trying to control certain situations or getting upset, angry or anxious about things beyond your control is the best way to steal away energy that you can use on race day.

As an athlete, you have to be prepared for anything on race day and you can't let a race-day curveball like wind, rain, a modified course, temperature or hills keep you from doing what you trained to do on race day.... RACE!

With this being my 10th year as an endurance triathlete but also a coach to many amazing athletes of all levels, I feel it is important for athletes to distinguish between the following:

1. What worries you that is out of your control.
2. What worries you that you can do something about. 

For examples, let's look at the following.

1. An athlete is worried about hills on a course because she/he trains only on flat roads and feels scared on hills (when riding) or not strong enough when running. While the athlete can not make hills magically appear where she/he lives, this athlete can make the investment to travel to a place nearby that does have hills to train once or twice a month to get more comfortable riding on hilly terrain. If there are hills on the run course, the athlete can run at an incline on the treadmill. Or, she/he can plan a trip to a bike-friendly location with hills to practice cycling or running on hills. If this is not possible, if anything, the athlete can arrive to the race venue a few days early before the race to get more comfortable on the race course. While the hills on the race course are out of his/her control, having the knowledge how to handle a hilly course (with the right gears, knowing how to change your gears, how to pedal efficiently, how to climb and descend safely and efficiently) as well as having some experience on hills will bring confidence to race day.

2. An athlete is worried about a bike course that has a lot of turns and u-turns. While the race course is out of your control (you can't change it), you can prepare for it. Practice, practice, practice. This is 100% within your control as you can practice your turns so you feel more comfortable on race day. Same goes for open water or running on a trail. Understand your race course and prepare yourself for what you will be dealing with on race day. If you complain about your race course and make excuses for not having a good race, but you don't practice or prepare for your course, your reasons for not doing well are not valid. If you prepare and practice but still struggle on race day, at least you tried which means you made the effort to prepare.
There's a big difference between making the effort and making excuses. 

3. An athlete is worried about the hot temperatures on race day because she/he constantly struggles training in the heat. While the temperature is completely out of your control (sorry - no thermostat for race day), you can have a very smart pacing and fueling and hydration plan to execute the best on race day. Consult a professional to help with fueling, hydrating and/or pacing if this is not your area of expertise (especially if you are planning to apply the same strategy that doesn't work in training but hoping for a different result on race day).

4. An athlete is worried about the wind or temperatures because she/he was hoping for a PR. A big part of racing is accepting that the fitness that you bring to race day is helping you perform well on race day. But you can't control the outcome. Spending all your energy on the end result will not help you race to your full capability ON race day. While the outcome may or may not be what you had envisioned, time goals help you get out bed to train (motivation) but the best performing athlete is always the one who slows down the least (race smart).

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Last year, Dr. G and I came up with a few situations on how to dodge a race-day curveball. We hope that you enjoy the article that we published on Ironman.com.

Here are two of our tips from the article:

Windy conditions-When it comes to equipment (i.e. your aero helmet, wheel depth choice, and hydration set up), it may be in your best interest to not focus so much on what’s fastest (or what the pros are using) but instead, use what you are most comfortable with, while riding on your race course. 

Windy conditions also require a lot of energy and can be physically and mentally draining. Don’t stress or obsess about your times or paces, even if your race is famous for being a fast course. Your performance will all come down to pacing. An epic bike time is worth bragging about only if you can run strong afterward. Race the competition, not the clock, and never try to beat the wind.   

Modified courseRespond, don't react. If possible, study the modified course ahead of time. If the course is modified at the last minute, remind yourself that everyone is in the same boat and probably feeling similar emotions and concerns. This should be validating, because everyone is mentally revising his or her race strategy. Remind yourself, you can't change the situation but you can choose how you respond to what happens to you. Don't react out of stress; respond by adjusting your attitude and rising to the new challenge. You didn't sign up for easy, right?

READ MORE HERE

Look closely - is there a local option?

Oh how I love blueberries.

When I was shopping at the grocery store the other day, I saw a sale, 3 for $10 for blueberries.

The winter deprives me of a wide variety of fruits so when it's time for spring, I get excited to add so many seasonal fruits to my diet.

My mouth started to water as I put the blueberry packages into my cart.
Blueberries don't last long in our house because I am quick to eat as soon as I get them.
I may be short but I have big hands when it comes to a handful of blueberries.

