For the Coaches - when an athlete wants to lose weight

 

With so many ways to enhance performance and to optimize health, two of the most popular sought-after strategies include diet and body composition changes. When done correctly, performance may improve. However, it’s not uncommon for athletes to engage in unhealthy weight control methods, resulting in great emotional and physical consequences. Whether for aesthetics, competitive leanness, body dissatisfaction or in pursuit of an ideal “race weight,” athletes often place unrealistic expectations on performance and their bodies. What may start as an innocent attempt to lean-up or to lose a few pounds, can easily spiral out of control, undermining health, training, recovery, performance and mental well-being.

If you are a coach, you have a responsibility to take care of your athlete - physically, emotionally and mentally. 

When your athlete feels pressure to achieve a leaner body composition, an increased fascination with nutrition, body fat, weight and calories can develop into an unhealthy group of eating behaviors called disordered eating. Typical disordered eating behaviors include obsessive counting calories, clean eating, carrying out food rituals, fasting, avoiding sport nutrition products, having an off-limit food list, or avoiding certain foods or food groups for non-medical reasons.

If you are concerned that your athlete may have an unhealthy relationship with food and the body, start the conversation with a non-judgmental tone in order to make your athlete feel safe and cared about. Making it clear that you care about your athlete’s health and well-being, you may say, “I’m worried about you because I’ve noticed that you are struggling to complete your workouts lately.” You may also say, “you’ve been experiencing a lot of injuries/sicknesses lately. It may be best to consult with a sport dietitian to make sure you can adapt to your upcoming training load.”

The most common precipitating factor in the development of an eating disorder is dieting. What starts as a well-intentioned diet plan, slowly transforms into skipping meals, undereating, removing specific foods or entire food groups from the diet and sacrificing calories before and after workouts. An eating disorder is a serious psychiatric condition that affects all types of individuals. Eating disorders are complex and multifactorial. Interestingly, athletes are at higher risk for an eating disorder compared to the rest of the population. A disciplined, goal-oriented athlete can be guilty of chasing perfectionism. Feeling great pressure to succeed, restricting food can become an easy way to exert control. Constantly pushing the body to the limits, athletes don’t realize how much energy is needed for training. Lastly, many athletes believe that leanness is an essential factor in improving performance. But as we can see in today's society, records are being broken by all different body types.

With several different genetic and socio-cultural triggers, risk factors for an eating disorder include dieting, need for control, weight stigma, body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, anxiety, biochemical imbalances, traumatic life events, behavior inflexibility, nutrition misinformation, low self-esteem, and being teased or bullied. With a strong stigma behind eating disorders, it’s important to show support to those who are struggling and to emphasize that help is available.

As a coach, routinely remind your athletes that optimizing performance should not require excessive training and restrictive eating. Resorting to destructive methods of manipulating body composition will only sabotage performance and health.

Pay attention to any warning signs that your athlete may be eating too little and training too hard. Fatigue, anemia, compromised bone health, hormonal imbalances, hair loss, notable weight loss, lack of energy, a decline in muscle mass and strength, mood changes, amenorrhea, restless sleep, and overuse injuries are common signs of an energy imbalance. Inadequate caloric intake relative to energy expenditure (RED-S) will result in extra stress on the body – increasing the risk for injury, sickness and burnout. 

Encourage athletes to maintain healthy training and eating behaviors that will favor long-term health and longevity in sport. It’s encouraged to partner with a Board Certified Sport Dietitian to provide effective, safe and personalized nutrition advice to athletes. If you are concerned about an athlete’s weight or health, a Board Certified Sport Dietitian can counsel athletes who are struggling with the physical and emotional consequences of dieting. 

As a coach, how much emphasis do you place on body image?

Do you often talk about weight loss, body fat or dietary trends to your athletes?

Body composition is a sensitive and personal issue yet far too many coaches share an overvalued belief with their athletes that a lower body weight will improve performance. Inadvertently, you may be placing your own values and attitudes regarding weight, dieting and body image on your athletes. As a coach, you should never assume that reducing body fat or weight will enhance the performance of your athlete. Every athlete has his/her own optimum performance weight where the body functions the best and this body type is achieved through consistent training, nutritious eating and proper fueling and hydration. Acknowledge an athlete’s strengths beyond the physical, for athletes are more than just a look. Making remarks about body composition and performance can trigger or exacerbate disordered eating thoughts and behaviors. Don’t be the coach who makes stereotypical assumptions about the ideal body type for athletic greatness.

As a coach, use your power and authority. In today’s fad-diet, body image obsessed society, it can be difficult for athletes to keep a healthy perspective on body image. Help your athlete understand the importance of maintaining a healthy body composition – even if that image doesn’t look like the idealized image seen on social media. Protect the physical and psychological well-being of your athletes by discouraging dieting and enforcing health and performance-promoting eating habits.

Extreme nutrition habits are extremely trendy while discussions of health are lacking. Be a role model and encourage your athletes to care for their mental and physical health. Eating is not cheating. Meeting daily nutritional needs and supporting training sessions with proper sport nutrition is a necessary component of athletic success, and it keeps sport fun, long-lasting and health-promoting.

World Mental Health Day - PMDD

 

Today is World Mental Health Day. A day "to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health."

According to the World Health Orginzation, stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier to social inclusion and access to the right care. We can all play a part by talking about mental illnesses without stigma, learning more about the conditions that affect millions of people very year, improving the affordability and quality of mental health care and raising awareness about which mental health interventions work.
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It was the winter of 2014. A few months prior we moved from Jacksonville, FL to Greenville, SC This was my first "real" winter after spending over 10 years in warm and sunny Florida. My dad had recently passed away after a 10-month battle with stage IV cancer. 

Throughout this time, I noticed that around the start of my menstrual cycle (in the 1-2 weeks prior), I did not feel or act like myself. I was becoming easily irritated and anxious. So many unexpected and uncontrolled heightened emotions started to negatively impact my life. There were times I felt suicidal, times when I would panic and other times when I was angry and irritable. I was hypersensitive to everything. I had trouble concentrating.

And then it was like a light switched off. A few days after my menstrual cycle started, the darkness cleared and I became more like myself - happy, optimistic, patient, positive. Month after month, I felt like I only had two weeks of living normally. The emotional symptoms were so distressing that it was severly impacting my daily life. And once my period started, it was a huge relief - I finally had my life back. 

I talked with my sport doctor and he diagnosed me with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) - a much more severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). 

Women like myself who have PMDD are sensitive to the normal fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, which triggers the debilitating mood symptoms.

I'm extremely thankful to my doctor for not blaming my symptoms on my "raging hormones." He gave me a diagnosis so I could then explore treatment options. When I talked to my GYN, she suggested that an antidepressant may help. I was hesitant. I felt like an antidepressant was the easy way out and I could treat this on my own with lifestyle changes. I tried tweaking my diet, working with a counselor and changing my exercise routine. Nothing was helping. Almost two years after being diagnosed with PMDD, I decided I would try an antidepressant (SSRI). 

After a few months, I found it easier to function each month. My symptoms were less severe and I could better manage my emotions. I could better recognize my triggers and I learned how to better cope with my symptoms. 

For a while, I felt embarassed that I needed medication to feel normal. But overtime, I realized that taking one small pill, once a day, was my lifeline. The antidepressant wasn't turning my into a different person - it was helping to maintain my normal personality and quality of life. 

Every month I pick up two medications from the Walmart pharmacy. Phenobarbital for Campy to prevent his seizures and Sertraline for my mental health. I always joke with Karel that I am picking up our "happy brain" pills. 

Campy needs a pill to control the abnormal activity in his brain and I need a pill abnoral response to normal hormonal changes.

Demonizing medication as a treatment option for mental health does a real disservice to those in need of it. Mental health is equally as important as physical health. Illness is illness. Mental health is health. 

'22 Xterra World Championship Molveno, Italy

We started our triathlon season five months ago in St. George, Utah at the Ironman World Championship. Yesterday we finished our season in Molveno, Italy at the Xterra World Championship.
Karel is absolutely loving the transition to off-road racing as he thrives in unpredictable, testing and challenging scenarios. As for myself, I'm feeling very unsure of myself - which is a big change from the predictability and confidence that I experienced after 16 years of long distance triathlon racing.

While I'm proud of what I accomplished yesterday in 62-degree water conditions, 48-degree air temp and through deep mud on slippery roots and rocks, steep slick downhills, around very competitive and skilled riders, navigating pitchy climbs and a handful more new first time experiences, it would be wrong of me to not mention how nervous I was for all of these first-time experiences.

Trying something new means that I may fail, struggle, look silly and embarrass myself. On the night before the event, while trying to calm my anxiety, I thought to myself that it would be a lot easier to avoid all of these uncomfortable feelings by supporting Karel on the sidelines and share his success without being uncomfortable. Not racing meant I didn't have to feel any discomfort.

But then I reminded myself why I wanted to learn how to mountain bike, and then get into Xterra racing - I want to experience a new sense of accomplishment.

Doing something for the first time is scary. It's hard and risky. But it's how you learn. It's how you develop. It teaches you how to get more comfortable being uncomfortable. The older we get, the easier it is to stay in our comfort zone. The harder it is to accept failure.

Although yesterday was humbling, I took on a new experience and conquered something that I thought was impossible. And for that, I am proud.

Happy 15th Birthday Campy

 

Dear Campy, 
You have surpassed the life expectancy of the average dog and today we celebrate your 15 years of life. 

I still remember the day we came across your picture on Petfinder.com. Your long-legs, floppy ears and innocent golden face stole our heart and we knew we needed you in our life. You were only a year old and we were in no position to "own" a dog. I was in school becoming a RD, your dad was the general manager of the Trek Store, we were a few weeks away from getting married and we were living on a very tight budget. We had recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida - living in a small apartment on the 3rd floor.

But little did I know how much I needed you in my life. 

Since the day I brought you home, you have slept in our bed. You love to burry yourself under the covers and always make sure part of you is always touching me. You get excited for every new day, despite the routine being exactly the same as the day before. All you know is life with cats. 

The best part of my day is seeing your energy when I get out your leash for your walks. You love being outside. 

We've created so many amazing memories together. You've traveled a lot - from bike races and triathlons to visiting friends and family. You are the best travel companion as you never complain and always know how to calm us down in stressful situations. 

From stressful and exhausting moves and life changes to the loss of family members, you've helped us get through so many emotionally challenging times. And no matter the day, you shower us with unconditional love without using any words. Even on the worst day of life, your joyous celebration of 'another day of life' becomes a gentle reminder to express gratitude and to always focus on the positive. 

You love to destroy plush toys with squeakers. You always get your own Thanksgiving plate. 

You show your loyalty through protection but when you learn to trust a stranger, you become extremely kind and affectionate. 

Over the past few years, we've noticed the changes and signs that you are aging. You are much less golden. You are much more anxious. Your hearing is mostly gone and you sometimes get disoriented and confused. You can no longer jump like you used to so everytime you make it on the couch (after a few missed attempts), we celebrate your effort and say "you still got it!" You need help getting off the bed as you don't trust yourself jumping down. Your joints are stiff after sleeping and you sometimes struggle to lift your leg to pee. You prefer to stay downstairs as it takes a bit of work to go up the stairs. You can't hold your bladder as long as you used to but luckily you don't mind wearing a diaper (and you look so cute in it). You've been on seizure meds since 2013 and thankfully you haven't had one since.

You sleep a lot. With very few teeth left, your tongue often slips out of your mouth as you sleep so deeply. I love seeing how comfortable and happy you are snuggled in your bed, feeling warm in your fuzzy blanket or dog bed. 

But you continue to impress the vet at your senior check-ups. You still have energy for long walks and you don't hesitate when there's an opportunity to chase a bird or squirrel. You still get excited for car rides. And you get so excited when it's time to eat - jumping and barking in excitement. 

Although the aging process has been slow, there are constant reminders that you are getting older. But instead of worrying about how many years we have left with you, I celebrate every day by recognizing how much life you still have in you. 

Whatever life throws at us, you are always there. You remind us every single day to be happy and most of all, to always be grateful for another day. 

Today is a monumental day and every day forward is a blessing.

Happy 15th birthday Campy, my love. 

2022 Xterra World Championship - travel and race week

On Monday morning, we went for a swim at the aquatic center and then packed up the car to head to Atlanta, Georgia. This trip to Europe felt a lot less stressful than our last trip as it was only a week and logistically, a lot easier than our month-long trip in August.

We made the ~2.5 hour drive to the Atlanta airport and parked in the Park n’ Fly lot. I reserved a parking pass for the lot for only $88 for the week, which was very affordable compared to the other parking options. Logistically it's a bit more complicated as we have to take a shuttle from the parking lot to domestic and then to the international terminal. But instead of using the parking lot shuttle for our luggage and bikes, we parked at the hourly parking, checked our bags and bikes in at the airport, then drove to the parking lot so that all we had to bring with us to the airport was our carry-ons. We had to then take the domestic shuttle to the international shuttle so having only our backpacks was a lot easier than 2 bikes + 2 suitcases. 

