6 Hours On The Ridge MTB Race

 
Feb 2023

What a difference a year makes. 

Feb 2022

6 hours on the Ridge was my first MTB event in 2022. I learned how to ride a mountain bike (Karel's old bike) 8 weeks before the event. The event was a complete mess for me. My chain broke, my cleat got stuck in my pedal, I fell a bunch and I didn't have a lot of fun. While some things were out of my control, it was hard being a self-proclaimed 'competitive beginner'.

Fast forward to 2/25/23, I placed 1st overall female. 

6 hours on the Ridge is a simple concept: Complete as many 6.6 mile laps as you can from 10-3:15pm. If you can start a lap before 3:15pm, you can continue to ride into the 5th hour of the 6 hour race (which means one more lap to your total). The goal is to complete as many laps as you can in 6 hours. You bring your own aid and you can stop at any time (and restart).  This is a low key event with 65 max participants (sold out this year) and the comraderie and staff support is incredible. Everyone was so nice and cheering each other on throughout the event. 

Last year I completed 7 laps (42.9 miles) averaging 8.39mph. This year I did:
9 laps, 57 miles, 5400 feet of elevation gain, 5:52 riding time, 9.76 mph average.

Karel - 1st overall. 10 laps, 64 miles, 5:44 riding time, 11 mph, 6400 feet of elevation gain. 

                         

(Karel's Garmin didn't collect all his miles. He should be at ~64 miles)

Learning to learn is an important skill that has helped me throughout my journey. I'm thankful to Karel for being an exceptional teacher. I haven't had any serious crashes or scary falls over the past two years. Instead of skipping steps in my development, I stay within my abilities - starting where I am, not where I think I should be. We do a lot of skill work, sectioning certain elements so that I know how to get through something technical or sketchy with the best body position possible. When a skill is mastered, Karel helps me do it faster with the best line choice possible. Although this process takes a lot of direction, failing, patience, time and being open to advice, I am now doing things that I once viewed as impossible. 

Sometimes improvements are hard to see and it can be frustrating to struggle and fail, but if you want to get better, you have to remove your self-imposed limits and you must practice. It's easy to seek advice but it's another thing to take advantage of that advice. Advice is nothing if you aren't willing to apply and practice. Today I'm faster and I'm better but I'm nowhere where I want to be on the mountain bike and that keeps me excited to keep learning, trying and improving. 

A long distance event requires a lot of physical training but it also requires a lot of mental focus. The mind plays a lot of games when you are doing something for several hours. In a sport like mountain biking, it's not just physical but very mental. You need the physical strength to go uphills, climb over obstacles like rocks and rocks and also to stay balanced when going downhill. But if the mind loses focus, you may fall, pick the wrong line or struggle to get over a technical part of the course. This mental focus can be really exhausting.

Throughout the 6 hours, I kept my mind focused by breaking down the course into smaller segments. Only focusing on one segment at a time. I reminded myself to drink from my hydration pack every 10-15 minutes and to eat a few chews at the start of every loop. I also focused on my technique when I was tired and remembered Karel's advice "smooth is fast." I never let my mind get into a negative headspace, even when I looked down at my computer and saw 2 hours and realized I was getting really tired and sore and I still had 4 hours left. Hours 2-3 were the hardest but I just focused on one lap at a time and reminded myself that I wanted to be here, I trained to be here and I didn't come this far to only get this far. Refilling the bladder of my hydration pack after 5 loops gave me 90 seconds to stop, stretch and refocus. Also, we were able to select "Sassy's Pass" once after loop 1 and until 3pm. It's about as long as the upper section but it's less technical so it can be a little easier on the body. I continued to do the math throughout hours 3-4 to see if I would be close to making the time cut off of getting in one more lap by 3:15pm. Loop 7 was tough as I had to go really strong. Karel passed me and he gave me a great energy boost. I took Sassy's Pass on loop 8 and rode as hard as I could. I treated this as my last lap. Karel ended up passing me again right before we went through the timing station and we both made it in before 3:15pm. Kare had around 30 seconds and I had about 15 seconds. I sprinted as hard as I could to be able to start my 9th loop. Even though I was so empty, sore and tired between loops 5-7, I gave it may very best and never gave up. 
In long distance racing, it's so easy for the mind to turn negative and to try to convince you to quit to help ease the physical discomfort. Or if you aren't having the race you imagined, you may come up with excuses to stop. There's always something to learn and to gain by continuing and reaching that finish line. 