As always, I looked at the product label to determine if any of the blueberry options were local - I try to choose local as often as possible.

Oddly enough, there were four different package labels so I started to further investigate.


Product of USA: Fairfax, SC


Product of USA: Winter Haven, FL


Product of Mexico: Reedley, CA

For the purpose of this blog, I purchased all three packages.

In all other circumstances, I would have searched through all the blueberries to make sure that I purchased only the berries from South Carolina as eating local offers many benefits. 

• Locally grown food is packed with flavor. 
• Locally grown food is picked at peak ripeness, often within 24-48 hours of purchase. 
• Eating local means eating seasonally as farmers grown certain foods based on the time of the year when harvesting is optimal. 
• Local food preserves the nutritional value of the food. 
• Local food supports the local economy.
• Local food benefits the environment.
• Local food means safer food with less steps between growing, delivering, distributing and consumption.
  
  
  Although I don't want to stop you from eating fresh produce just because it is not grown locally, next time you shop, take a look at the label (or package) on your fruits and veggies to see if there is the option to choose local (or as close as possible).
  
  I feel very fortunate that I live in an area that takes great pride in supporting local businesses, farmers and companies.
  Greenville, SC is passionate about local.
  
  You can do your part by signing up for a CSA (community supported agriculture), growing produce in a home garden, shopping at a local farmers market or picking your own produce at a farm (we have Beechwood Farms just down the road where strawberries are in season!) 
  
  
  Whenever possible, support your local farms and farmers.  

Understand your appetite tips

Struggling to understand your appetite?
I find that far too many athletes are on the search for the perfect eating plan for weight loss, more energy and improved health. Sadly, this plan doesn't exist for the masses. Figuring out the ideal style of eating for you takes some work.

Calorie or macronutrient -focused meal plans which offer no flexibility or options do not address normal hunger and satisfaction cues.

Whereas I do like the idea of having a meal template for different meal and snack options to better understand your appetite,hunger and satisfaction and to create new nutrition habits, you can't expect a meal plan to be a forever approach to eating.

Your diet will always evolve just like you evolve from baby, to child to adult to elderly adult. And when it comes to training for an event, a periodized approach to nutrition is also a way to support your extremely active lifestyle as you develop your skills, strength, power, speed and endurance.

It takes time to work on your eating to determine what works best for you. But if you are constantly trying to do what everyone else is doing or waiting for the perfect moment to start something new, you'll waste many months, if not years, struggling to understand your own appetite.

Here are some suggestions to help you learn how to eat in a smarter way while moving closer to meeting your energy and health goals. 

1. Plan your day of eating before it happens.
You should include carbohydrates, protein and fat at your 3 meals and snack between meals (aim to eat every 3 hours).
You should not follow any diet fad or specific style of eating during this time as you need to learn what works best for you and your body.
Try to follow a similar style of eating with your meals and snacks for at least two weeks but pay attention to your hunger and fullness. Every evening, reflect on the day and make one or two small tweaks based on what didn't go well during the day. Your goal is to feel that by the end two weeks, you have a better idea of how much food is enough to leave you nourished, satisfied, healthy and energized. You have to trust yourself in this process as you may find yourself with confusing signals from the brain and belly. Even though it's only two weeks, many athletes make the mistake of doing the same things over and over and never make a change. Give yourself a week to make small changes  each day and then try to follow a style of eating for week #2 based on what worked and didn't work in week #1. 

2. Create easy options for fueling before and after your workouts.
For the athletes who have little appetite before or after workouts or for those who have extreme hunger, it is important to have a plan with your eating so you don't overeat but also so you don't undereat. If you want your body to work for you, you have to feed and fuel it properly on a consistent basis. You  need to understand what helps you fuel for an upcoming workout but also what helps you recover, replenish and rehydrate.  If you have a plan, you will be more likely to follow through with your good intentions. Consider easy to digest options which are easy to find and prepare before and after workouts. Training is stressful - don't make your fueling plan stressful.

3. Understand YOUR body.
I often hear from my nutrition athletes that they do well in the mornings with eating and then everything falls apart in the afternoon or eating. More willpower is not the answer. If you are following a diet plan or a style of eating that is not fit for you, you will spend your entire life struggling to understand how to eat and constantly hoping to do better tomorrow.
Learn to understand what works best for you. Eating is not cheating and what works for one person may not work for you. Accepting your hunger, your fullness and your individual needs is the first step to creating a diet plan that works for you.