I like to give us ~3 hours at the airport for international flights so that we aren't rushed, so once we went through security, we had ~90 minutes before our flight was boarding. Our flight was a little delayed but we had plenty of time so we had a small meal at the airport before heading to our gate. We got a bit of work done before our long flight to Milan. The nine-hour flight left around 6:30pm.

I was able to book a very affordable one-way flight to Milan (MXP) and comfort plus seats. After being served dinner on the plane (I requested a lacto-ovo vegetarian meal in the Delta app), we tried to get some sleep. I was able to sleep a bit better than Karel as his back was bothering him.

We arrived to Milan around 9:30am and after getting our bikes and luggage, we walked to the car rental (Stix). I heard great reviews from this rental company and it was in Terminal 1 – just a short walk from baggage. We were surprised how nice the agent at the car company was to us – she was worried that our bikes wouldn’t fit in the car we reserved so she had Karel bring a bike case to the car just to make sure. This was just our first trip introduction to the kindness of the Italians. 

Karel did all the driving throughout our trip as we had a manual car (I don’t know how to drive a stick shift). Shortly after leaving the airport we made a stop at a gas station for the bathroom and coffee and we were once again, delighted by the kindness of Italians (and the great coffee from the gas stations). The gas stations in Europe are not like what we have in America and you can expect great coffee (in real cups if you choose) and delicious bakery goods and sandwiches. I got an egg plant and veggie and cheese sandwich and it was amazing.

After loading the car, we decided to make a slight 1 hour detour and visit the Ghisallo Cycling museum. I found this museum online prior to our trip and after telling Karel about it, we knew it was something we needed to see. Our museum tour had a radio guide (English) to walk us through each of the 20+ exhibits. For only 6 Euros each, it was well worth it! We even bought a few souvenirs and had lunch just outside the museum. Compared to France, the food was much cheaper, better quality and there was much less smoking. We were already falling in love with Italy.

If you'd like to see more pics from our museum tour, you can check out all my pics on my Facebook page from September 27th.

We had a long 4-hour drive to Molveno and although the sites were beautiful, we were getting really tired after being awake for over 30 hours. Although we usually stay in Airbnbs during our race-cations (for the kitchen and extra space), the Airbnb that I booked for our stay was only available from Thurs – Tuesday. I booked two nights in the Apotel Dolomite in the town of Molveno and we instantly fell in love. The staff was so nice and helpful. When we arrived, they gave us the option to “upgrade” our room for only 10 euros – a bigger room and lake/mountain view. They gave us two key cards to check out the rooms so that we could decide which room we wanted. The hotel was already very affordable at only $120 euros a night – which included a buffet breakfast and 4 course dinner (for both of us!). Of course we took the nicer room 😊 We couldn’t believe how kind and helpful everyone was in the hotel. After we parked our car in the tiny garage and unloaded our stuff in our room, we made our way to our hotel dinner (which started at 7:30pm). We assumed we were getting a few appetizers to make a small meal but after enjoying our appetizers, it was time to select our 2nd course…and then 3rd course…and then dessert. We didn’t finish dinner until almost 9:30pm but it was absolutely amazing. The chef even prepared me my own special vegetarian dishes. They were so accommodating and nice.

And if you've never been to Europe, the food is extremely tasty. Meals are celebrated. Stores shut down for lunch. Meals are not rushed. There are several courses and it often takes 2+ hours to complete a "meal." The desserts are not sweet and leave you feeling satisfied, not uncomfortable. It's a very different food culture compared to the US and after a few trips to Europe, I can see why American's can often struggle with their relationship with food. 

It was nearing 10pm and we were so tired. We cracked the windows as it was a cool 50-degrees outside and we slept amazingly well (a big difference from the warm temps and no AC from our Czech/France trip in August). We ended up sleeping for almost 12 hours and woke up around 9:50am. Oops – we were going to miss breakfast which was from 7:30-10am. We hoped to get some coffee so we hurried downstairs for some coffee and they kept the breakfast open for us (and a few others who were still eating in the restaurant). The breakfast spread was incredible – although it was something that we had gotten used to from the Haute Route Alps. The breakfast options at hotels in Europe are incredible.

After a delicious meal, we decided to get on our bikes to ride one loop of the 30K bike course. With it being in the 50’s, I was a nervous about the cold water and I was not quite ready to be cold. Plus, I was feeling a bit anxious about a new bike course so I wanted to ease my nerves and check it out.

It was nearing noon when we headed out for our ~10 mile ride. There was a lot of climbing, a lot of fire roads and a few technical sections with roots. After making our way around a drained pond, we approached a steep downhill with a 90-degree right turn and then left turn. I really struggled with this as it's something I am still learning and as much as I tried to face my fears, I wasn’t able to conquer it – so I slide my way down the hill with my bike. Karel showed me what to do but I was still too nervous.

We then approached the “downhill” part of the course which started off with several berms – it was a lot of fun. We then got to a more technical section with rocks and tight turns and although I wasn’t afraid for this section, I wanted to be careful not to hurt myself. The end part of the course was a steep gravel road into town and then onto the cobblestone roads of the town. I bravely went down the stairs without thinking twice – which was my first time tackling something like that.

After riding the loop, we headed back to our hotel, got cleaned up, had a snack and made our way to the race venue to get our stuff. Here's a video from our ride. 

  

After checking in, it was time to brave the cold water. We heard the water was 17 degrees Celsius which is similar to St. George – which is a venue we have a lot of experience with. I was very nervous about getting cold as the air was cold (50’s) and the water was cold. I was also upset because I forgot my booties in the hotel room.

Karel made his way to the water first and when I saw him get into the water and submerge himself to his neck without moving, and then he gave me a thumbs up. Karel’s feet hurt him in cold water so I knew if he was ok, I would be ok.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as cold as I imagined and although it was a bit cool, it was a beautiful lake to swim in. The water was blue and clear and very fresh. We swam along the buoys that were set up to get familiar with the course.

After the swim, we bundled up and walked back to our hotel. We had a little time before dinner so we made a quick stop at the local store for a few items and then met our friend John for dinner at our restaurant at 7:30pm. We had another amazing 4-course meal from 7:30-9:30pm and then it was time for bed. We didn’t sleep as great on Wednesday evening as we did on Tuesday but it was still a good night of sleep.

On Thursday morning we set an alarm to get up at 7am as we needed to check out of the hotel at 10:30am. We were really sad to leave the hotel as it was in the perfect local in town, it was super cute, the staff was so nice, one of the staff had a dog (which I loved on) and the restaurant food was amazing. After breakfast, we went for another swim in the lake and then finished packing up our stuff to load our car. The hotel let us keep our bikes in the bike room in the garage since we didn’t have room for luggage, bike bags and bikes. With the city being very safe, we left our luggage in the car and parking at the on-site event parking and went for a run on the course.

I learned my lesson from Xterra Czech not to do too much before the race so my run was a combo of running, jogging, walking and hiking. The first and last part of the course was on gravel/road but the middle was very technical on dirt, over roots and rocks. There was even a rope to help climb up a 30+ % hill. After the ~3 mile run, we checked out the expo, bought a few things (we couldn’t believe how affordable everything was – from food to clothing!) and then went to check in at our Airbnb, which was less than ½ mile from the venue, right on the lake. After our run, it started to rain so we warmed up with coffee and strudel at a cafe near the venue. 

With the grocery store not open between 12-4, after unloading our stuff we drove back to the grocery to pick up some food for our place. Once again, wow – the food was really affordable and we bought a lot of local and fresh food for less than 40 euros! The weather was getting cool and it was starting to rain. The rain continued from Thurs until Friday evening.

After we ate dinner in our Airbnb, we watched a few YouTube videos from pro athletes in Kona, finished up some work and then went to bed. The next morning we tried to time our ride for when it wasn’t raining as rain was predicted all day. It was barely 50 degrees out and I bundled up for our shake our ride. I was very nervous and feeling anxious about the conditions after/during the rain so Karel thought it would be a good idea to ride up the paved path to the “downhill” section to get more familiar with it. We reversed the route on the path (which included several miles of climbing) and then made our way to the pond and steep technical downhill. The trail was muddy and slippery and I couldn’t get myself to ride the steep downhill with the two tight turns so I made the decision that I would just slide down it on race day (I wasn’t able to walk it as it was too steep and I was sliding anyways). The rocks and roots were challenging so I rode only the sections that I felt most comfortable with as I didn’t want to hurt myself. There were other riders on the course and we were all getting a bit muddy. This was my very first time riding in these conditions so it was all very new to me. My biggest worry on race day was slowing other people down or getting in the way of other riders.

After our ride, we rode to the bike wash to clean off our bikes and then went back to our Airbnb. We ate lunch at one of the (many) local pizza places with our friend John (it was amazing – just like all the food in Italy – so fresh!) and then got our stuff ready for the race. With the weather predicted to be 48-52 on race day (and cloudy), I wasn’t sure what to wear so I decided to wear a two piece kit (to put on a dry jersey after the swim). I also packed shoe covers, arm warmers, “hot hands”, a piece of a space blanket, glove, knee warmers and a vest just in case (I ended up only using the gloves and jersey).

After dinner, I laid down around 7pm to watch a show on Netflix and really struggled to fall asleep. I could feel my heart beating hard and I felt a lot of anxiety about this new, unknown experience. Whereas I’m normally really confident going into triathlon events, this one had me extremely nervous – the weather, the course, the cold, the other athletes. On one hand, I wanted to embrace this new adventure but on the other hand, I wanted to be on the sidelines (warm and safe) and just cheer for Karel. I had a lot of inner dialogue going on in my head but eventually I felt asleep. Thankfully, Xterra races start later in the morning so I woke up feeling rested to my 7am alarm. 

I had to modify my typical pre-race meal as there was no waffles, bagels or peanut butter in the town so I had bread with hazelnut spread and jam. Karel had his normal oatmeal. We ate around 7:30am and then each went for a short jog around 8am. It was nice to get the blood flowing and to warm up a bit. I bundled up to ride to the venue as I didn’t want to be cold before the race. We left our place around 8:45am and rode on the gravel road (which was also the start of the course) and followed the reverse of the course to the transition area. We arrived just after 9am, which was when the pros started (Men at 9am and Women at 9:03am). The transition closed at 9:30am so we had around 30 minutes to set up our stuff. They were very strict with the transition set up and only gloves and helmet were allowed on the bike and everything else needed to be in the box or on the ground. We each had our own box and we were required to put our previous used gear in the box, otherwise we would get a penalty. According to Europe/Xterra rules, no booties allowed for 62 degree water temps but thankfully, we had gotten used to the water and we were ok to be without our booties.

After setting up my transition, I met Karel outside of the transition area. We did another short jog and bathroom stop before putting on our wetsuits. We dropped off our bags at the bag drop and then Karel told me to have fun and to be safe. I told him the same. I could tell he was much more calm going into this compared to myself. Karel’s wave went off at 10:05am and my wave went off at 10:15am. I decided to wear my Hoka sandals on the rocky ‘beach’ as I didn’t want my feet to get cold. I put my sandals in a plastic bag and left them to the side of the corral (I felt safe leaving them there as Molveno is a very safe area). We lined up by the water and I put a few handfuls of water down my wetsuit to adjust it and then the official gave the 1-minute countdown.

Whereas in an Ironman and half, I can’t wait to get on my bike, I was really nervous about the bike. Once the gun went off, I stumbled over the rocks, made a shallow dive and started swimming. This was really happening. My second Xterra and first Xterra World Championship.

Race Report coming soon......

Ironman Kona Nutrition Lessons Learned

Later today, we are boarding a plane to Italy for the Xterra World Championship. It feels a bit strange to fly to Europe when early October has become synonymous with us heading to Kona, Hawaii.

While I'm loving all the Kona spam, I'm really excited for something new and out of my comfort zone. Since our race is on the 1st, this means that on October 6th and 8th, we will be glued to our computers to watch the pros compete at the Ironman World Championship, and to cheer on our 8 athletes who are racing. 

Nutrition is one of the most commonly blamed reasons for a bad race and it's also the most worrisome factor that athletes try to tightly control. 

A lot of learning lessons have occurred after 9 trips to the Big Island for the Ironman World Championship. If you are racing in your first IM Kona or 10th (or somewhere in between), here are a few nutrition tips to keep your body functioning well over 140.6 miles. 

• Carbo-loading should not be confused with overeating. Effective glycogen (stored carbs) loading should result from emphasizing more energy-dense, low fiber carbohydrate sources and reducing fat intake alongside reudcing (not stopping) expenditure (tapering). Two days of carbohydrate loading is sufficient to fuel your muscles for the upcoming event. Aim for ~7g/kg/day of carbohydrates in the 2 days before the Ironman. Opt for a low-residue (low fiber/fat) diet, prioritizing more carbs in the morning hours to allow for more time for digestion. 