FUEL DURING RACE
Marni
-Started with 1.5L USWE bladder of 4 scoops C30 (480 calories)
-Also consumed 1L USWE bladder of 3 scoops C30 (360 calories)
-Consumed 1.5 packets PowerBar chews (~300 calories)
Total consumed: ~1140 calories and 2.5L fluids (84 ounces)

Karel
-Started with 1.5L USWE bladder with 1 packet 320 Maurten 
-Also consumed 1.5L USWE bladder with 4 scoops C30 (480 calories)
-Consumed 1 fig newton, 1 banana and 1 C30 gel 
Total consumed: ~1080 calores and 3L fluids (101 ounces)

BIKE SPECS

Marni's bike - Custom built by Karel 

• Frame: Specialized Epic Evo S-Works
• Suspensions:
  Front fork: Fox Racing Factory Stepcast 34 front fork - custom built for a lighter person (sent a stock set up to FOX service center to make it suitable for Marni's size)
  Rear shock: Fox Float DPS Factory rear shock.
  Both 120mm travel.
• Seatpost: OneUp dropper post 120mm with Fox Racing lever.
• Saddle: Specialized Power Expert 143mm
• Wheels: Specialized Roval carbon 29'ers with Specialized Fast trak control 29 x 2.35 tires (tubeless set up)
• Tire pressure for this race: 18PSI rear / 17 PSI front
• Cassette: Garbaruk 10-52t
• Crank: Rotor Kapic Carbon 165mm / 32t chainring
• Pedals: Xpedo CRX
• Shoes: Giro (not sure of the model, they are pink and that's what mattered when making the purchase 😉)
• Shifting: Sram Eagle XO1 AXS (wireless electronic)
• Stem: Syntace Flatforce 77mm,  -18deg
• Handlebars: Richey WTS Carbon flat +/- 5 deg, with silicon grips
• Brakes: Sram Level TL with Jagwire Organic pads

Karel's bike (also custom built)

• Frame: Specialized Epic ... yes, Marni has the better frame set 😁
• Suspension: RockShock SID Ultimate brain 100mm travel
• Shock: RockShock brain (made for Specialized) 100mm travel
• Seatpost: Fox Racing Transfer SL dropper 100mm with Wolftooth lever
• Saddle: FIzik Argo Vento R1 carbon saddle
• Wheels: Boyd Trailblazer Carbon 29'ers
• Tires: Front - Specialized Fast Trak Control 29x2.35, Rear - Specialized Renegade Control 29 x 2.35 (tubeless set up)
• Tire pressure for this race: Front 18 PSI, Rear 19 PSI
• Cassette: Garbaruk 10-52t
• Crankset: Rotor Kapic Carbon 170mm / 43t chainring
• Shifting: Sram XX1 AXS (wireless electronic)
• Handlebar/Stem - one piece carbon combo made by BikeAhead Components
• Grips: Richey WTS
• Brakes: Magura SL8 Raceline
• Pedals: Xpedo CRX titanium
• Shoes: Shimano RX8 (gravel shoes)

Both bike chains were optimized using Silca Super Secret wax coating.
(Thank you Karel for providing the bike specs)

South Africa Race-Cation Day 8

Neither of us slept so great at night after the race but surprisingly, we didn’t feel too sore in the morning. We woke up around 6:30am and got a bit of work done before finishing our packing and cleaning up the Airbnb for our departure. We said good bye to Thys and Hester and left around 8:30am. Today was a travel day for us and included several logistics but thankfully everything went smoothly. We drove ~1 hr to Cape Town. This was our first time seeing the area since we arrived. We dropped off our bikes (in the cases) and luggage at the Best Western Cape Town Suites where we would be staying on Friday after our Safari Tour. For the past month I had been in communication with one of the staff who said we could keep our luggage at the hotel (free of charge) during our Safari. The luggage concierge William said he would take good care of our items while we were away. We then drove ~15 minutes to the Cape Town airport to top off our rental car with gas before dropping it off at Hertz. 

With only our backpacks, we didn’t need to do anything at the airport except go through security. We had our boarding passes on our phones with the SAFAIR airline. We arrived to the airport around 11am for our 1:15pm flight which gave us a good amount of time to get some work done in one of the airport lounges. We also enjoyed some great food in the lounge. And the high speed internet was fantastic (the things you take for granted while traveling). Our 2 hour flight was fairly uneventful, although it was a little bumpy and we had to circle the sky for about 10 minutes due to another plane being slow to land. We finally touched down to Johannesburg airport at 3:15pm. I was a little nervous about figuring out the train (Gautrain) but it was super easy. Just swipe your credit card to access the train. We were lucky in that the train was 1 minute from leaving so we quickly boarded the train. The train was very comfortable, clean and quiet. The train made two stops before the final stop at Sandton. 