4. Create a fueling game plan.
While it is easy to consume treats, indulgences and reward food to replenish the calories that were used in training, it's important to understand what foods, drinks and products work best before, during and after your workouts to help you better adapt to training. While you may need to work with a sport dietitian to understand how much and when you should be eating and fueling to help you meet energy, electrolyte and fluid needs, it's important to figure out what works best for you, your appetite and your body around and during your training.
Whereas one athlete may be able to eat a stack of pancakes, syrup, milk and fruit and eggs after a long run, another athlete may struggle to eat a handful of berries. In this scenario, the later athlete would benefit from a liquid recovery meal after the workout and to slowly ease into solid food as tolerated. No two athletes are the same, especially as it relates to fueling before, during and after workouts. However, every athlete should nail the basics before creating a personalized fueling plan. There are general guidelines that all athletes should follow and once these are mastered, individual scenarios and situations can be discussed.
In any case, you need a game plan that will allow you to train consistently and meet your energy needs. 

Understand your appetite

Do you struggle with your appetite?

While it is important to create a diet that meets your training, health, metabolic and daily needs, many athletes struggle with their appetite - not fully understanding, respecting or acknowledging hunger and satisfaction cues. 

Whereas some athletes eat mindlessly out of emotions, boredom or stress, use food as a reward or overeat for fear of not having enough energy for a workout, other athletes have a disconnect with the body and will many times go too long without eating, ignore hunger cues or undereat due to fear of feeling too full or uncomfortable.

If you feel hungry all the time, feel that you are constantly eating or grazing or feel that you have no or little appetite and food simply doesn't interest you, something needs to change.

It's time to better understand and fix your appetite.

As an athlete, food is your fuel. Therefore, it is important to recognize that you need to eat a lot more than the sedentary individual. However, what, when and how much you eat is important.

Recognizing that it is normal to feel more hungry on certain days of the week when it's reflective of higher intensity or longer workouts, it is also normal for athletes to lose the appetite after a strenuous, long or intense workouts.

Because of this, it's understandable that athletes will often struggle to honor hunger in a smart, proactive, performance-enhancing and healthy way.

The athlete who has no appetite after a workout misses a prime opportunity to rehydrate, refuel and recover from a workout. Whereas the athlete who eats all day, may feel too full or uncomfortable before a workout and may restrict sport nutrition or the intake of any additional nutrition while training and this can make it difficult to understand if energy needs are being met properly before, during and after workouts.

It is important that you learn how to create an eating style that works for your body, your life and your needs.
No diet fad will do this for you.
You have to take the necessary time to understand your body, your appetite and your hunger.

Use the next few weeks to understand your appetite. Learn to create meals that will not only keep your body energized and well-nourished but will also satisfy your biological hunger so you feel comfortably full and satiated. 

On Tuesday evening, Karel and I did a group ride on our tri bikes which started at 6pm and we followed the 1:40 hr ride with a 15 min run. This was a very hard workout for me and even though we didn't finish our workout until close to 8pm, I didn't have much of an appetite due to the intensity and warmer weather. However, I started with liquid nutrition (2 scoops Clif Recovery protein + water) first as I knew that would be easiest to digest. Then on the way home (25-30 minute drive) I had a banana and a few dates that I brought with me.
When we got home, it was close to 9pm by the time we cleaned up from the workout and our bedtime is around 10pm. To ensure easy digestion, I made the most delicious sandwich with rosemary bread, melted Swiss cheese, arugula, hummus and smashed avocado with a glass of 1% Organic cow's milk.
It was a delicious dinner.
Even though I understood that I didn't have much of an appetite, I knew that after a hard workout, eating nothing is not performance enhancing.
The recovery drink + sandwich did the trick and I was able to wake up Wednesday morning with my normal appetite to eat something before my Wed am workout (I always, 100% of the time, eat before I workout).

Nutrient-packed stuffed peppers

Hopefully your mouth is watering just looking this picture because it's hard for me to describe the deliciousness of these stuffed peppers. 

Peppers are nutritional powerhouses. They are excellent sources of vitamin A, C and B6 and potassium and a good source of folic acid and fiber. One large pepper has 33 calories, 287 mg of potassium, 2.8g of fiber and 1.4g protein.
Every time you eat a pepper, you are filling your body with phytochemicals, antioxidants and they help reduce inflammation with their anti-inflammatory benefits.
They also give a great flavor to both raw and cooked dishes.
Fruits and veggies in general are great for the immune system.