• Hydration during the days leading up to the race is crucial. This includes daily hydration as well as staying well hydrated during workouts. Make sure to rehydrate after workouts with a sodium-carb beverage and monitor your urin so it's light yellow (not dark or clear). Proper hydration means having the urge to urinate once every ~2 hours.  
  
  
  

• Sure, you are in Hawaii and there is a lot to see, do and experience. But the more you are outside, the greater the risk for sunburn, dehydration and fatigue. Cover your skin, wear reef-safe sunscreen and minimize your time in the direct sun. Overexposure to the sun may also supress the immune system - putting you at risk for getting sick.
  
  
  
  
  
• With the recent news that there will be less aid stations on the bike and run at the Ironman World Championship, this should not cause you to overhaul what has worked in training. However, it's important to be prepared. The more self-sufficient you are, the easier it will be to stick with a schedule for drinking/fueling throughout the race. To help with this, here are a few tips: 
  -Have at least 3 cages/hydration systems (1 bottle per hour of sport nutrition) on your bike for sport nutrition. When you finish 1 bottle, toss it at the aid station to allow room to store water on your bike. You should start with 3 bottles of sport nutrition and have three prepared bottles of sport nutrition in special needs. 
  -When you get to an aid station on the bike, grab water first and store on your bike to use for sipping/cooling until the next aid station. Then grab water to use for sipping and then cool the body as much as possible by pouring the water on your head, arms, back and legs. If you choose to wear a hydration pack, use it for sport nutrition so you can use your cages for water for sipping/cooling the body. 
  -Avoid carrying a heavy bottle when you run as it can throw off your gait. However, having a small 4-6 ounce flask of water to refill throughout the race can be a game changer between aid stations (you can sip it). If you practiced with a sport drink and plan to wear your nutrition (belt/pack), bring baggies of powder to refill along the way. 
  -Wear an absorbent cooling towel (I use Perfect Cooling Towel) to hold water. This way you can squeeze the towel anytime to cool you off. 
  -Hold ice in your hands and pour down your shorts/top to help keep you cool. Look for body parts that are high blood flow areas. 
  -Be careful running through sprinklers and hoses as wet, soggy shoes are prone to blisters. 
  -Keep your nutrition simple to execute. Well-formulated products digest and absorb the best. Don't overcomplicate your fueling plan. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Swimming in the ocean (or any open water) can result in gulping air (aerophagia), swallowing water or feeling sea sick. This can result in belching, nausea, headache and/or vomiting. Make sure you are well hydrated going into practice swims and on race day. Try to focus on something fixed (not moving) can help settled the brain. Pressure in your ear can make you feel off so you may consider wearing ear plugs. After the swim, take a few sips of water to dilute contents in the gut and wait ~10-15 minutes on the bike before consuming sport nutrition products on the bike. You may also find relief by sucking on a ginger chew or peppermint in the 20 minutes before the event. 
  
  
  
  
  
• If you are properly carbo-loaded, you may feel a little "heavy" from water retention. Or, perhaps you didn't reach your arbitrary "race weight" and you are feeling self-confident. Or maybe you feel like losing a few more lbs will give you the competitive edge. Resist the temptation to make extreme changes in your diet. Respect, fuel and nourish your body as it prepares to take you on a 140.6 mile journey. Don't compare your body to that of another athlete. How someone looks does not mean that athlete is better (or worse) than you. Never stop believing in yourself. 
  
  
  
  
  
• While the sun is hot, humidity is a greater threat to your health and performance. When the air is saturated with water, it's difficult for sweat to evaporate and cool the skin. Also, with the skin being the primary area for blood flow (to avoid overheating), that means less blood to the working muscles to power you forward and the gut becoming extremely slow for digestion. With all this in mind, it's extremely important to pace your own race. Your fastest performance is the one where you minimize a massive slowdown. Be realistic with your effort. Don't fixate on a specific outcome. Power, heart rate and pace can be misleading in the heat and humidity. Listen to your body.  
  
  
  
  
  
• Far too many athletes enter race week in panic mode and begin to change the winning formula. Fear based training or overhauling sport nutrition. Rituals that once helped an athlete build confidence for race day are replaced with worry, fear and self-doubt. Sure, the Ironman World Championship is a big-deal race but if you think about the distance, it's just another Ironman distance triathlon race. While you should certainly respect the distance and the island, don't abort the approach, method or formula that worked for you in the past. While it's ok to change certain aspects of your gear, nutrition or pacing plan to better manage the course or conditions (ex. ventilated helmet, depth size of your wheel, wearing a hydration belt, etc), it's not ok to change your plan because you think you'll be faster, perform better or because you saw that someone else (top age grouper/professional) was doing something similar. Trust yourself. 
  
  
  

Pumpkin Chocolate Energy Balls

 

Today is the first day of fall! It also happens to be Karel's birthday (shhh - he doesn't want to make a big deal of it 😉).

In our recent weekly newsletter, Joey shared a delicious energy ball recipe with all the right ingredients to warm your belly on a crisp fall day. Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Energy Balls
By Joey Mock, RD, LD, CLT

With Fall comes thoughts of crisp mornings, colorful leaves, apple picking, and, if you enjoy pumpkin, getting your seasonal pumpkin fix. These no-bake energy balls make a delicious, quick, and convenient snack while offering the nutrition benefits of pumpkin (like vitamin A, potassium, and fiber) and pumpkin seeds (like magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, and fiber). This recipe makes about 20 balls (using a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the mixture).
Ingredients

• 2 cups oats
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup flaxseed meal
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ to ⅓ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-mixed.
2. Add chocolate chips and pulse a few more times until chips are in small pieces.
3. Scoop mixture and roll into balls. Place on wax paper and refrigerate until firm.
4. Store balls in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator or freeze for longer storage.
5. Enjoy!

Adapted from: Pinch of Yum Pumpkin Energy Bites recipe.

For more delicious recipes from Joey, subscribe to our free newsletter here. 

A tale of two World Championship events

 

The picture is from the Kona, Hawaii. On nine separate occassions for almost 2 weeks, between 2007 until 2019, this was our view in early October. The Ironman World Championship has a very special place in our hearts. I have had the privilege of racing 5 times on the Big Island and Karel has raced 4 times. At Ironman Lake Placid this year, we both earned a slot to race in Kona again. Had we accepted, we would have been heading back to the Big Island to participate in the IM World Championship. 

This is a picture from Molveno, Italy. A place we've never been to before. On Monday, we will be flying (back) to Europe for the Xterra World Championship. Karel qualifed at the 2021 USA Championship in Ogden, Utah. Originally I was planning to bring my mountain bike and make the trip an epic train-cation while supporting Karel but I unexpectedly received a rolldown slot after participating in the Xterra European Championship in Czech Republic and I accepted the slot for my first Xterra World Championship. 

Two completely different World Championship locations.
Two completely different races.
Two completely different weather conditions.
Two completely different expectations.

In Kona, I always felt tremendous pressure to perform at my best. Every year I requalified for the Ironman World Championship, my expectations for myself got higher and higher. Sadly, I never performed to my potential. I let the pressure get the best of me.

For my first Xterra World Championship, I am going to apply the lessons learned from several past World Championship experiences and I will go into the race with no expectations. This isn't to be confused with low expectations. No expectations means no dissapointments. Karel and I are there to learn, to enjoy the experience, to take in the scenery and to give our best effort on the day.

You don't have to participate in a World Championship event to find yourself trying to forecast how you want things to go. Career, moving, school, the weather, a relationship or special occassion - trying to control an outcome can lead to tremendous stress, pressure and frustration.

So does this mean that we should lower our expectations in order to avoid dissappointment? Should we stop dreaming big so we don't have to experience a let-down if we don't succeed?

It's great to have goals. It's good to strive for more. It's fine to have high-standards for yourself. But your expectations should not affect your self-esteem, well-being or happiness. Be reasonable with yourself. There will always be things out of your control. Living with high expectations can be associated with burnout, sadness, depression and low self-esteem.

Here are a few signs that you may be expecting too much from yourself:

• Perfectionism - feeling that you are never good enough, setting unrealistic standards.
• Not allowing yourself to make mistakes.
• Being hard and overly critical on yourself, focusing too much on your imperfections.
• Setting goals to other people's expectations, not based on your own needs, interests and abilities.
• Trying to please everyone and putting the needs of others before your own.
• Focusing too much on what other people are doing.
• Not being able to say no.
• A constant need for achievemet and praise for sense of self-worth.
• Expecting to always be at your best. 

Here are some tips to help you stop expecting so much from yourself (remember, no expectations is not low expectations): 

• Stop comparing yourself to other people (or a past version of yourself). Your self-worth should not be based on other people. Focus on your own strengths and abilities and your journey in life.
• Set goals that are realistic. Strive for "good enough." Let go of the need to be perfect.
• Allow yourself to fail. Be ok with making mistakes. You don't have to be great at everything.
• Live within your own moral code and personal values. Make sure your goals are in line with your own needs, not to please others.
• Set boundaries for yourself. Know when to say no, ask for help and give yourself rest.
• It's ok to have rough patches. This does not mean that you are not going to be successful. Everyone has bad days.
• Enjoy your journey without the need for constant applause or achievement.
• Challenge the bully in your head. Address the negativity to focus on the positives. Be kind to yourself. 

When you learn to stop expecting too much from yourself, you may find that you are much happier, succeed more often and recognize the positives in what you have.

Moving on from a bad workout

 

Ever since I started mountain biking (back in December 2021), it never feels like training. Nature feeds my soul. It's been such a fun journey and I find myself improving with every ride. We have very technical terrain where we ride - with a lot of roots, rocks, tight turns, climbs and descends - so I have been forced to learn the hard stuff very early on. But with every struggle there was motivation to continue to improve. My weakness is still cornering as I slow down a lot but it's something I'm determined to continue to work on so that it becomes a strength. 

Over the past two weeks, I've really seen my skills improve. I've been able to get up and over obstacles that I've never done before. On Tuesday, Karel took me to Paris Mountain - which has some of the hardest mountain biking trails in our area. I was very scared and intimidated riding on these trails for the first time but Karel helped me ease into it and by the end, I found myself gaining a lot of confidence. We returned on Wednesday for more of a "workout" since Tuesday was more of a skills/sessioning workout. I couldn't believe what I was able to do on Wednesday - I surprised myself (and Karel). 

On Friday evening, I went to bed feeling like a kid about to go to Disney World on Saturday. I couldn't wait to ride my mountain bike on Saturday at Dupont. 

While foam rolling in our screened porch on Friday evening, I got bite by something (perhaps a small spider) and it caused my left foot to swell. And then came the full body itches that continued for almost two hours. Finally after taking some Benadryl and Zyrtec, the reaction calmed down. 

Although I felt a bit off on Saturday morning, we continued with our plan of mountain biking for ~3 hours and following it up with a 45-minute trail run. My foot had calmed down and I was no longer itchy.

After our 50 min drive to Dupont, we started our ride by climbing the gravel road out of the Fawn Lake Parking lot. Everytime we mountain bike, the first 10-20 minutes are always the hardest for me because my heart rate shoots up and it's very uncomfortable for me. I'm not used to being anaerobic so early in a ride. When we hit the first single track, I felt off. My legs felt empty and I had no power. I was hoping I could shake it. We then decended on a new trail that I had never done before and it scared me. I felt like I couldn't breathe because my heart rate was so high from climbing and trying to get over roots and I couldn't focus. Once I got to the bottom, I was frustrated. I went from being so confident on Wednesday to feeling like I was riding a mountain bike for the first time. 

Once I calmed down, we went on riding. Karel took me up another trail that I had never done before but one he felt I could do. I hit my ankle trying to get over a big rock. I cried. I was so frustrated and dissappointed. I was not having fun. 

Karel tried his best to keep me positive but after another hour of riding, it was just not my day. I was worried I would hurt myself more by trying to ride with no energy and no confidence in my skills. I didn't like that I couldn't shake my negative mindset and how I was feeling. For the past 9 months, I have loved my MTB journey. Even when I struggle, fall or fail to do something, I'm able to do so with excitement to try again - or move on. But today was not that day. 

Eventually we decided that it was best to head back to the car after almost 2 hours of riding. I felt good with this decision because my head was just not into this ride and my body wasn't feeling it either. I felt bad that Karel had to cut his ride short as well (I told him to continue on and I would just wait for him but he was ok to stop). We ended up salvaging my bad workout with a productive 50-minute trail run off the bike - which was one of my better trail runs off the bike. 

Although I had several valid reasons for having an off day, bad workouts happen - and that's ok. 

We cannot expect our bodies to be physically primed and mentally engaged for every single workout. Life is constantly changing and we are constantly evolving. 
It's completely normal to have workouts that don't go as planned. Sometimes the body does not want to cooperate. Let it go. Learn from it. Move on. 

While I was able to easily move on, it can be hard to challenge your inner voice during and after a bad workout. You may find yourself.....