I chose a hotel at this location because I read that it was a safe area and the Nelson Mandela Square was a popular area to visit. We walked a block to the Garden Suites where we stayed the night and then walked across the street to check out Nelson Mandela Square. We saw the tall statue of Nelson Mandela and read about his lifetime. We then spent the next hour walking through the mall. It was interesting to think about what Nelson went through and then to be walking through a high-end mall with designer shops. We came across a bakery with a wide assortment of fresh bread and Karel couldn’t resist a croissant. We had dinner at Pappas – a Greek restaurant overlooking the square, and the food was delicious. I had a bulgur salad and Karel had a chicken kabob. 

We also had pita bread and hummus as a starter (it came free with the meal) and a cheese and spinach mushroom appetizer. 

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and went to bed around 9:30pm for an early morning alarm at 5:45am for the start of our 4-day Safari tour. 

South Africa Race-Cation Day 6 (Xterra Pre race)

                                     

In the morning, I laid out my gear for the race. As usual, I prepare my race gear way early and Karel typically waits until later in the day. With this only being my third Xterra race, I wanted to see a visual of all my items to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything for the race. We went for a ~30 min shake out run in the direction of Strand. As we started the run, there were several markets getting set up for the weekend. On the way back, we ran/walked through some of the markets. It was interesting to see the diversity in items at the market tables. On one table was clothing and on another table, were scrapes from electronics and cars. We also passed by a fruit vendor with lots of different seasonal fruits.

After eating a meal, I finished packing up my gear and worked on the computer for a bit.

At 12:40pm, I walked down to the beach to meet up with the masters swim team for their Saturday morning open water swim. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to swim in the ocean one last time. I met up with my new friend Gordon who let me keep my stuff in his car. The beach was packed unlike the previous days when we swam. I opted to swim in my swimskin since it was hot outside but the water was still a little on the cool side. There were around 15 athletes for the swim. Everyone swam at their own pace and we regrouped at the wall. I felt a little cold in the water since I wasn’t swimming too hard. The water was very choppy which was also different from our previous swims when the water was really calm. There were also a lot more boats and kayakers in the water as well. While I was swimming, Karel prepared our bikes for the race. Our Airbnb had a hose which was great for cleaning the bikes each day. Karel brought some cleaning supplies as well as a variety of tools.

After the swim I walked back to the Airbnb, had a quick snack and then around 3:15pm we drove ~25 minutes to the Elgin Valley Railroad market. I heard great things about this market although by the time we arrived, the vendors were shutting down. However, I purchased two wire-art animals from a local maker and he told me how he makes them. We walked around and enjoyed the décor in the inside of the building. We also stopped across the street at another store to check it out.

When we got back to Gordon’s Bay, we parked by the beach and had a pizza dinner at Tally’s Tavern. The pizza was delicious  - thin crust. The beach was rather busy so it was nice to watch the locals play in the ocean. We arrived back to our Airbnb around 6:30pm, prepared our hydration packs and bottles for the race and got into bed around 8pm. Just in time for load shedding. Neither of us felt nervous for the race but really excited to race for the first time in South Africa. 

South Africa Race-Cation Day 5

We took our time in the morning and worked on the computer. The internet seems to work the fastest in the morning so we try to take advantage of it. We joined our friend Gordon and another guy Brian for a late morning swim in the ocean around 10:30am (high tide). I felt much more at ease in the ocean (no jellyfish sightings) although Gordon and Brian saw a seal sunbathing on his back in the water. It was a nice swim in our wetsuits and I felt a bit better in the water compared to the day prior. During our walk on the way back from the swim, we stopped at Uncle Barry’s for soft serve ice cream. It was the best soft serve we have ever had. 

In all of our travels to Europe and now South Africa, it’s always surprising to taste sweets that aren’t overly sweet compared to the US. For some reason, in the US, everything is overly sweet. We enjoyed our soft serve on the walk back to the Airbnb. We then enjoyed some real food before heading back to the Elgin Valley Country Club to pre-ride the rock garden again. 