For athletes, opting for cooked veggies at dinner (versus raw, which would be ideal at lunch) can help with digestion so that you aren't expending a huge amount of energy trying to digest a lot of roughage after an evening workout or late at night before you go to bed (and wake-up for an early morning workout).
Plus, cooking veggies will allow you to eat a lot more variety and volume in one sitting versus raw.
(Although Karel's raw chopped salad that he made the other day packed a lot of ingredients!)

Cooking produce is shown to reduce the vitamin and mineral content, but you shouldn't avoid eating cooked veggies just because of this statement. Compared to other foods, vegetables pack a lot of great nutrients so even if some of those nutrients are destroyed in cooking, you are still providing your body with more nutrients than if you didn't eat veggies or opted for something more unnatural or heavily processed. Also, in terms of steaming and boiling some veggies like tomatoes and carrots, you may end up with more vitamins and minerals than if consumed raw.

Consider making my delicious stuffed peppers for dinner and be sure to plan for leftovers. Enjoy your extra stuffed pepper (chopped up) in a homemade soup or in an egg scramble for breakfast the next day. 

STUFFED PEPPERS

Ingredients(for 2 people)

Red pepper (1 per person - or plan 1 more for leftovers)
Zucchini - 1 large
Mushrooms (1 large container - sliced)
Garlic (2 large cloves - more if you love garlic)
Onion - 1 small (chopped)
Eggplant - 1 small/medium (cubed)
Barley - or grain/rice of your choice - cooked
Olive oil - 1+ tbsp (as needed)
Protein - chicken or ground beef or tempeh, edamame, crumbled tofu or vegetarian "meat" crumbles

Salt/pepper
Marinara Sauce - 1 jar (or you can make your own with basil and chopped roasted canned tomatoes)
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. While oven is heating, cook zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, onion and eggplant in a skillet with olive oil until soft. Cook on medium to low heat. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. You can also add any other herbs/spices that you like.
(Your grain/rice should already be cooked at this time)
3. Use a knife to remove the top of the pepper and remove any seeds from the inside. Use a spoon to scoop the inside to make room for your stuffing.
(If you accidentally slice your pepper open so you can't stuff it - don't stress. I've done this before. Just chop your pepper and make a stir-fry dish and try again when you have more peppers :)
4. Pour your marinara sauce in a casserole dish which is large enough to hold your peppers. Fill about 1/4-1/3 with sauce. Add cooked grain/rice to the sauce and stir to combine. This will be your "stew" to enjoy with your pepper.
5. Place your pepper in the stew.
6. From the stew, spoon 2-3 spoonfuls into your pepper just to fill the bottom of the pepper. Now take your veggie mixture from the skillet and stuff your pepper as much as possible - it's ok if it overflows.
7. Add the extra veggie mixture to the casserole stew and cook for 40-50 minutes. 

8. Remove pepper from oven, top with cheese. Serve with your choice of protein (you can also add your protein to the inside of the pepper or in the stew)
9. Yum!

Toughman Half Ironman race report: And the winner is.....

It was less than two weeks ago when Karel decided to race in the Toughman Chattahoochee Challenge. We knew our friends Lauren and Nick would be racing so Karel registered as a last minute decision and I made the travel arrangements for our quick trip to Callaway Gardens for the race. 

This was a no expectation race for Karel with the opportunity to race under pressure. There's nothing that compares the mind and body for a race than by participating in a race so that is why he wanted the pressure of being in the race environment and feeling the "pain" that goes along with racing.  And with Karel's key races approaching (Mountains to Main Street Half, Ironman Austria, Ironman Mont Tremblant) this was also a great change to practice transitions and to go through all the motions and emotions of racing. 

We made the trip to the Pine Mountain area late morning (3.5 hour drive south) on Friday to check into our hotel by the afternoon.  After we unpacked, we headed to the Callaway Garden beach at 4pm for Karel to pick up his packet. We chatted with our friends Lauren and Nick and then Karel picked up dinner at the Country Store Restaurant (chicken sandwich). We headed back to the hotel around 5pm and while Karel was eating, I walked the 1/2 mile to "downtown" to explore the shops and to pick up my dinner at 153 Main Bistro (arugula and beet salad). I brought some food items from home for our mini fridge along with the necessary race day morning items: french press, espresso beans and the electric kettle.