• Being extremely self-critical
• Forgetting your strengths and improvements
• Comparing yourself to others
• Using harmful words to describe yourself
• Thinking negatively, with blame and criticism
• Making radical changes or quick fixes to cope with uncomfortable emotions and feelings
• Blaming yourself instead of taking into account other factors 

Training is hard. If we assume that what doesn't come naturally and easily isn't worth doing, it's going to be hard to improve. 

But you are not your workout. 
Don't let a bad workout stop you from recognizing your strengths and abilities. 

Embracing European Eating Habits

After spending several weeks in Europe, I find it challenging to adjust to the American food culture. When I return, I am quickly reminded of the dysfunctional eating habits of many Americans. Now you may be assuming that I am talking about the oversized portions, heavily processed snacks and convenient fast food that have become normalized in the USA and are commonly contributed to obsesity and health problems. Although the food industry is partly to blame, it's actually the diet industry that I despise.

As we accumulated cycling miles and elevation in the French Alps, I spent very little time on social media. When I eventually opened my Facebook app and started scrolling, I was quickly reminded of our nation's unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. After a few posts talking about intermittent fasting and low carb diets, I had to close the app as I became so frustrated to see what I was reading.

Certainly, my situation is a bit unique in that Karel's family lives in Czech so we live like a local with homecooked meals every day. But for several weeks when we are in Europe, we are fully emersed in a different style of eating - one that we grately appreciate. Not only are the ingredients and cuisines different, but the entire European eating culture is different than the typical American lifestyle. The fact that there is a grocery store at almost every corner of the town, biking is a common form of transporation and there are sidewalks everywhere for walking, says a lot about the infrastructure of the European culture versus in America. European cities are very pedestrian-friendly - regularly giving pedestrians (and people on bikes) the right of way. Sadly, our country doesn't really make it easy to naturally live a healthy lifestyle. Unless you live in a major city, it's rare to walk from place to place. It's not uncommon for Europeans to leave their office at lunchtime, often for more than an hour, to go home to enjoy a warm meal. More so, it's no secret that American's are overworked and stressed, which makes it even harder to maintain a good relationship with food.

In America, healthy eating is not just preoccupation but it is an obsession. It's not uncommon for the typical American to spend decades of life feeling controlled or confused by food. Weighing, measuring, calculating every meal to get it "right." The diet industry has made eating (which should be rather simple) extremely confusing, complicated and conflicting. Social media, healthism, fat phobia, self-objectification and the toxic diet culture have led many people to fear food and despise the body they see in the mirror.

When we were in Karel's hometown of Znojmo, Czech Republic we ate a lot. We also walked a lot. Grocery stores were convenient. Food delivery was not. It's hard to eat in the car when you drive a manual transmission. It was not common to drink your coffee on the go. Gas stations serve real food and excellent coffee. And there's even a place inside the gas station to sit down and enjoy your coffee in a real cup. Portions were always reasonable (small to American standards) but the food tasted amazing. We were satisfied after each meal. Our meals included a lot of olive oil, butter, salt, potatoes and cheese. There was structure in our day as it was expected that lunch would be served at noon - often a two course meal, starting with soup. Always served on nice dishes. Even during the Haute Route Alps, we ate on real dishes after every stage. I saw very little plastic during our event. Seasonal eating is taken very seriously in Europe. Eating strawberries after July doesn't make sense when plums are heavily in season.

Now don't get me wrong. I would have given anything to have a meal delivered to us after riding 100+ miles in the French Alps. And for the last two stages, my dinner meal was chips and cereal. 

But when I return from Europe, I'm reminded of America's relationship with food - and to be honest, it's kinda messy. People are not only disconnected from their own bodies but also disconnected from food. Instead of making peace with food and putting effort into creating sustainable healthy habits and positive eating behaviors, it's normal to be caught up in the latest diet fads - fasting, keto, low carb, etc. - constantly searching for the easist, quick fix solution. When in Europe, after eating meal after meal prepared and served with so much care and love, I struggled even more to understand why it's acceptable and encouraged to starve yourself of food. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared. The diet culture has taught you to feel guilty about calories consumed, to obsess over what "bad" food is off-limit or to believe that your self worth is tied to your physical appearance.

Sadly, the diet industry has done so much damage to the American body and mind. I realize this is not just an American issue but American's are deeply entrenched in dieting, food guilt, deprivation and restrictive eating.

I always try to learn lessons when I am in another country. When it comes to improving your relationship with food, here are a few lessons learned from European eating:

• Make the time to prepare meals. Enjoy the process of collecting ingredients, patiently chop and cook and take pride in the final product.
• Fill yourself with flavor. Choose the real version of ingredients to ensure your meals are of high quality. You may find that you end up eating less but feeling much more satisfied.
• Take time to sit down and eat. Eating a meal should not be a burden. It should be done at a table, with silverware. Consider a more structured eating regime so that meals don't turn into mindless snacking.
• Eat with others when possible. Not alone in the car or behind a computer desk. It's not a burden to take 30 minutes out of your day to enjoy a meal. Relax and taste your food.

If you want to make healthy eating less complicated, eat real food. Real ingredients contribute to nutritious meals.

I've learned a lot from my travels to Europe and I carry the following tips with me to maintain a healthy relationship with food wherever/whenever I eat: 

-Welcome all foods without restrictions
-Listen to your body to guide your eating choices
-Be flexible with eating choices
-See the value in food beyond calories
-Remind yourself that your value as a human is not determined by your image.

Haute Route Alps Stage 7 - The finale!

 

STAGE 7 

August 27th, 2022

Start: Megeve, France

Finish: Megeve, France

62 miles

4:21 riding time

14.2 mph average

7628 feet

Climbs: Epine (6.9K), Croix Fry (11.3K), Aravis (4.4K)

After 6 days, we didn't think we would make it this far. The final day. All that was between us and becoming an official Haute Route finisher was 62 miles. On any day in Greenville, riding 7600 feet would be a big climbing day but for stage 7, it was a "light" day. Besides the time trial, every stage involed over 10,000 feet of climbing. I was really looking forward to completing this event and I wore my Haute Route jersey (included in our race packet) as a celebration for making it to the last stage. 
At breakfast, I looked at the results and I was safely sitting in 2nd place in my age group. Unless something extreme happened (ex. mechanical or crash), I felt like I could remain 2nd in my age group (40-44). I felt like that was a big accomplishment and I brought that motivation to the stage. I wanted to remain competitive but also enjoy this last day. Karel was very tired and was still a bit worried about not having the energy to get through the stage but he knew he would finish, he just didn't know how much he would suffer. 

With the majority of this stage being timed, I knew it wouldn't be like the previous stages. This would be much more like a group ride with quick stops to refill bottles. Planning for a little over 4 hours of riding, I planned to refill two bottles somewhere half way. Karel didn't refill his bottles throughout the stage. The weather was a bit cool (60) so I started off with my arm warmers but took them off before the start as I knew I would warm up quickly. 

After 14.4k of neutralized riding, we made our way passed the timing system and that was it. From that point until 99k, this would be our last timed segment of the Haute Route Alps. 

Aside from the lead riders, there was a big pack of riders and I was able to stay in the group. But then the road picked up and I could feel myself struggling. I was ok with getting dropped but then Karel rode up to me and said "Marni, don't give up. Just push until the top of the hill and then there is a downhill." I was so thankful that he told me that because all I needed was to make a few hard pedal strokes to get back to the group and even though my legs were burning and my heart was beating out of my chest, I was able to stay with the big group to the top of the climb and recover on the downhill. 

One of the early climbs was a bit rough with loose gravel. I wanted to be extra careful as I didn't want to crash or have a mechanical but I also trusted my skills. I was able to descend safely and made my way to a strong group, with a few strong females. It was a lot of fun to feel like I was finally riding to my potential on the last two stages. I really enjoyed being able to stay with bigger groups and sit on the wheel of strong riders. The middle climb took an hour so I still needed to pace myself. 

Although the climbs were not as long as previous days (thank goodness we didn't have to climb 3+ hours again!), they were still punchy and the legs felt the accumulation of climbing over the past 7 days. Even though the finish line was near, I didn't focus on the finish but instead, just stayed focused on the kilometer that I was in. 

Once again, the scenery was incredible and I really tried to take it all in. My favorite part was the last hour. It reminded me of one of my favorite climbs in our area (Saluda Grade) and I was behind a guy from Canada who was riding really strong. He was not as comfortable descending but super strong on the climbs and flats so we made a good team. I stayed on his wheel for the climbs (he really made me push) and then he told me that he trusted my wheel on the downhills so I would take the lead. I made one pull to give him a break so I was glad that I could contribute. The final 10K was windy and a gradual incline into Megeve but we stayed strong. It was just me and this guy from Canada and we worked really well to get each other to the finish line. 

Once we saw the 1K to go, I felt such relief. We gave each other a fist bump before making the final turn toward the finish line chute. 

When I crossed the finish line, I saw Karel and I couldn't believe we did it. By far, this was the hardest athletic feat that we have ever attempted. 

After 7 days of riding, we were so happy to not have to ride our bikes on Sunday. Although, I was very sad to return my Pinarello as I had fallen in love with my bike over 7 days and I was sad to let it go. Karel took off my crank, saddle and pedals and we returned our bikes back to Jeremey with France Bike Rentals. 

We picked up our finisher polo shirt and then walked back to our hotel (a few minutes away). After taking a shower, we relaxed in bed for an hour - just enoying the moment of knowing that we didn't have to ride our bikes on Sunday. I turned on the TV and could pick from watching cycling, UTMB and Mountain biking - all in French. It was nice to feel like we could finally relax. 

Shortly after, we walked through the cute town of Megeve (which was my favorite town that we visited throughout the Haute Route) and had an amazing meal in the afternoon. It ended up pouring outside during our meal and we couldn't help but think how great weather we had throughout the event. After we ate, we walked around and then back to our hotel to collapse in bed before heading to the athlete award ceremony at 7pm. 

Prior to the awards, we received a notification on our Haute Route app that the top three in each age group would be recognized. That came as a big surprise to us so I was so honored to get on the stage to celebrate. Since the overall winner of the female division was also in my age group, she received a different prize so her prize rolled down to me, which was unexpected. 

Dinner was amazing, especially dessert. After the ceremony, went back to our hotel, ready for bed. 
Even though we were so tired, it was hard to sleep as our bodies were completely empty and sore. But being able to go to sleep knowing that we had nothing to do the next day was a great feeling. 

We ended up going for an easy swim the next day at the swim center (behind our hotel) and it felt really good to float a few laps in the long course pool. We were both extremely tired (and it had been over a week since we swam) so it wasn't a productive swim for fitness but very productive to move some blood. 

We had a great lunch (burgers - veggie for me, it was amazing!!) and then around 3pm we checked out of our hotel and walked next door to the bus stop to board our shuttle bus to take us to the Geneva Airport in Switzerland. 

Although we struggled throughout this event and found it very humbling, we do feel that our long distance triathlon training contributed to a great amount of endurance needed for this event. However, having been through this 7-day experience, we now know how to prepare better and what is needed mentally and physically, to be a bit more competitive throughout this event. 

Thank you for following us along. We really appreciate it. We hope that we have inspired you to step out of your comfort zone to challenge yourself as you explore your capabilities. 

Results

Haute Route Alps Stage 6

 

STAGE 6

August 26th, 2022

Start: Meribel, France

Finish: Megeve, France

85.45 miles

6:10 riding time

11.0 mph average

12,086 feet

Climbs: TRA (9.7K), Cormet de Roselend (19.2K), Saisies (16.3K)

By this point in the event, we had our morning routine nailed down and we started to become a bit more relaxed in the morning. Whereas we had stuck to a strict 2-hour before the event wake-up, we gave ourselves a bit more time to sleep in and woke up at 5:45am instead of 5:30am. We walked across the street to get breakfast and then packed up our room. At this point I was out of Skratch Super Fuel (which I used for the first 4 stages in my first two bottles). I used 2 heaping scoops C30 from Never Second and 1 packet of EFS Salty Watermelon (which was really good) in my other bottle. I also had some chews to give me a bit more calories since my other bottle only had 110 calories. 

Since we didn't have far to go for the staging area (it was right next to our hotel), we made our way to the starting area around 7:15am. Although this stage was our 4th stage of climbing over 10,000 feet, it was also our second to last stage - and our last stage of climbing over 10,000 feet. Certainly knowing that we only had one day left made it a lot easier to look forward to this stage. In looking at the weather on the Epic Ride Weather app, it looked like we may get some rain later on the in the stage but overall, it would be a cool and cloudy day. 