Instead of riding the entire course we went on the green to red line to make our way to the black rock garden. Karel wanted to do the 1.2 mile rock garden in one clean run (without stopping) so we each did our own thing. I was able to get through most of it but struggled in one switchback where my wheel got stuck in the sand and I fell into a bush. I wanted to make sure I knew the right line so I went back up the trail and rode it again, taking a different line over the rock instead. The rock was at a weird angle so it doesn’t look like the obvious line but this time I didn’t fall. I had a few gentle falls in the sandy switchbacks as it still feels so unnatural for me. I’m looking forward to working on it back at home as I know I am losing a lot of time in those type of trail sections. We also scooped out some of the run course until we got to a deep puddle of water and decided to turn around.

After our ride, we did a quick change and got our packets at the race venue (which was open from 4-7pm). I met Liezel and Conrad as I had been communicating with Liezel via IG Messenger and What’s App and gave Conrad a nice supply of Clif Bars (as requested before we left). He used to be sponsored by Clif bar and hasn’t been able to enjoy the bars since they don’t have access to them in South Africa. 

During the drive back home, we were reminded once again of the difference in lifestyles here in South Africa. 

Our Airbnb hosts wanted to make us dinner tonight. We were looking forward to getting to know them better and sampling some local recipes. After we got cleaned up at the Airbnb, we walked to the grocery store for a few items and then walked upstairs to our Airbnb for dinner. While the sun was setting, we talked with Hester and Thys and around 7:30pm, Thys started the grill (braai) to prepare the assortment of meats. I hardboiled some eggs for my protein (and to share). We had dinner around 8pm and it was incredible. We had fresh homemade bread, grits with sauce, two different salads and Karel enjoyed the meat selection. Around 9pm we left and went to bed around 10pm. It was a special evening to enjoy a homemade meal with our Airbnb hosts. Even though my vegetarian diet limits my protein choices, I really enjoy trying new foods, cuisines and dishes when we travel. It's one of the best ways to get to know a country. 

South Africa Race-Cation Day 4

After a small snack while working on the computer (the internet is a bit slow compared to what we are used to so it’s tested our patience a few times) we went for a ~40 min run. We first made our way through Gordon’s Bay along the water. We were stopped by a local black lady who asked about our Naked hydration belt. She had never seen anything like it and wished she could have something like it to carry her water when she walks. This was a quick reminder of what we often take advantage of – like Amazon Prime and access to almost anything in America. If it wasn’t for the race and her being a different size, I would have given her my hydration belt and flasks. We then ran a few miles toward Strand along the road (mostly off-road). My legs felt a bit tired but I was enjoying the scenery and warm air. Every person on the side of the road was friendly and gave us a wave, smile or cheer. There were a few people casually riding bikes (white people) on the side of the road. It’s unfortunate that so many black people don’t have access to transportation other than by foot. It makes sense why the bicycle is such an important item as it can get people to/from where they need to be so that they can work/buy food.

We had a meal after our run and then we headed on the Clarence Drive Scenic drive. For the 11-mile route, we were stunned by the mix of beauty with the ocean on our right and the mountains on our left. The best of mother nature. There was a bit of construction on the road which was actually nice so that Karel could enjoy the scenery while being stopped. Our final destination was at the end of the scenic drive at Betty’s Bay and as we were getting closer, just outside of Pringle’s Bay, we were slowed down by a troop of several dozen baboons. Having research about them in advance, I knew better that to entice them but with this being our first time seeing them, we slowed down and took a few pics and videos. One decided to stop in front of our car and clean himself. The locals were not phased but for us tourists, it was fun to watch the babies playing. 

Around 11am we arrived to the African Penguin Colony at Betty’s Bay. I decided on this one of Boulder’s Beach in Cape Town as it was closer to us and a bit more low key. We didn’t have to pay to see the penguins as there was a sandy walkway to see them in their natural habitat. There was a boardwalk that cost money to walk on but we were just fine seeing the penguins on the beach. We were even greeted by two penguins before we parked our car. There were signs everywhere notifying us to look under our cars before leaving to check for penguins. We also noticed a lot of different birds and collected several cool shells.

After enjoying the penguins for about an hour, I found a local restaurant online called Satir – an African restaurant that has a lot of vegetarian/vegan options. It was just up the street from the penguins (although the address online took us across the street into a field but we finally found the right location). The food was incredible. I got a lentil, kale, sweet potato dish and Karel got the “bunny” chow – which is a chicken curry stuffed inside a loaf of bread. We could not stop yumming. It was so good. We also had a variety of toppings for our meal. The meal was incredibly affordable (the USD goes a long way in South Africa) and we gave the lady serving us a big tip as she was very nice. On our drive back to our Airbnb, we made a few stops on the road at the look out points.