While Karel relaxed, ate his sandwich (and some mashed potatoes that we brought from home, homemade from the night prior) and played around with his new Lazer Wasp helmet, I did some work on the computer with Campy enjoying his overnight adventure.

Around 9:30pm, Karel was ready for bed and I watched Netflix until 10pm and then it was officially time to sleep. My training has been very intense over the past two weeks so I was eager to get a good night of sleep and super pumped to watch Karel and to not have to train on a Saturday! 

The alarm woke us up at 4:30am for Karel to give himself 80 minutes before we headed to the race venue. Karel doesn't have a typical go-to pre race meal but instead, a combination of foods that he chooses from on race day morning. For this race he had oatmeal with a Bolthouse Yogurt drink and a croissant. Along with his typical coffee. Karel pre-made his bottles the night prior with around 280 calories in each bottle (3 bottles) and kept them cool in the mini fridge, along with his 4 flasks for his hydration belt (each with around 80 calories per flask). He had a gel and "gummy bears" (aka Clif Margarita bloks) for the bike in his "bento box" on his bike.

Around 6am we headed to the race venue (1 mile away) and parked. Although a smaller race, the excitement was still in the air with the other athletes around us on a cool spring morning. Although it was mid 50's for the race start, the predicted temps were in the mid 70's. Perfect racing!

 Karel set-up his transition and proceeded with his morning warm-up (jog and dynamic stretching) and then around 7am, made our way to the water so he could do a short swim-warm-up in the 66-degree water.

After the normal pre-race to-do's, it was time for the male athletes to start around 7:30am.

The swim was a two loop swim. Karel and I are in the water a lot and although we don't swim together a lot (I like to swim in the AM, Karel prefers PM), I knew he would have a good swim as his swimming has improved a lot in the past few months. He has improved his body position in the water so I knew he would be more comfortable than ever in the open water. Sure enough, he swam great and was around 6th athlete out of the water in his first ever sub 30- minute swim. Yikes - I better step up my swim game!

After Karel exited the water, I ran to transition (with Campy) to give him a good luck, have fun, yay the swim is done now you can ride your bike cheer and off he went.

Karel passed several guys in the early stages of the 56 mile bike and enjoyed the rolling hill bike course. The course was a two loop course.

While Karel was on the bike, Campy and I went to the hotel to pack-up and check out and we had plenty of time to spare before Karel returned from the bike. We walked around the beautiful lake and then waited and waited for Karel to come in off the bike. I anticipated Karel to be near the front after the bike so when the motorcycle came with the lead biker, I thought it could be Karel but I was wrong.

1 minute, two minutes, three minutes...nearly 4 minutes later Karel was in transition. 

Karel later told me that the first place guy off the bike (and 2nd overall) use to race bikes so Karel was familiar with him from his cat 1 bike racing days.

Karel quickly dismounted his bike, removed all his bike gear and prepared for the 13.1 mile, two loop (with 1 out and back on each loop) hilly run.
Karel put on his hydration belt and off he went....on a mission.

Karel did not use any power for the bike but instead, went entirely by feel. Karel has always preferred racing this way and would rather review his file after the race to learn from his RPE execution than let a gadget run his race. Karel feels he can perform the best when he can listen to his body and not have pressure from a gadget to hit certain watts or speeds. He has a high threshold for pain but he also understands that in a long distance triathlon, it's not about being fast in one sport but being the one who slows down the least. 

It's been a long journey of healing since Karel tore his plantar fascia last June and Karel was finally looking forward to the opportunity to test out his foot after Kona in a long distance race and to enjoy the hurt that comes from racing - not from his foot being in pain but instead, from his muscles and heart working so hard. It was so great to see Karel out there doing what he loves - racing the competition.

Karel looked really good when he exited transition area. We always tell our athletes form over pace and Karel did just that. He took the first few miles to establish great form and he never let his gadget run the race. Once gain, he did the entire run by feel - with one goal of chasing down the competition. 

The run was very spectator friendly and Campy loved cheering for his daddy. We even got a little smile out of Karel when we saw him around mile 1. That was the last time we saw Karel smile until he crossed the finish line. 