I wore my jacket to start because we had 21.7K neutralized with most of it downhill. After we started, we had a short climb out of the village of Meribel before starting our long descend down the Col de la Loze that we climbed to finish stage 4. After a few minutes of riding, I noticed that my computer wasn't picking up speed, mileage or cadence. The night prior my Garmin froze so I am not sure what happened but it was trouble picking up the satellite. I restarted the computer and still nothing. After a few minutes, Karel and I stopped on the side of the road to try to fix it up but after trying a few things, it was still not picking up the metrics. While I wasn't using power for pacing, it was extremely helpful to know what kilometer I was on as that helped with pacing. Plus, for this epic event, I wanted to make sure every mile was accounted for. Once we got started again, we were at the very back of the group (behind the last vehicle) but after a kilometer of descending, we were back up toward the front of the group. Eventually my computer started working (somewhere in the beginning of the first timed climb) so that was a relief that I finally knew where I was in the climb. 

Once we got a few kilometers away from the first timed section, I stopped to go pee on the side of the road and stuffed my jacket in my jersey pocket. I picked back up with a group just before the first timed section. 

The TRA climb was a great first climb of the day. The road condition, grade and switchbacks reminded me of home and I felt really strong. I was able to stay in a small group and I found myself ahead of a few girls that were always ahead of me in the previous stages. Karel was feeling a bit stronger than in the past few stages thanks to the rest day. It really helped him to have the afternoon off where he could rest and refuel and get a good night of sleep. Karel ended up in a group near the front (not the front front but near the front) and he was really surprised to be in the company of some of the top GC (general classification) riders. 

This stage was a bit different than the first four stages in that much more of the stage was timed, including the downhills. From 21.7 until 75, we made our way up the TRA climb, down the TRA climb, along a rolling/flat section before starting the Roselend climb. Finally at the top of the Roselend climb, the timing stopped and I regrouped with Karel. I decided to refill one bottle at the top of TRA just to ensure that I had enough for the next 45 kilometers. 

The 25K Roseland descend was not timed and Karel went ahead. We didn't spend too much time at the top of Roseland as it was a bit cool and cloudy and we wanted to try to beat the rain. We went through a lot of villages and tunnels on this route and the scenery was amazing. It was becoming much more green and the blue color of the lake took my breathe away - it was incredibly beautiful. 

Although I was tired, I felt like I rode really well on this stage and I was able to stay with groups much more than in the past few stages. I could tell that many of the riders were getting tired and probably went out too hard for the first few stages. It was fun to ride with some new people in the group. 

My favorite part of the day was being so close to the cows and enjoying their company as they enjoyed their grassy field. 

The last climb was Saisies and it was challenging. It was a lot more pitchy than Roselend without much relief. We started off on a super steep incline just after the timing section, before it eventually settled into a 7-12% grade for the next 12K. There was a short drop in the grade (~3%) for a few kilometers before the grade picked up aagain to the top of the climb. 

Karel rode the Saisies climb with our Australian friend Clay (who had nice music jamming from his phone) and while I tried to stay with them for a few kilometers, eventually I needed to drop back. However, I was able to link up with a few other solo riders to keep myself riding strong. I made a quick stop at the last aid station on top of Saisies  before making my way down the descend and into Megeve. 

For this stage, we went through a lot more towns and the roads were a bit more busy at times but there was plenty of support staff keeping us safe. The final 10K was a gradual climb into Megeve and I was thankful to be around a few other riders to finish off strong. I have no idea how we missed the rain but I never got wet. Karel said he got a little rained on but it didn't last long. It felt like we were chasing the rain all day. The cooler weather felt great. It was a much more windy day, which made it tough on the top of the climbs. 

After I finished, Karel and I dropped our bikes off with Jeremy at France Bike Rentals to give them a charge (electronic shifting) before the final day. Karel got a massage while I showered and then we went to get some food. The post event meal was the best meal that we had had all week. It was sooo good. It was so great knowing that we only had one more stage and we would be staying in the same hotel for the next two nights.

We rode a few minutes to our hotel and I instantly fell in love with it. I could not have asked for a better accomodation for our final stay in Megeve. The hotel was super cute and since we had a little more time in the afternoon (with it being just around 3pm), Karel enjoyed a cappuccino at the hotel while I editted my Go Pro footage. We then walked to the nearby grocery store for some food for dinner. 

The rain helped to cool things off which made for a comfortable evening in our room. Although I felt like we had already finished the event and tomorrow was a bonus stage, Karel was exhausted and continued to question how he would finish the last stage. We both slept great in the evening and looked forward to one last ride. Only 62 miles and 7500+ feet between us and the finish line! 

One more day to go!! 

Lessons Learned 
There's something about not giving up. You never know what you are capable of doing unless you try. In a 7-day event, there are going to be bad days. There are going to be tough moments. But if you give up, you don't put yourself in a position to experience the good moments and good days. We never thought we would feel good in any stage but we both had good days throughout this event. Stage 6 was a good stage for us (for the most part) and we rode stronger than we had in the days past. This stage also involved a lot of self-talk. At any point we could have just eased up but we both wanted to give our best, in every stage. That's all you can ask for from your body. Just give your best. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 5 (Time Trial)

STAGE 5 - 10K Time Trial 

August 25th, 2022

Start: Meribel, France

Finish: Meribel, France

6.2 miles

59:33 riding time

6.27 mph average

2657 feet

Climb: Col de la Loze. 

For our "rest" day, all we had to do was ride 10K. Up the Col de la Loze. 2657+ feet to climb in 6 miles. Pitches above 20%. Over 9% gradient for the majority of the climb. Summit at ~7500 feet. At this point in the event, we have covered 390 miles and 52,000 feet of elevation gain in five days. 

Yeah, a lot to accomplish before we could full enjoy our rest day. 

The overall vibe was a bit lighter in the morning as every rider had a set start time range for the time trial. Mine was 9:45-10am and Karel had 10am - 10:15am. They seeded everyone based on overall times so that the top seeded athletes were at the end.

We woke up around 7am (yay for sleeping in!) and had breakfast at the hotel. Although I felt a bit more in my element with the concept of a time trial (my own effort), the course had me worried. I wasn't sure if I had the energy to get up some of the steep pitches and I was worried about having to walk (or fall over). 

After we ate, we took some time to foam roll and do some mobility before heading out on the bike for a warm-up. There were many riders out warming up which it was really important to go into the time trial with a good warm-up in the legs. We wore our triathlon one piece race kits because why not, it's a time trial! 

It was hard to find anywhere flat around the village so there was a lot of back and forth riding. Every pedal stroke was hard, especially going uphill. I found myself extremely nervous. 

When I rolled up the staging area, they called my name right away. After a 37 min warm-up, it was nearing 9:45am and I was about to go. I didn't even have time to think about the start so I just rolled up to the starting stage and within 60 seconds, I was off. I think this was actually a good thing as I didn't have any time to think about what was about to come. 

Once I started, I found myself a bit less nervous. I mean, there's no turning back now so I may as well make the most of the next hour. My goal was to finish but I also gave myself a bonus goal of trying to get under 1 hour. 

The first 1.5 miles were not too bad. It was a gentle 7% grade, weaving through the streets. Eventually the road turned into a golf path type of road (very narrow) and then I hit the first kicker. Ouch, that was steep. There was no way to control my heart or take it easy. I had to give every ounce of power to get up the climb. Then the road settled back down again to 7% (which felt like I was going downhill compared to the kicker) so I was able to relax. I knew I wasn't going to gain any time or places for this time trial so I tried to be really strategic with my energy. I didn't want to overdo it on the "easier" sections as I knew I would need the energy, muscle power and heart beats for the last 5K - the "hard" stuff. 

With other riders already on the course, it was easy to get a glimpse of what was coming - seeing athletes rock their bikes side to side to power up the climb helped me prepare myself. And then there were the riders who were descending down from having already completing the climb - which gave me some reassurance that I would die getting to the top. 

The switchbacks were a blessing as it gave a tiny bit of relief before the road kicked up. 
With every steep pitch, it took everything I had. I questioned if I would be able to get up the next steep climb but then when the gradient dropped to 9 or 10%, I had a bit of relief. There was a short 30 second moment of downhill riding which was grately enjoyed. Looking ahead at the finish, I could see the road ad it went straight up. 

But thankfully the end was in sight. 1K to go. 1K until I get to rest and fully enjoy my rest day. 

There were a few riders on the sidelines cheering and an announcer on the top. I soaked it all in. The hardest climb of my life. 

When I got to the top, I couldn't believe the view.  also beat my goal of breaking an hour and went 59:33. After enjoying a few apricots and a cookie, I walked over to the finish line to wait for Karel. 

There he was, muscling his way on the 20+ gradient to get to the finish line. 50:44 to get to the top. After he crossed, he made it a few more pedal strokes until he hobbled off his bike and collapsed. 

With no rush to get back (except getting a little cool at the top), we spent the next 35 minutes really taking it all in. 

The descend was even more amazing as we could really take in all the sights that we missed while suffering and making sure that our next pedal stroke was not our last. During our 22 minute descend, we stopped to take a few more pics and made sure to give way to the riders who were climbing. It was motivating and inspiring to see the top seeded riders (especially the females) riding so strong up the climb. 

After we finished, we changed and had a snack and then walked across the street to the Olympic center for lunch. After lunch, we caught up on some work for our athletes as we had a bit more time and energy. Later in the afternoon we walked around the town and got a few things for dinner. I was craving cereal and chips so that was my dinner. It totally hit the spot and I felt so good going to bed. 

Although Karel found the stage very hard, the day itself was very much needed. It's amazing what a few extra hours of rest and food can do for the mind and body. 

While we were sad to pack up and leave Meribel, we were really excited for our next stop - Megeve. Our final destination for the event and where we would be spending the next two nights. 

Lessons Learned 
In the afternoon of the stage, we watched the Col de la Loze stage from the 2020 Tour de France. After riding this climb, Karel's entire perspective of professional cycling changed. He no longer understands how these riders can ride so fast, with such a high cadence and attack on these climbs. Watching this video left us with our mouth wide open, in disbelief of what these riders can do. 
There's something incredibly special about this experience of riding on these legendary climbs. Although we ride these climbs 2-3x longer than the TdF riders, we are on the same climbs. 
This stage taught me a lot about comparison. There was no way I could get to the top of this climb trying to race another athletes race. The only way was to focus on myself and my own effort. It's so easy to compare yourself to other athletes or even a past version of yourself. It's so easy to feel defeated when being passed by another athlete. But knowing that I was giving my absolute best with each and every pedal stroke, I was so proud of myself - on this day, with the fitness, health and ability that I brought to the stage. Watching the tour and other cycling events is one of our favorite things to do but we now have a whole new perspective of what these riders are capable of doing with their bodies and minds. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 4

STAGE 4

August 24th, 2022

Start: Les Deux Alps, France
Finish: Meribel, France

95.5 miles

8:09 riding time

11.7 mph average

14,339 ft elevation gain (Karel's computer had 16,211 feet!)

Climbs: Glandon (25K), Madeleine (19K) and Meribel/part of the Col de la Loze - 16K)

Stage 4 had us worried. It was our "Queen" stage which means it was the most difficult stage of our 7-day event, involving several difficult climbs and accumulating the most elevation. We were so worried about this stage that we didn't even familiarize ourselve with the climbs or stats until that morning. As if the first 3 stages were not hard enough, we were carrying around a massive amount of fatigue and soreness going into this stage. 

But there were positives on this day. First off, if when we finish the stage we will officially be over half way through the event. Wahoo! Secondly, we will be staying in the famous ski town of Meribel, France. And even better, we would have the same accomodations, in the same location for two nights! And even better, our hotel had a pool! Not that I was interested in actual swimming but I was missing the water. Lastly, we "only" had a 10K time trial for stage 5 which gave us most of the afternoon to catch up on food, rest and sleep. 

So while there was a lot to look forward to after the stage was complete, we first needed to complete this massive stage. 

With another early start of 7am, we woke up around 5am and you, guessed it, ate breakfast, packed up our stuff, pinned our numbers on our jerseys, etc. etc. We had gotten into a routine and since we were so exhausted, we were a bit on autopilot. It was a little chilly outside, which was nice in that we slept ok without AC but it was a chilly start to the morning in the low 50's. It was getting harder to eat in the morning but my appetite would really pick up in time for the post event meal. 

The start of the stage was downhill and for 30.8K it was neutralized. I had a jacket and gloves on to keep me warm and I really enjoyed the almost 70 minutes of neutralized riding. Although I made sure to be careful as riding with 400 riders down switchbacks, on narrow roads and in tunnels can be a bit sketchy, especially when everyone is tired. 

Before the timed segment, I stopped to remove my jacket and gloves and also went pee. With a rest stop in the middle of both of the climbs, I was planning to quickly top off my bottles to get me through the climbs but then fully refill at the very top when the timing section was complete. 

The Glandon climb was incredible. The scenery was a bit more green than what I had seen the past few stages and it often felt like I was on another plant. The water and architecture in nature was incredible. Although I was tired as I made my way up the 17.6 mile, 4453 foot climb for 1 hour and 57 minutes (8.96 mph), I was really soaking in the scenery. 