When we arrived back home we got a bit of work done before heading to Generations High School Aquatic Center for the masters swim practice from 6:30-7:30pm. 

The instructor invited us to come for free which was very nice. There were around 12 people swimming and the instructor used her microphone to tell us what to do. It was fun doing a different style of training. We both felt horrible in the water (like we forgot how to swim) but it was still nice to swim in a new pool (25-meters). 

The workout was:
400 warm-up (75 free, 25 stroke)
4 x 100 IM order (25 pull, 25 kick, 25 drill, 25 swim)
8 x 100 at 85% freestyle
8 x 50 non free at 85%
2x 200 pull
250 cool down

One our way home, our GPS took us through one of poorest places in the area (Casablanca is the area) and it was tough to see the kids, people and surroundings in that area. No running water, port-o-potties for bathrooms, satellite dishes for those with electricity and “homes” with rocks on top of sheet metal for roofs and walls made of all types of materials. Kids playing in fields filled with trash – often with no shoes. There were a few groups of kids dancing or playing soccer in fields.

We made it home with ~15 minutes before load shedding at 8-10pm so I had time to dry my hair and prepare dinner. We ate outside in the patio (which is where we spent most of our time) as the sun was setting. The weather felt great as we were cool from the sea breeze. Our host messages me on WhatsApp each day to let me know when load shedding is throughout the day. Typically it happens twice a day (in two hour intervals). She knows within 24 hours advance of when it’s going to happen.

The swim was a nice way to end the day and we slept really well after a good dinner.

South Africa Race-Cation - Day 3

Feeling a bit more rested on day 3, we started the morning with an open water swim. I thought we were swimming in the Indian ocean (which would be a first for us) but it was the Atlantic. Still, the furthest south I've ever swam in the ocean.

Prior to our trip to SA, I emailed a lady that I found online who was in charge of the local masters group. She connected me with the Gordon Bay Sea Swim group on WhatsApp so that I could stay up to date with all the local swims. An older gentleman (Gordon – appropriately named 😊) said he would meet me and Karel for a swim, along with Harold – the local legend who has completed over 100 English Channel and Robin Crossing swims. The water was a little cool (upper 60’s) but with the warm sun at 8:30am, it felt prefect in our Roka wetsuits. We swam to and back from the old harbor which was ~1000 meters away. When we got there, we could stand on the sand (low tide) and regroup. Gordon was very helpful in that he would tell us where to swim as it was low tide so we could be aware of the rocky sections. I saw one jellyfish and it freaked me out but other than that, it was a nice swim. And no sharks :) Gordon and Harold were super nice and we chatted a bit after the swim by Gordon’s car (parked by the beach where we kept our stuff during the swim). After the swim we stopped by the local coffee shop “To Go” and Karel got a cappuccino, two croissants and a cinnamon roll. The bakery items were not the tastiest/freshest which was kinda disappointing. While waiting for our items, I made friends with the cats next door – Casper and Cat.

We walked back to our Airbnb and after eating some food, we headed to Elgin Valley Country Club – the Xterra SA race venue. The drive was ~25 minutes and it was beautiful. Normally I like for us to stay close to a race venue when we travel to a race but there wasn't much around the country club area and I wanted to make sure we could walk to places - Gordons Bay was the perfect location. We went up the road and over the mountain to Grabow. We passed through a town that was packed with a lot of African locals. There were many people walking along the highway to get to/from work, as well as more people needed a ride. If only there were bikes available for transportation. The ‘neighborhood’ of shacks was tough to see – and there are a lot of them throughout South Africa.

 