Karel had already made up a good chunk of time when the leader passed mile 1 and by mile 6 (just after the out and back section on the first loop) Karel was around 80 seconds away from the leader. Karel continued to look good and he stayed hydrated with his flasks along with an occasional sip of water from the aid stations.
Although it was getting warm out, Karel later told me that he never felt hot and he felt strong for the entire run. He said it was perfect conditions and he loved the challenging bike and run race course.

The run included several rolling hills but the two loops made it great to know what's coming for the 2nd loop. The course was well marked but the volunteers did a great job helping out the athletes to stay on the run course.

When I saw Karel for the 2nd time around mile 7, he came right after the lead biker...which meant he made the pass and had taken the lead. This was the first time Karel was ever in the lead for a half Ironman so I was so happy for him to have this moment. Although I wasn't sure what would happen in the next 6 miles, I knew Karel wouldn't let a tired body (from racing) keep him from pushing. He just loves the pain of racing (and that probably comes from years of crit racing). I wish I could dig half as deep as Karel..... I was getting a lot of endorphins just watching him!

After I saw Karel around mile 8 before he did the out and back on the 2nd loop, Campy and I walked back around the lake to the finish. 

Although I was hopeful that Karel would hold on to his lead, I know in racing you never know what will happen until the finish line is crossed. 

Campy and I waited and waited and waited and finally, I saw the lead biker. And soon after...there was Karel!

Karel was super happy with his day. It was a great day for Karel to race with no expectations and to just let the body do what it trained to do. The gadgets did not run the race, Karel simply raced his nearest competition and executed really well on this day.

Karel was really happy with all three portions of the race and he told me that he was very patient on the bike and although he was worried about his 4 min deficit off the bike, he remained patient on the run to not blow his race in the first few miles. He carefully paced the run with a steady effort from start to finish.
Here are the splits from the 13.3 mile run (1:30:39).
Mile 1: 6:40
Mile 2: 6:38
Mile 3: 6:46
Mile 4: 7:05
Mile 5: 6:49
Mile 6: 6:52
Mile 7: 6:46
Mile 8: 6:37
Mile 9: 6:36
Mile 10: 7:04
Mile 11: 6:52
Mile 12: 7:00
Mile 13: 7:09
Mile 13.32: 6:41 min/mile

After Karel crossed the finish line, he did a short little interview for the Toughman crew and then he cooled off with something to drink. He wasn't ready for any food but around 40 minutes later, he was ready to get something solid in his belly (a small slice of pizza and orange slices)

The venue had showers so as Karel cleaned up, Campy and I cooled off in the car in the AC.
Karel did a short spin on the run course for 20 minutes to shake out his legs after the race on his bike and to cheer on the other athletes who were still racing. Karel also told me that he gave some cheers to the other athletes even as he was racing. There's something so powerful about cheering for other athletes and thanking the volunteers even when you are suffering.

Around 3pm we attended the awards ceremony for Karel to receive his first ever overall half ironman award.
Our friends Lauren and Nick also did great - Lauren was 3rd overall female and Nick placed in his age group. 

Results:
1.2 mile swim: 29:38
T1: 1:23
56 mile bike: 2:25:51 (23 mph average)
T2: :47
13.1 mile run: 1:31:00 (6:57 min/mile pace according to results) - fastest run of the day
Total: 4:28:37

After the awards, the three tired athletes (Karel, Lauren and Nick), plus one pooped pooch and I went to a late lunch/early dinner at the Aspen Mountain Grill.

It was fun to hear their war stories from the race and to celebrate the accomplishments by all. 

I am so proud of Karel - he stays focused with training but also has a great attitude when it comes to racing. Despite being competitive, he never lets competition and personal goals/expectations take the fun away from personal development and simply doing the best he can when he trains and races. Karel never races with his ego but instead, loves the challenge of racing. He knows that hard work works and he is willing to put in the work and make the necessary investments (within reason - Karel will never give up carbs, croissants, chocolate, bread or pastries) to improve his performance.

Here's a video that I put together from the race.
Clearly, Campy shared the spotlight with Karel. 

Next up - Rev3 Knoxville for me and Mountains to Main Street for Karel on May 22nd.

Thank you to our 2016 Trimarni sponsors for your support!

4 race travel tips

Traveling to a race is almost a necessity for athletes these days. With so many race options and so many beautiful and bucket-list venues, it's likely that you will travel more than 2 hours to a race course at least once in your racing season. For some athletes, all you know is traveling to races as you have limited options for racing in your city/town. 