By this point in the stage, we found ourselves around similar people so we began to know people by names (and with hours of climbing, there was also time to get to know people). Karel enjoyed riding with Clay - who had his music jamming from his phone. I found myself around the same Canadians and British guys and also rode with a Brazilian lady for some of the climbs. She was very strong but her knees were bothering her so we were encouraging one another not to give up. That pretty much sums up the vibe of this event - people are really encouraging and supportive. 

After enjoying the views at the top, it was time for a very long, fast decend of 14 miles (40 minutes). I didn't care too much for this descend as the road surface was more bumpy and there were more long and straight sections where I would pick up quick speed. Karel took advantage of the downhills as it's where he felt the happiest. 

Next was the Madeline climb. This climb had us extremely worried. Per the profile, it was a constant climb of 12 miles (4777 feet) and the grade was a constant 8-11% without any opportunity to coast. The only place I could "ease up" was on a switchback. I found myself out of the saddle a lot on this climb as I could get a bit out of each pedal stroke to move me forward out of the saddle. My friend Bryan warned me about this climb and told me to expect around 2 hours of climbing. 

At the top of the climb, it wasn't as horrible as we thought it would be but we were still really glad that it was overwith. Just one more climb until we reached Meribel. 

After another fast decend of 15.8 miles, it was time for the last segment of the stage. 16 miles and 3400 feet of elevation. I felt strong starting this climb and I could tell that other riders were starting to fade from the stage itself and the accumulation of the multiple stages. I linked up with a few guys and tried to stay on their wheel as long as I could until I hit my breaking point and needed to settle into my own effort. 

It started to get really warm (upper 80's) and I could feel it. I also felt really bonky and needed to stop at the final aid station (with 5K to go) as I was so hot. The helpers at the feed zone were handing out coke so I took in a cup and filled up one of my water bottles to help get me to the top. I absolutely hit the wall for the last few miles of this climb and it was a very slow and uncomfortable grind to get to the top of the climb. 

When I finally reached the finish line, I was so relieved. Karel was there waiting for me - with ice cream in hand and I told him that I needed something quick to bring me back to life. I had the most delicious cup of fruity gelato which totally hit the spot! After 10 minutes of resting and getting some sugar into my system, we then rolled into the super cute town of Meribel to the sights of adorable chalets, ski homes, shops and live music. The Haute Route Village was set up near the Olympic center and our hotel was right in the center of the town. I ended up getting my second massage after this stage (which was really good!) and Karel got some food. I snacked on salty crackers and my recovery drink and passed on the post event meal as Karel said it wasn't the greatest. 

I was so excited to check out our hotel and it was even cuter than I could have imagined. We had a balcony overlooking the pool and the shops and our room was big with plenty of room for our luggage to explode (it was nice to not have to repack our bags the next morning - we could enjoy our room for two days!).

Even though I was so empty and wanted to lay in bed, the pool was calling my name so I put on my two piece suit and went down to the pool. I met a new friend James and his wife Cassandre who were both very strong and nice. James used to do triathlons and Cassandre won her age group at Ironman Nice and will be racing in Kona next month. Karel eventually joined us in the pool - after he enjoyed an overpriced cappachino that he had been craving. 

After the dip in the water, we got some food. There were very few restaurants open in the town (which surprised us) so we didn't have many options. We settled for a pizza place (I think I lost count of how many pizzas I've eaten in Europe this month) and Karel had this potato and meat dish which he didn't care for, it was really fatty and didn't digest well. 

After we ate, we were ready for bed. It kinda felt like we had a day off the next day so I was tempted to stay up a bit later than normal but I knew it would be good to get as much sleep as I could before our 10K time trial in the morning.  

Lessons Learned 
Having something to look forward to really helps during tough moments. Knowing all the great things that we would experience after the stage was complete was good motivation to help me start and finish the stage. Also, going into this event, I thought we would be missing out by leaving Nice and riding to Megeve, instead of the other way around. There was something cool about riding to the water and I thought I would have preferred that route. But as the ride went on, I loved entering new villages and towns and making our way up in the country of France. This was a good lesson about making assumptions and how you may expect something to be good or bad but it can be the opposite of what you had hoped for (or imagined). Sometimes the best mindset is a neutral one and to just let things be how they are supposed to be. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 3

STAGE 3

August 23rd, 2022

Start: Serre Chevalier Briancon, France
Finish: Les Deux Alps

70 miles

5:48 riding time

12 mph average

10,612 ft elevation gain

Climbs: Lautaret (26K), Sareene (13K), Les 2 Alpes (9K) and descending Alpe d'Huez.

With our latest start time thus far, we were happy that we could get a little extra sleep with a 6am alarm. The daily routine didn't change from the last two days and we tried to eat as much as we could, prepared our gear, repacked our luggage and dropped off in the hotel lobby, prepared our post-race backpack and questioned how we would be able to ride another stage. Even at "only" 70 miles, we still had 10,000+ feet to climb. Although I didn't look at any of the time off times, Karel was really worried that he wouldn't make the times for this stage. The cut off times are pretty strict and while you can continue ride the next day if you don't make a cut off time, you aren't consider an official finisher unless you make all cut off times and complete every stage. Thus the less than 50% finisher rate. Additionally, there are some stages that if you don't make the cut off time, you can't continue on the route and you will be picked up by the "broom wagon." In looking back at this stage, we made the cut off times by around 50-minutes (factoring in rest-stop times) so it's not just physical fitness that is required for this event but also a lot of good luck (mechanics, crashes) and being strategic with your stops. 

The hardest part of each morning was the hour before the start of the stage. It was really hard to quiet the mind of worries, what ifs and soreness. It was such a battle to not go back to sleep as we woke up so exhausted. 

Around 7:36, we made our way to the start venue and lined up in the corral to begin stage 3. We only had 8.2K of neutralized riding and it was all on a gradual uphill. It was not an easy start to the stage but I found my legs responding really well from the first few pedal strokes. I felt like today was going to be a great day. As for Karel, his legs hurt from the first pedal stroke and he found it difficult to turn the pedals over. He got dropped from the group in the neutralized section and really struggled from the start. 

After looking at the stage for the day and the grades of the climb, I felt like this stage would suit me well. Once we reached the first timing section, I really worked hard to stay with the group that I was in (which was a big group of around 30 riders) and I worked really hard for the next 17 miles. I was feeling really competitive and really gave my best effort to the top of the climb. Once I reached the rest stop, my legs were super shaky like I had just done intense intervals for 80-minutes. We were also climbed up to 6000 feet so I'm sure the thin air didn't help. I thought Karel was also in the group but it was a few minutes later when he rolled up looking completely destroyed. Karel was having a really rough day. His muscles were extremely sore (even to touch), he felt broken inside and he was really tired. I felt really bad for him but he didn't want my day to be affected since I was feeling strong so he told me to go ahead and to give my best for both of us. 

I enjoyed the fast 12 mile descend before approaching the next time segment. I was looking forward to the Sareene segment as it also included some descending, which I was hopeful that that would help me move up in the overall rankings. I was sitting in 2nd age group (40-49) with no chance of catching first place who was leading the race (and ended up placing in the top 20 overall) and around 11th overall female. I thought maybe today I could get into the top 10. For the next 12 miles and almost 90 minutes, I climbed 3500 feet. The views were incredible and it only got better as I reached the town of Alpe d'Huez. Karel ended up passing me in the last climb so I was really happy that he was feeling better. It was a bit windy (and cool) at the top so we didn't spend much time at the feed station (~10 minutes). 

For the next ~9 miles, we enjoyed the 21 legendary switchbacks of Alpe d'Huez and felt like we were riding into history seeing the names of famous TdF riders painted on the ground. 

To finish the stage, "only" 14 miles to Les 2 Alpes. "Only" 3000+ feet of climbing left. 

I really dug deep and gave everything I had on this day. While I felt strong throughout the ride, I certainly had to battle some mental demons to keep fighting until the finish line. Once I reached the finish line, I was done. Like sit in a chair, I don't want to move I just want to fall asleep done. We spent an hour in the athlete village (including eating our post event meal) before finally making our way to our hotel. 

To be honest, Karel and I really struggled this evening. We were both exhausted, it was hard to communicate well and we were both extremely nervous about our "Queen" stage the next day. We took a short walk in the evening in the town to find some food (options were slim) and that helped a bit to move the legs but it was also exhausting to move the body. 

Lessons Learned 

Mentally this was my toughest stage. Physically this was my best stage. I really felt pressure for this stage as Karel wasn't having a good day and I also felt like I could move up in the overall standings - which I did not. Trying to keep everything in perspective - this opportunity, the experiences, the views, our health, etc. - I realized that something needed to change with my mindset for me to really make the most out of this experience. I recognized that I was giving my best and the "disappointment" that I felt was from the pressure that I felt from trying to achieve a certain outcome. I didn't need to change my execution as I was going to continue to give my best every day but by changing my mindset, I could enjoy the experience a lot more without feeling like I needed to prove something every day. It's like running in an Ironman - you could be running your best but then glance at your watch and see a time slower than what you think you should be running and even though you can't do any better in the moment, you feel like a failure. With us not even being half way through the event and approaching our biggest stage the next day, I was able to feel a bit less pressure when I woke up in the morning as I reminded myself that the only person I need to compete against is myself. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 2

Haute Route Alps Day 2

August 22nd, 2022

Start: Cuneo, Italy

Finish: Serre Chevalier Briancon, France

90.2 miles

6:57 riding time

13 mph average

11,835 ft elevation gain

Climbs: Col d’Agnel (20K). Featured in both the Giro and TdF, the third-highest paved road in the Alps. Col d’Izoard (14K). Featured in 36 TdF.

We woke up aroud 5:30am and made our way to the hotel breakfast. We started to recognize familiar faces as similar people would stay in the same accomodations (based on our package - we purchased 3-star hotels, middle package). I found myself pretty hungry for breakfast and there were a lot of great options to choose from. The coffee machine was always the first priority for Karel (and everyone else). Every morning I would review the athlete briefing (online on our app) from the night prior and also review the course. This helped prepare us mentally for what's to come. If I would look too much into the stage the night before, I wouldn't be able to sleep due to fear as to what's to come. Sometimes I would look up the climbs online (pictures) to get excited for the views. 

After we ate, we made our way back to our room, packed up our stuff, dropped off our luggage downstairs to be picked up by the Haute Route stafff to take to our next accomodation and got everything ready for another long day in the saddle. Although less miles than on stage 1, it was another day of riding over 12,000 feet. I think we have only ridden over 10,000 feet about three times in our life and here we were, conquering classic cols and well over 10,000 feet, 4 days in a row. 

Our bodies were exhausted and we were tired. A lot of mental games are played before and during the stage. For example, on stage 2, I just told myself "only two climbs." And it was nice knowing that the finish of stage 2 was at the top of the second climb. The other nice thing about stage 2 is that we had 20K of descending that was not included in the stage to take us to the town of Serre Chevalier Briacon (where we were staying). Also, we had 20K of neutralized to start the stage, which was a really nice way to get things started. 

During the neutralized section, it was more or less a controlled group ride (unless we were climbing or descending to start, then it was a little more chaotic with varying levels of fitness and skills). During the start of every stage, there were plenty of people (guys) stopping on the side of the road to pee (which is totally normal and accepted in Europe) and also removing layers before the first timed section (depending on the weather). 

After around 12 miles 46 minutes of neutralized riding, it was time for our first timed section. And for the next 38 miles and 3 hours and 20 minutes, we would be climbing - a constant grind up the Agnel. The top of Agnel was at 9000 feet high and in 38 miles we climbed 7700 feet of elevation. This climb was unlike anything I've ever seen before and despite the suffering, I really tried to take in the sights. 

When I got to the top, I was happy to see Karel and we both had another moment of wow, this is really, really hard and also really really epic. 

After an 18 minute break to eat, refeul, layer up for the descend, pee in the bushes and take some pics, it was time for another glorious long descend on the tight, narrow and twisty roads of the alps. For the next 15 miles, I tried to let my legs recover before the next climb up the the Izoard (~7700 feet high). Although the Agnel was much more pitchy with the grades, with many segments over 12% in the last 7K, the Izoard was not any easier as we were exhausted, tired and mentally broken. But we made it to the top. 8.75 miles and 3200 feet in an hour and 18 minutes. I worked really hard for that 6.7 mph average up the climb. It was really neat seeing all the signs (going from Italy back into France) as well as going through the small villages and seeing so many people on bikes (either tackling the climbs or just casually riding). 

When we got to the top, it was a relief knowing that we were done for the day. We spent about 20 minutes at the top taking in the sights, grabbing a few snacks for the descend and then enjoying the next 12 miles of descending to arrive to our next village and accomodation. Karel and I both got massages after this stage and although only 20 minutes, it was nice to just lay down and try to get some of the soreness out. We then ate our post race meal, climbed a hill to get to our next accomodation, walked to the grocery store to get some more food for dinner. 