When we arrived to the country club, we weren’t sure where to go as the gate was closed when we arrived. We were buzzed in and met Willie – a tatted-up local who has a trail named after him. Willie told us that we needed to pay to use the trail (60 Rand = $3.39 USD) and to park just outside the gate and to use the wooden staircase to enter the trails (some of these trails are also used for Jeeps/off roading and hiking). I downloaded the 28K (18 mile) race course to my Garmin but the course was also marked with blue arrows. Karel led the way and helped me navigate through some of the tougher sections through the course. As usual for Xterra, we did a bit of climbing to start but the trails were much more flowy. It was also very sandy which was new for me. Often times it would feel like I was riding on ice as the bike would just slide through the sand (or get stuck). It was a new type of feeling (kinda like the deep mud in Molveno, Italy) but the more I did it, the more I learned that I needed to keep the weight off my front wheel and just let the bike slide. The jeep trails were still technical as they were rocky, sandy and up and down. As we went on the course, we were stunned by the beauty of this area. There was so much flora and different plants that we had never seen before. The rocks were incredible. When we made our way to the famous rock garden, I was ready to test my skills. I did pretty well navigating through the rocks (it was mostly downhill) but struggled on one steep and rocky section. Karel coached me through it and I got it the second time. Karel has been really helpful in my journey into mountain biking (which started ~13 months ago) as he will notify me of any technical or difficult sections before I get to them (and tell me what to do) or we will stop and he will walk me through which line to take or how to get through a touch section. There were a few tight switchbacks on loose sand which required a lot of balance and power so it was helpful to have Karel in front to tell me what I needed to do. I really struggled on the downhills with the curves and turns on the sand so that is an area that I know I need to continue to work on (body position). Although we got tired as the ride went on, it was the most incredible riding experience that I have ever had on a mountain bike. It was cloudy, windy and hot so we made sure to stay well hydrated with our USWE hydration packs. 

We stopped at the store on the way home to get a few more things before dinner. We both got a bit sunburnt (the sun is very strong) as we didn’t put on enough sunscreen during our ride as it was cloudy so that didn’t feel too good in the evening. We went to bed a little earlier (~10pm) as we were both pretty tired from the day.

South Africa Race-Cation - Day 2

We woke up to the new sights and smells of South Africa. Our Airbnb was in the perfect location in Gordon’s Bay – just a few blocks (~10 min walk) to the beach and three blocks from the grocery store (SPAR). We could see the ocean from the owners balcony (which we could use). The owners of the Airbnb live on the top floor and we had the entire bottom floor (three bedrooms and three bathrooms + kitchen, family room, outside patio and a place to park our rental car (I used Hertz – Rav4 SUV) inside their gated house.

The owners of the house (Hester and Thys) were extremely welcoming and provided us with lots of recommendations and advice before our arrival. After catching up on a few emails, we walked a few blocks to the Spar grocery store. picked up a few items at Woolsworth as well (kinda like a Fresh Market for those in the states). It was a bit easier to shop for food compared to Europe as everything was in English so we had fun collecting familiar and different foods to add to our grocery cart. I was really impressed with the vegetarian options in both stores (specifically the Woolsworth). I did a lot of research before arriving and I thought the meals were going to be really meat-heavy but there were a lot of plant based options to choose from. This was also our first wow moment of how affordable/cheap the food was here. The US dollar goes a very long way. I think we spent less than $40 on groceries. We walked back to our Airbnb (while snacking) and got our first glimpse of the poverty in the area. There were a lot of homeless people and trash mixed in with the nice, expensive houses. I never felt scared or threatened, everyone was very nice and waved to us with a smile. It was just a culture shock to see the different types of people all in one area. 

After eating a delicious breakfast, Karel built the bikes while I unpacked. Load shedding was during this time (12-2pm) which worked out well to be without power. We can still use our hotspot during loadshedding but the internet was very slow. Nearing 2pm, we drove ~45 minutes to Stellenbosch and passed through several winery’s. The scenery was incredible – a mix of mountains and vineyards. While Karel was doing the driving, I was taking it all in. Karel’s brain was still having a hard time figuring out how to drive on the left side of the road (while sitting on the right side of the car, trying to use the mirror facing to his left and the blinker on his right). We made a good team as Karel did the driving and I would remind him which lane to stay in and where to turn.

Once we arrived to the Banhoek Conservancy, we weren’t sure exactly where to park but we finally found the gate. We paid the 50 Rand (~$2.50 USD) for us each get a pass/wrist bands to ride on the trails. Most of the trails in the area are built by Conrad Stoltz and Leizel (his wife) suggested that we visit this area for our shakeout ride. We were in awe of the beauty of the jagged rocks and wide open fields. We went for a shake out ride with no plans for how long we were going to ride (or where). While we were still functioning ok without major jet lag, the warm temps and fatigue from travel was had us feeling blah. 

We ventured on to one trail which had us climbing right away. It was really hot (low 90s) and dry and we were having a hard time catching our breathe. Especially after travel, neither of us felt very good. We accidentally ended up on a double orange diamond route (which is the “professional/expert” route – the hardest) so I found myself scooting me and my bike back down the trail.