Race-cations (as we call them) provide a special opportunity to travel to a destination, race somewhere new and (hopefully) enjoy a little sight-seeing and R&R after the race. Although traveling to a race can be exciting, racing is stressful and combining that fact with the many unknowns and potential logistical nightmares of racing in an unfamiliar venue, outside of your home environment, this can bring anxiety, worries and fears - especially if you are racing a new distance for the first time or you have specific goals and expectations for your race. 

I encourage you to not push away the thought of traveling to a race. Most of my most memorable racing experiences happened when I traveled to a race because traveling makes for great memories.
Focus on these 5 race travel tips to keep your mind at ease before and during your travel. 

1) Plan ahead - Although you can't control everything, you can still put your mind at ease by having plans for your trip. Although you don't have to have a plan for every minute of every day, you'll find that less unknowns will stress you out if you create an itinerary detailing what may or will happen between x-date and race day during your travel. Research the best places to eat, park, sleep, explore, etc. so that you know your race location as if it was your local hometown. Remind yourself that part of traveling is knowing that things will not always go as planned so be sure to bring a positive attitude and always have a plan B.
Keep in mind that even though your plan(s) may change or something comes up that disrupts your plan, this doesn't mean that you are doomed to have a bad race. I'm sure many athletes can share stories where something did not go well before or during the race and they still did amazingly well. I can share a few stories about bike mechanical issues pre race which had me stressing before race day! 

2) Stay relaxed - Every athlete has his/her own definition of being relaxed. For some athletes it may mean surrounding yourself with friends, family and other athletes and staying busy with activities, whereas for others, it may mean isolating yourself from others so you can stay in your zone. Whatever works best for you is just fine but always communicate this with your ravel companions so they don't expect you to be someone who you are not in the 48 hours before your race. Just like on race day morning, avoid being rushed with travel so plan extra time for everything. It's important to feel comfortable in your lodging arrangements so make sure you do your research before booking (ex. does your condo have AC, do you have a queen bed or twin bed to share with your spouse, how far is the race location from your housing, etc.). Be sure to schedule downtown fro yourself to relax and put your feet up when you can (or shut your eyes for a 15-20 min power nap) and of course, focus on yourself and what makes you feel the best. If something stresses you out at home (ex. traffic, waiting in line, etc.) try your best to avoid those situations at your race. Many times, you can but if not, bring coping skills for these uncomfortable situations. 

3) Do your race research - Regardless where you race (hometown or in another country), when you plan for something and it changes, this can throw you off your game. It's important to keep up with your race website/emails for any last minute changes so you are prepared. 

Review course maps, race day itinerary/schedule, packet pick-up information, transition area layout, read forums to better understand logistics/timing of race week to-do's, review parking, things for your family to do on race day or where they can see you and any other details.
If something is out of your control (ex. race course changes, weather, etc.) just remember that every athlete is dealing with the same uncomfortable situation as you - feel at ease that you and your competitors are all in the same situations. 

4) Check, re-check and double check - Review all travel arrangements in the months and weeks leading up the race, review race website and pack and re-pack. I find that most athletes who travel for a race make plans either way far in advance or very last minute. Regardless of when you make your plans or pack for a race, recheck to make sure that you have everything that you need. You prepared your body physically for your event so it's in your best interest to prepare yourself mentally so that you have everything you need to feel "at home" at your race venue.

And Bonus #5: Make memories
It's a very special experience to travel to a new destination and this is often why athletes choose race-cations. Regardless of the outcome of your race performance, you are bringing home a new experience, with new memories. Don't take your race-cation for granted - you are lucky that you have the time, income, support from others and ability to take your hobby (or profession) to another part of the world (or another state/city) in order to participate in a race. 

My very first blog post - DNF

February 3rd, 2007. 
My very first blog post. 
You think my first blog post would be a post about me, introducing myself to the world or talking about something positive or happy in life.
But sadly no. 
Instead, I wrote about my very first DNF (Did Not Finish) race. 

Since then, I have written 2212 blog posts. 
That comes to around 245 blog posts per year for the past 9 years. 

I've written about our triathlon races, Karel's bike races, my dietetic internship, my travels and events, recipes, nutrition tips, fueling tips, motivation tips and pretty much anything and everything about my life. 
And there clearly are not enough posts about our cats as Campy often gets the spotlight. 