From 7am (start was 7:30am) to 4pm - it was another long day and we were both looking forward to a "shorter" day on day 3 (only 70 miles and 10,600 feet of elevation gain). The nightly routine was the same as day 1 - charge the gadgets, wash bottles, repin the bib number on a clean jersey, fill bottles with sport nutrition, try to eat as much as we could and question how we would get through another stage. 

Two stages done. 207 miles covered. 25,681 feet elevation climbed. 

Lessons Learned 
For some reason, I remember very little from stage 2, specifically post event. I don't remember the last 20K after the last climb, I can't really remember where we stayed (except it didn't have AC and it was a warm day) and I can't recall much from the evening. Not sure why - probably out of pure exhaustion from doing something that I have never done before. But I did learn that I am capable of so much more than I thought. These two epic climbs forced me to dig really deep and to rely on all my tricks and tips from long distance racing in order to keep my legs turning over (and not falling over or stopping). The Haute Route encouraged us to download a free app called Epic Ride Weather.  This app really came in handy throughout the event as we could look at the weather for our entire ride to help us plan how to dress. Although we would get really warm on the climbs, the weather was much cooler on the top of the climbs. And then it got really chilly descending. I downloaded all of our Haute Route Alps routes to my phone and then uploaded to the app. 

Haute Route Alps: Stage 1

Haute Route Day 1:

August 21st, 2022
Start: Nice, France.

Finish: Cuneo, Italy.

117 miles

8:10 riding time

14.3 mph average

13,947 ft elevation gain

Climbs: Col du Saint-Martin (7K), Col de la Lombarde (20K)

We woke up around 4:45am and ate as much as we could stomach around 5am. We were surrounded by other riders in the hotel breakfast room - and you could feel the nervous tension. I started my period that morning. Ugh, the worst timing. We packed up our gear, dropped our luggage off downstairs under the designated sign for our next accomodation (100+ miles away in Italy) and left our hotel around 6:10am. Because this was our first time at this event, we wanted to give ourselves extra time. We biked through the somewhat empty streets of Nice and arrived to the event venue a few minutes later. We dropped off our post race bags at the designated truck and lined ourselves up near the front of the corral around 6:20am. The energy was positive and the music was pumping. We ran into Matt Dixon from Purple Patch and it was nice to see a familiar face in the crowd. With over 400 riders ready to go, I was feeling extremely nervous. 

At 6:45am, it was time to roll out of Nice and start our long journey to Italy. The first few kilometers through the town were a bit sketchy as we navigated round abouts and other road furniture. It was so cool to have the Mavic cars, motorcycles and other staff support around us - giving us the right of way. The first 11K was neutralized but even with the lead Mavic vehicle keeping the pace "slow" we were climbing out of Nice and Karel and I felt like our hearts were going to pop out of our chest. We both felt nauseous and anaerobic. It was not a comfortable feeling. But we felt like we needed to stay with the group as that is what you do in group rides. Once we reached the first timed segment of the day (11.2K to 21.7K), the reality hit that this was going to be way harder than I ever imagined. I couldn't keep up with anyone and I found myself riding alone - dropped from group after group after group. The next timed segment was 29K to 67.9K and finished at the top of Saint-Martin. I enjoyed the quick descend and really needed it to bring my heart rate down. I didn't stop at the first feed station but aited until I reached the top of the climb. I started the ride with 2 bottles of Skratch SuperFuel. Karel had 2 bottles of Never Second C90. 

I was shocked how long the climbs were and how hard they were. Each kilometer marker would show the upcoming gradient, which was good and bad. Good to know what's coming next, bad to know what's coming next. After 20 miles and an hour and 40 minutes, I finally reached the top of the climb. Karel was there and we were both exhausted. We only covered 40 miles but accumulated over 6500 feet. I got my first taste of descending in the Alps and I loved it - 10 miles of descending on the narrow roads with switchbacks and incredible scenery. I have really improved my descending skills over the years so I welcomed the descend. Karel loved the descends as he has exceptional descending skills. 

Before starting the next timing segment, I noticed that several of the top riders were waiting just before the timing segment. I was confused why they were doing this as there were strict cut-off times to meet. But later I learned that cyclists would wait before the timing segments to ride together in a group - ah, that made total sense! Here I am trying to do everything on my own when I could have been much more strategic. I would still get dropped on the climbs but in the flat segments, you could go so much faster in a group. It was neat going through so many tunnels (thus the required lights) and passing through the small towns and villages. 

The next 23.7 miles were tough. Really really tough. For 2 hours and 36 minutes and 6000 feet, I climbed. Pedal stroke after pedal stroke, it was constant work. It was hard to control my heart rate, I was feeling yucky with the start of my menstrual cycle, I was getting into higher altitudes and I was tired. But I kept pedaling. When I finally got to the top and saw Karel, I was so relieved. This was hard. And it was only day 1. 

Thankfully, that was the last climb of the day. We really took in the views before another amazing descend. I've never descended for 15 miles before and even though it took over 40 minutes, it went by really quickly. 

Karel and I learned our lesson so we waited before the next timing segment for a group to gather. We joined a group of around 20 riders and the last 12 miles were fast and fun. I was the lone female in the group and we had our own motorcycle escort. The road we were on was rough and narrow so it was nice having a lead vehicle as the group was flying. We averaged 22 mph for for this last 30 min segment. After 7 hours and 18 minutes and 13,700 feet of elevation, we finally reached the finish line of stage 1. We couldn't believe what we just did. And it was only day 1. We just rode from France to Italy. 

We had 11 miles of riding to reach the village of Cuneo and although we were ready to be done, it was nice to spin the legs (active recovery) and enjoy some of the sights. We made our way to the athlete village in the town of Cuneo, got our backpacks (and recovery drink), dropped off our bikes, walked to get a delicious meal and then checked out the map to see where we were staying for the evening. We skipped the post race massage as we were so ready to get to our hotel to cool off and recover. 

After 8 hours of riding (and 10 hours of total time outside), we finally reached our hotel after 5:30pm. We were thankful for the AC in our room - and a refreshing shower. It was a hot, long day. Because we were a few miles out of the town, we were too exhausted to search for more food so the receptionist at the hotel (who spoke a little English) helped us find a delivery service so we could enjoy pizza - when in Italy! Little did I realize, this would of been one of many pizzas that I consumed over the next 7 days.

Our new nightly routine involved me downloading my Go Pro footage, charging our lights, charging (and downloading) our computers, pining our bib numbers on our jersey for the next stage, preparing bottles, preparing our recovery drink (and post even bag), eating as much as we could (and rehydrating) and trying to get into a good headspace to prepare ourselves for another day. We went to bed around 9:30pm, although it wasn't the most restful night of sleep. 

We were exhausted, sore, tired and depleted. And we were about to do it all again tomorrow. 

Lessons Learned
We quickly learned that we went out way too hard to try to keep up with a group. We also learned that it's important to find a group that is your fitness level as you will overcook yourself trying to stay with a group that is way too fast. Our bike handling skills allowed us to ride safely and confidently on the descends, as well as in a group. We also learned to be more strategic with the timing sections and to really take it easy in the neutralized sections. We enjoyed the feed stations, especially the food and the scenery. It was really cool to meet new people from all over the world. Having your name on your bib number and front bike plate was so nice as you got cheers and encouragement from so many people. Also having the American flag on our bib numbers let other people know what language we spoke. I needed to be more prepared with our post event food. Perhaps stocking up the stage prior for the next stage as we were just so exhausted to try to find food and eat. 

Haute Route Alps - 1 day out

 

We woke up around 7am and had breakfast in the hotel shortly after.

We weren't sure what the check-in process would be like for the Haute Route so we both felt a little anxious in the morning hours. We were instructed to bring our suitcase (plus bike box) to drop off so we brought all of our stuff inside our suitcase as we weren't sure if they would be inspecting our gear as there were some mandatory items on the packing list (ex. gloves, arm warmers, jacket, etc.). With the check-in opening at 10am, we left our place around 9am so that we had plenty of time to walk the 2 kilometers to the athlete village - with our suitcases. After arriving, we stood in line outside the village for around 20 minutes until the gate opened at 10am. It was finally happening. It was time to check in for the Haute Route Alps! 

The check-in process had a lot of steps but it was very organized and everyone was very nice. 

Step 1: Drop off suitcase, bike box and bike in a designated area. 



Step 2: Pick up race packet and if using Haute Route Accomodations (which we did), pick up travel bag. 





Step 3: Get our rental bikes from France Bike Rental. 


Step 4: Drop off suitcase (and bike box) with tag to be picked up after the last stage at our final accomodation. 




Step 5: Take pictures and buy some swag (and pretend we aren't nervous :) 

Step 6: Walk bike and travel bag (with stuff inside) back to hotel (and get pastries along the way). 



After much contemplation and discussion, we decided to rent road bikes for the Haute Route and travel with our mountain bikes for Xterra Czech. This was a last minute decision to change from our original plan of renting mountain bikes and traveling with our road bikes but we were really concerned about traveling with our road bikes from Vienna to Nice and then from Geneva to Vienna. We invested a lot into this event and waited several years for this event to happen and we didn't want to take any chances that our bikes would not arrive for the event. Although it was a little concerning to rent bikes for a 7-day event taking us over 500 miles, we were really pleased with our Pinarello Prince bikes that we rented, as well as the top notch service from Jeremy with France Bike Rentals. Karel brought my crank (155) to put on my rental bike, as well as my saddle and pedals. Karel also brought his own pedals. Jeremy let Karel go to work on my rental bike. Karel was prepared with a new chain and tools. I was so happy to see that we had matching white bikes and I could not have been more excited to ride my Pinarello for 7-days. Karel had this same bike back when we were dating so it was a bit nostalgic to be riding the same bike for this event 

After we had some food back in our hotel (we picked up some items from the grocery the night prior), Karel did a quick bike fit for me (me clipped in holding the kitchenette sink) before we headed out for a spin. We were really tired - a combo of the travel, walking around a lot in Nice and still feeling some lingering soreness from Xterra Czech just a week prior) but it felt great to be on the bike and to get the blood flowing. 

There was an organized Haute Route shake-out ride in the late afternoon which we thought about doing but we decided to ride on our own as we knew there would be several stops for pictures and a few adjustments on our bike fits. We had the GPS route from the shake-out ride and we mostly followed it for a scenic (and hilly) 18 mile loop. 

I quickly fell in love with my rental bike and it was amazing how quickly I forgot that this was not my bike. It was a great feeling knowing that I get to ride this bike over 7-days. There were a few parts on the bike that could have made the bike a bit better (according to Karel's standards ;) but overall, it was a fantastic bike to ride. While my bike fit was perfectly dialed in, I wasn't comfortable when I was in the hoods as I had to stretch my fingers to grab the brakes. Not a problem - we biked by the Haute Route village and Jeremy adjusted the brakes and also changed the front tire (Karel noticed it was a bit worn and he wanted to make sure I didn't risk any flats). Karel made a few adjustments to his fit and we were both feelig a bit less nervous for Sunday - the official start of the Haute Route. It was a bit interesting biking through the city streets of Nice, but it was good to shake out the legs. 

Physically we both felt pretty yucky during the ride but the scenery was incredibly. We were tired and just feeling off but the ride did help us out a bit. The ride took around 90 minutes (1700 feet of elevation gain) and we climbed for half of it and descended the other half. It was really cool to see the Tour de France signage as we were riding. 

After the ride, we searched for dinner and came across a wrap/burger restaurant and Karel got a chicken wrap and I got a veggie burger. We both got fries with our meal.

After we ate, it was nearing 6:45pm and we walked down the street to a building for the Haute Route Athlete Briefing/Welcoming. This is when it all got a bit real. Sitting amongst cyclists from all over the world, hearing all different languages, we started to feel the nerves again. We watched an inspirational video to get us excited about this tremendous physical feat that we were about to embark on and got a briefing on stage 1 of the event. 

After the briefing there was a pasta dinner but seeing that it was already 8pm and we were ready to sleep. We got all of our things ready for the morning - rear light (mandatory), nutrition in bottles, kit (with bib number pinned on back), computer charged, luggage packed and post-event bag packed. We went to sleep around 9:30pm in anticipation for the early alarm at 4:45am for the start of the first stage of the Haute Route Alps. 