Thankfully, we found another loop with berms and it was so much fun. It was the perfect way to shake out the legs and to get reacquainted with our mountain bikes. We did the loop ~5 times, with each time getting more familiar and confident with my body position. We decided to try another route which had some gentle climbing for a while and then when we decided to turn around, we fully enjoyed the flow of the trail to take us back to the field where we started. This was our first taste of the trails and they were much more dry than what we are used to, which made it a little challenging to feel a grip on the tires as it’s loose and sandy. After the ride I went for a short run (~1.5 miles) to get my system going. Karel did a short jog in the morning so he stayed by the bikes at the car. We made our way back to the Airbnb (with our navigation taking us through the Stellenbosch University, which was very pretty).

We saw several packed cars of African American people packed into the trunks as well as many people standing on the side of the road waving money to get a ride.

We made it home around 7pm which gave us enough time to prepare dinner before load shedding at 8-10pm. The downstairs unit stayed pretty cool so we didn’t notice not having AC. We did have a fan in our room which we turned on for when the power would switch back on at 10pm (or whenever loadshedding was overwith). It would then turn off again around 2-4am for another loadshedding). I went to bed a little later (~10:30pm) but I was surprised I wasn’t more tired from the jetlag. We had a great night of sleep.

South Africa Race-Cation - Travel Day

Karel knows how much I love international travel (and warm weather) so late this summer, when he mentioned to me that we should participate in Xterra South Africa on January 22nd, 2023 I was excited for the opportunity to visit a new continent.

After a few months of researching, planning and travel hacking, I was able to put together an affordable two weeks to experience the sights, culture, trails, animals, food and people of South Africa. I realize travel is a privilege and we had/have to work really hard to travel but it's something that makes my life feel whole. My favorite type of travel is when I can combine culture and nature - alongside riding my bike in new places. 

If you have a trip to South Africa on your bucket list - or anywhere in this world - I strongly encourage you to start planning. With a bit of saving and a lot of planning, you too can have a life-changing trip.

For those who are curious, here is the breakdown of our trip (I'm pretty proud of myself for planning a 2-week race-cation to South Africa, including a 4-day safari for less than $5000!)

Paid in advance: 
Flights - $1160 per person (main cabin on Delta, booked late October) = $2320 
Airbnb - $594 (7 nights)
Rental car - $445 (Rav4 SUV from Hertz for 8 days)
Flights for Safari - $305 (Safair airline, priority boarding)
4-day Kruger Safari Package - $481 per person (Safari with us) = $962
Garden Court Sandton City - $76 (breakfast for two included)
Xterra race entry - $36 per person = $72
TOTAL = $4774

What was free: 
-No money spent at airports (and we were 11 of them) with lounge accesst thanks to our Amex Platinum Business Cards (which includes Priority Pass membership). 
-Free luggage storage at Best Western while we were away at our Safari. 
-Free night at Best Western thanks to Credit Card points from Capital One Visa. 
-Free shuttle to airport from Best Western. 

Extra money spent during trip (1 USD = 17.6 South African Rand): 
-Uber
-Meals/Groceries
-Tips and donations 
-Souvenirs and gifts
-Enterance fees (ex. hiking, mountain biking)

We left our house/pet sitter and our furry crew around 11:30am on Sunday. It was strange leaving on a Sunday (and later in the day) so it almost felt like a normal weekend day for us. We did a workout in the morning (Karel rode the trainer and I ran) and finished our packing/house cleaning before we were driven to the airport by my mom’s partner Alan. I hired a pet sitter from Rover.com and she stayed at our house for the entire 2 weeks that we were away. 

We arrived early to the airport to give ourself time to check in with our bike bags and to enjoy the airport lounge, thanks to our new Amex platinum business card (with all of our travels this year, I’m seeing if this CC is worth the yearly payment. So far, with our lounge access, it’s well worth it!). There was no line for checking in with Delta for our 2 suitcases and bike bags (with our mountain bikes inside – including Apple air tags on each bike and in our suitcases for tracking) and we were quick through security with TSA pre-check. We got some work done in the lounge and enjoyed a light meal before boarding our plane around 2 for our 2:50pm flight to Atlanta.

It was a quick flight to Atlanta and I watched some of a movie that I downloaded onto my iPad. When we arrived, we needed to go from the B terminal to F so we took the plane train to the international terminal. We waited in line for the Delta Sky Club lounge for around 10 minutes. This was our first time in this lounge and the food was amazing. It was so nice to enjoy “free” food, especially a salad w/ tofu. Although we only had an hour before heading to our gate, we thouroughly enjoyed our time in the lounge (and Karel loved the coffee options with good tasting coffee). 