I'm not planning to stop blogging anytime soon as it is the best outlet for the many thoughts in my head and I love being able to refer back to special times in my life that I have documented through my blog. 

I've written happy posts and posts when times were tough. Although my first blog was written 9 years ago when I was 24 years old, I find it very special that I wrote about this race, even though I didn't finish what I had started. 

But you know what?
Life is hard. 
Accepting that it is normal to have bad days is just part of living. And you really can't value your great moments unless you have bad moments for comparison.And this is true for racing and pretty much anything in life. 

We all have great days, good days and days that we don't want to remember. So while it is important to highlight the great days because we often take them for granted, it's important to not let the bad days get the best of you. 
It's just part of being human. 

I hope you enjoy a walk down memory lane with my very first blog post that started the Trimarni blog........
(I'm not sure who I was talking to as this was my very first blog and had no idea who would be reading it besides Karel or my parents but thank you to all the Trimarni blog followers....I guess I was writing knowing that you would be reading this one day.)

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Well, that's right-no finish time for the miami marathon. 
I never thought it would happen to me....
For the first time ever, I got injured during a race. 

Even worse, first time I have been injured since I started training for triathlons/marathons. What a Bummer! The marathon, all together, wasn't the best for me. 

Started out really rough, standing for over 30 min before the start in the pouring rain, only to start the race with soaking wet shoes and the rain to finally stop. Next part of the the race, which went bad, was when I ran up the first huge causeway and my shins and calves starting killing me. Quads hurt, everything hurt really...well, except my heart. Heart rate was fine and I wasn't showing any signs of fatigue, besides in my legs. However, I ran through it, stopped in 3 port o potties, then at mile 11, I felt like I had just started running! I was a brand new woman. 

I guess that is why I love endurance events. Nothing like a 11 mila warm-up!

From miles 11-19 I was just dropping pace (as you saw in my 10K splits) from over an 8:30 pace to almost 5 consecutive miles of sub 7:50 pace. And even better, I was seeing a sub 3:35 finish, when at first I didn't see anything less than 4 hours! However, at mile 19.5 my achilles just throbbed with pain. I was wondering what was going on...I've never been injured during a race before! I didn't know how I could run anymore, but still tried. It was like a poor ironman shuffle. 

However at mile 20 had to walk. I knew the shuffle run wasn't normal Marni running style and I felt tired cause I was using muscles that weren't designed for running a marathon. I tried to run, stretch, whatever just to keep going and it wasn't until mile 22 that I couldn't make it anymore. 4 more miles of walking in pain or just stop. 

Although it was at mile 22 that I debated about stopping, it was at mile 20 then I started the self talk about my reasons for going or reasons for stopping. 

The tears were being held back by my pride that I still have many more races. However, when you hear a person in the crowd yelling "you can do it, just 4 more miles" all I could do was tilt my head down to the ground and keep walking. 
Why why why I asked, but sometimes there isn't always a "Because". 

It just happened and it is overwith.What a bummer and it just sucks! No other words around it, but I'm thankful there is no tear or sprain, just some tendonitis or inflammation. 

But to be so passionate about running and see people running right by me, it was sad for me cause I just love that feeling of running. 

The energy, the endorphins, the feeling of moving forward and being so easy. This was not the way I would have choosen the outcome to be for that race, especially after my horrible first half of the race. 

I even debated about stopping at the half and just finishing without a medal, but my Marni spirit took over and I just wanted to keep running. 

It took a lot for me to stop and I am glad that I did. The foot is getting better and I am anxious to move on and look forward to my upcoming race season. 

And the worst was that I didn't feel in the mood for my celebratory pancakes!!!! Now that is the most shocking part of it all. 
But I  did eat my ice cream in the afternoon....of course!

This just shows me that I even more appreciate what I do, ever morning, of every day. waking up, excited to train, not worrying about anything hurting me or feeling weak and just loving every minute of my life, regardless if I'm swimming, biking or running. 

I'm ready to train hard and work even harder for the upcoming season. I am very thankful that I have a strong heart and a positive mentality when it comes to racing and training. 

If it wasn't for many friends, who support me tremendously, I wouldn't be able to be so serious about my triathlon racing career. Thank you for being so understanding!

And most of all, Thanks for your support. There's always another race, and as far as I'm concerned...I'm a triathlete/Ironman now and the marathons will have to wait until mile 114.4 of the Ironman in Kona! ;) haha.
-Marn