Lessons Learned
We didn't need to bring all of our gear and clothing to the check-in. We also brought way too many clothes with us for the event. We only needed about 2 outfits (and sleeping wear) as we didn't do much between stages except eat, rest and sleep. We brought 5-6 cycling jerseys (and a few bibs) which was good since we didn't have laundry access throughout the event (The Haute Route offered laundry for 2 items after stage 3 but we didn't use it). Instead of weighing down our suitcases with clothing that we didn't wear, I should have brought along more snacks for after each stage (instead of searching for groceries) and brought along more sport nutrition powder to refill bottles throughout each stage (instead of just relying on on-course nutrition). I think Karel would have benefited from having his Normatec boots to use after each stage. We brought a foam roller which was nice to have - even though it was often painful to foam roll the quads before each stage. The shake out ride was needed to move blood so that's something we always do before an event. Although our first two hotels had AC (stage 1 and 2), we didn't have AC for our entire Europe trip. I highly recommend this travel fan - it came in so handy, not just to cool us off but for the light sound during sleep. Under different circumstances, we would have ridden our own road bikes but we don't regret using France Bike Rentals. We purchased Package #3 and Jeremy was amazing. He would even clean our bikes after the stage and he was there after every stage if we needed anything. Our bikes came with a spare kit and CO2 and fully charged. Although our bikes would have been fine throughout the entire event, I had Jeremy charge my bike after stage 6. Karel had his charged after stage 5. I'm glad we went to the athlete briefing/wecoming ceremony as it was good to understand the briefing (which was always uploaded to our app) and to get to know some of the faces we would be seeing throughout the event. 

2022 Haute Route Alps - post event reflection

 

It was 2019 when I came across a YouTube video discussing the Haute Route Alps. Despite not having the best bike handling skills, having little understanding of what it's like to cycle in the French Alps (besides watching the Tour de France) and training exclusively for long distance triathlons, I was captivated by this event and I knew it was something we had to experience. Somehow I sold Karel on the idea of combining our love of cycling and traveling to Europe and we registered for the 2020 event. Fast forward two years later, after living through a worlwide pandemic, the reality hit that we were finally checking this 7-day, 500-mile, 70,000+ feet elevation gain event off our bucket list. 

We knew this event would challenge us physically and mentally but we had no idea what we were truly in for when we registered for this 7-day event. Known as the toughest amateur cycling race in the world, for the past 10+ years, the Haute Route Alps combines top-notch services with legendary climbs for an unforgettable, life changing experience. Although our long distance triathlon training and racing provided us with great endurance and resiliency for this event and we became an official Haute Route finisher, we learned so much from this adventure and we would have done several things differently in the preparation and execution of this event. 

The distances, the elevation, the altitude, the time limits, the relentless climbs that go on for hours, the uncomfortable gradients, the long descends, the mental games, the weather, the effort, the tactics and the organization - every day we questioned how we would finish the upcoming stage. What was conceptualized as a bucket-list event, the Haute Route Alps has been etched in our minds and we will be forever changed because of this physical and mental test of discipline and endurance. 

While riding your bike all day is the main focus of this event, it's only one part of the challenge. Riding from one location to the next, locating your next hotel, unpacking and re-packing gear, charging gadgets, trying to find food in a country where you don't speak the language, struggling to sleep because your legs are throbbing, analyzing the next day's stage and statistics in fear of what's to come and waking up between 5:30-6:30am every morning to attempt to eat as much as your body can handle all catches up on the body.

The time cuts are strict, there are crashes and mechanicals, the weather is unpredictable, the climbs are gruelling and the descends are long. Sure, it's a race with a start and finish line. But there's no gaurantee that you will finish the entire event. To be counted in the official results, you must finish all seven stages - and meet all time cuts. You need great physical fitness and a lot of good luck. Everyday would wake up each morning nervous, anxious and fearful, wondering if it was physically possible to climb yet another 10,000 feet. 

Although there is a lot of suffering, strangely there is comfort knowing that you are not alone. Throughout the event, you find yourself riding the same people/groups and you begin to know one another one a first-name basis. Depending on the level of exhaustion of each rider, it's not uncommon to get to know personal details about your "teammates" while grinding at 40-50 rpms for 2+ hours. The sights of horses, goals, cows and sheeps brought us joy and the scenery reminded us how lucky we are to see this part of Europe on two wheels. With all kinds of mental and physical challenges to overcome each day, you form strong bonds with the other riders. Although there was plenty of competition on the course, it was a friendly and supportive environment. By the end of the week we made so many great friends. Even if we were from different parts of the world, the cycling language is universal. And with less than 35 women in the event, it was something special to be one of the females who completed the entire event. 

The Haute Route organization excels on route guidance and safety. There were arrow signs at every turn, vigilant course marshals giving us the right of way, well-stocked aid stations, regular updates on the app, daily briefings, newsletters, videos and photos and attention to every detail from the pre and post stage food, staffed feed stations, and daily massages.

The Mavic support, cheers from onlookers in each village, motorcycle escorts, SAG vehicles and supporitve staff made this event unlike anything else. Everyone involved made this event all about us - the riders - so that we could do what we love - ride our bikes. The stress-free accomodation package was worth every euro. The Haute Route took care of all of our accomodations so that all we had to do was show up to the next hotel. At least 90 minutes before every stage, we had breakfast available every morning in the restaurant of our hotel.  Our luggage was always waiting for us at every next hotel. And as the event went on, our hotels got cuter and cuter. My favorite lodging was our last hotel in Megeve (picture below). 

The race directors are exceptional at planning each route. I can't imagine the work that goes into planning this event for 400+ riders over 7 days. Having a race village in a new location every day was a reminder of the magnitude of this event. 

The distinctive kilmeter markers on the side of the road were helpful (yet often painful) notifications of the name, length and gradient of each climb. After accomplishing an iconic climb, we could cherish the challenge of reaching the summit - only to think ahead to the next climb. Seeing the names of riders synonymous with the Tour de France painted on the ground was a constant reminder that we were riding on legendary, historic climbs. It would be a feat to ride up one famous mountain road in a day yet we would conquer 2-3 bucket list climbs, day after day after day. The excitement and mystery of the views at the top of each climb kept us pedaling through exhaustion, shortness of breathe and soreness. 

Because the descents were fast and somewhat dangerous, they were not often timed. So when we reached the end of a timed section, we could stop and soak it all in. For a moment in time, we could relish in our accomplishment of what we conquered over the past 2+ hours and push aside the agony of what was about to come. We learned tactics throughout the event, like waiting for a group to form before the next timed section as a grupetto will get you to the next climb a lot faster than riding solo. 

The front of the Haute Route is a race - it's very competitive with very strong and skilled riders. At the back of the race you can find gritty riders hoping to finish a stage. In the middle are riders who are competitive, mostly against themselves. But no matter where you are in the field, you are bound to have good and bad days. No matter how hard you trained, you will struggle. You can't fake this event. The Haute Route knows how to find your weaknesses. You will have to dig really deep. You will question if your next pedal stroke will your last. Empty, sore and exhausted, you will have more moments of self-doubt than confidence. But despite the roller coaster of emotions felt within each kilometer, somehow you have to find a way to keep yourself moving. 

It's hard to grasp the absurdity of what we accomplished. Riding for 5-8 hours every day, covering no less than 10,000 feet of elevation on most stages. Attempting a time trial on day 5 with pitches over 18% that require all your strength to power up so that you don't fall over. Having no concept of the time of the day, how many miles ridden or how much elevation accumulated, the enormity of each stage is something we still can't seem to comprehend. It's going to take some time for this accomplishment to sink in. 

The only way to get through this event was to focus on one kilomenter at a time, one day at a time. This event taught me a lot about staying in the moment and removing pressure on expectations - two vital tools that are needed with long distance training and racing. 

Pressure. It's a word that most endurance athletes can relate to. Anytime you feel "pressure" to perform, it's more than likely that you perceive there are expectations placed on you. But the truth is that pressure is nothing more than a self-imposed, product of the imagination that we create for ourselves. 

With so much uncertainty as to how the body will perform in training or on race day, the best way to not feel pressure is to not create it in the first place. There's a big difference between what we believe we are capable of achieving versus what we think we must achieve. It's within this gap that the worry, stress, anxiety and doubts occurs. 

The Haute Route taught me so much about managing expectations. After getting dropped from group after group in the first stage, within the first 60 minutes of the ride, I was being taught a valuable lesson that in order for me to finish this event, I needed to race my own race. I constantly reminded myself that I don't have to be good at something that I've never done before. It was when I started to stay present in the moment and attack each climb with a more task-oriented, learning persepctive that I began to improve and to gain confidence in my abilities. Even though I had a lot of struggles during this event, I had my own set of internal motivators to keep me going.

The next time you find yourself drowning in negative self-talk or feeling a tremendous amount of pressure to perform, remind yourself that the training session or race outcome is not the most important thing in life. The pressure you feel is more than likely a fear of failure. Relax. Enjoy the training session. Enjoy the event. It's just another day in your life. 

From Vienna to Nice

A blog post I wrote before the Haute Route.....

International travel can be very unpredictable and stressful so I've been mindful to give ourselves plenty of time whenever traveling to somewhere new. With a 7:25am flight in Vienna Austria on Friday 19th, we decided it would be best to spend the night at the airport hotel on Thursday 18th. The airport is only around 60 miles from where Karel lives in Znojmo (he lived just a few kilometers from the Austrian border) but it takes a little over 90 minutes to travel there. I wanted to get to the airport at least two hours before our boarding time of 6:45am so the hotel sounded like a much better option. Plus, we would be able to sleep in an AC room (for the first time in 15 days, since arriving to Europe) and we were craving a good night of sleep since we haven't slept restfully since arriving. 

After arriving to the airport, we parked our car in the P4 parking garage. I booked our parking online so that we would save a bit of money by doing it in advance. We received a QR code to get into the parking garage and that went very smoothly. I did the same thing when we flew to St. George in May in Charlotte, NC and we were able to park in the hourly parking lot across from the terminal for about the same price as long-term parking. We then walked a few minutes across the street to the NH Vienna Airport hotel, we checked into our room. It was so nice to feel the AC. 

At 6pm we had dinner in the hotel buffet (which was way overpriced but we were so hungry). It's been really nice in Czech because the Czech crown (currency) is in our favor as the US dollar goes a long way. Especially in Karel's town of Znojmo, it's very affordable for us to eat/sleep/travel. 

After we ate, we watched the Collins Cup documentary online and then went to sleep around 9:30pm. The night wasn't too restful as I was nervous about the airport experience the next day but it still felt good to sleep in AC. The alarm went off at 4:10am and we walked across the street to the terminal at 4:30am. Austrian Airlines is strict with luggage weight and the size/weight of carry-on's so we made sure to meet all regulations. We carried on as much as we could of our Haute Route gear in the case of lost luggage. 

The check-in process was very smooth. There was no counter to report to but instead, we checked in ourselves, printed our boarding passes and our luggage tags, fixed our luggage tags on our suitcases and then dropped off our bags at the counter. I purchased a "fast track" security ticket with our parking pass for 10 euros each as I was worried about going through security and while it did expedite the process, we would have been fine without one. After going through security, we had around 1:45 until we boarded our flight. 

Karel and I did some work on Training Peaks for our athletes from 5am until 6:30am and then around 6:45pm, we boarded a bus that took us to our plane. We then boarded our Austrian Airlines flight and around 7:30am we were off to Nice, France. I slept most of the flight and Karel read a Czech cycling magazine that he brought with him. 

With this being our first time to France and first time to Nice, it was beautiful to see the sea and all the mountains. I couldn't help but think that we would be biking over many of those mountain passes. 

We arrived shortly after 9am and I felt the stress lift off me after we received our luggage. I was a little nervous about taking the tram to the city to get to our hotel but I used the Rome2rio app to understand the tram and I also found another blog to understand how to buy tickets, etc. We bought our tram tickets for 1.50 euros each and when we were about to board, we weren't pushy enough and the doors closed on us so we had to wait another 10 minutes. The tram took about 30 minutes to get to our destination (which was Garibaldi square) and then we had a 0.4 mile walk (plus a little extra until we found the right way to go) to our hotel. 

The Haute Route booked all of our accomodations as part of our package so we added on an extra night to our Nice hotel - Aparthotel Adagio Nice Centre. Although we arrived around 11am (well before our check in at 3pm), our room was ready and they let us check in early. 

The room had AC (yippee) and a small kitchenette which was nice to have. After unloading our stuff, we were hungry for a meal so I found a brunch restaurant called Les Clay. We sat outside and I enjoyed pancakes and eggs and Karel had a bagel bread sandwich. 

After we ate, I was so exhausted that I napped for about an hour. I wanted to sleep all day but Karel wanted to go to the sea and I couldn't resist the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean for the first time. 

We walked to the Port of Nice and checked out the beautiful yachts before heading to the rocky beach. The water was incredible blue and refreshing and super salty. It was amazing to just float on our backs in the water. We enjoyed swimming in the ocean and laying in the warm sun. 

Around 3pm we left the beach and had lunch at a restaurant (not sure of the name) as Karel was really wanting some fish. There wasn't much on the menu for me so I enjoyed pizza and salad (I can always opt for Pizza ;) Karel learned how to "eat" his fish from the waiter and he really enjoyed his meal. Mine was also delicious and I finished it all but two pieces (Karel finished those slices for me). 

We then walked around the city, I got us lost again as we tried to find the LIDL grocery store and we arrived back to our room around 7pm for a light snack (yogurt, fruit and muesli). 

We slept amazingly well and woke up a little after 7am on Saturday morning. Only one more sleep until we start the toughest amateur cycling event, the Haute Route Alps!