Around 4:50, the boarding process started for our 6pm flight to Johannesburg. This was home for the next 15 hours - our longest flight ever. Karel was not excited. I sat in the middle seat, next to a nice guy who was visiting his mom for the first time in 6 years. Karel had the aisle. I thought I was booking the front row of Main (behind Comfort +) but turns out there was no bulkhead so my idea to have extra leg room failed through. I should have just booked to aisle seats for us next to one another. Oh well. We had two meals on the plane and snacked on our trail mix that we brought. We each watched two movies and slept on and off. I enjoyed one vegetarian meal that I requested prior to the flight (for some reason they didn't have my request in so they had to search for an extra meal. They do have a vegetarian option with the complimentary meal service but I always request a 'special meal' (which is free) as the options are a lot better - and you get served first. We got up for the restroom and to stretch a lot. Overall, for this being our longest flight so far, it wasn’t too bad. It actually went by rather fast and I think going through the night helped as we were naturally tired and the flight was long enough that we could take a few longer naps.

Fruit, bread, bulgur salad and rice with vegetarian meat, beet sauce and vegetables. 

We arrived to the Johannesburg airport around 2:30pm and had a two hour layover. Because we were on the same plane to Cape Town, we departed the plane for cleaning and stayed in a holding wing. We were provided water and snacks while waiting. We then re-boarded our plane and made the 2 hour flight to Cape Town. I tried not to nap but I caved and fell asleep for a short time. We finally touched down to South Africa on Monday evening around 8pm. It was a long two days of travel but we were so excited to finally touch down on this new continent.

There was no line for passport control so that went by quickly (unlike the time it takes to enter the US) and then we picked up our bags/bikes. We then went to the rental car kiosk to get our SUV from Hertz. We were both very nervous about the driving situation with a right side of the car driver and driving on the left side of the road so for our dark 45 min drive to Gordon’s Bay, I had to remind Karel “left, left!” a lot throughout the drive. We survived. We made a quick stop at the gas station as we were really hungry. This was our first opportunity to try new foods. Karel got some type of meat "pastry" and I got a yogurt drink and a bag of ginger crackers. We were notified by our Airbnb host that load-shedding (shut down of power) was at 10pm so when we arrived just after 10pm, it was pitch dark out. Thankfully the host had a few portable lights for us to use. She showed us around the Airbnb and we were welcomed with a lot of wind – which made for a refreshing night of sleep with our door open (no AC). Surprisingly, we both slept pretty good after falling asleep just after 11pm local time (7 hours ahead of EST). We had a good night of sleep and I woke up around 9am excited for our first official day in South Africa.

2023 TRIMARNI KIT STORE IS OPEN - ORDER NOW

The Trimarni kit store is now open!!

If you love to use and move your body, cross finish lines or use your body to live an active lifestyle, we believe that you are the ideal human to sport a Trimarni kit. 

When you sport Trimarni, you are representing our brand. We want you to be proud sporting your Trimarni kit as you inspire other athletes and fitness enthusiasts to work hard for athletic excellence but not at the cost of compromising mental and physical health. Your support means the world to us and we love seeing humans doing incredible things with their bodies. 

Engineered for top-level racing, Castelli is dedicated to making the fastest clothing in the world for triathletes and cyclists by using the most advanced fabric technologies available. We are confident that you will love the reasonably priced, comfortable and functional kit items.

And because we can't have you sporting an old design on a new kit, we are excited to show off our new design. 

The darker kit can be purchased in male and female sizing and brighter kit is available in women sizing.

To access the Trimarni page:
1) Click on this link.
2) Create a new account on the bottom of the page or use your previous login information. This grants you access to the team page. If the store says closed, you are seeing the previous store page. Sign out and log back in to resolve the issue.
3) Start shopping.

Items available: 
TRIATHLON
Free Sanremo 2 Suit Short Sleeve (one-piece triathlon suit)
Free Speed Race Jersey (short sleeve tri top)
Free Tri Short
PR speed Suit

CYCLING
Competizion 2 Jersey
Competizione bib shorts
Competizion shorts (women only)
Team long sleeve jersey

RUNNING
Wildwood Run Singlet
Tech Tee


The store will only remain open until February 8th, 2023.
This is your only chance to place an order.
Once the store is closed, please allow up to 8 weeks for production and shipping. The items are set to ship on April 12th.

If needed, here's a size chart. From our experience of trying on the various kit items, the pieces run true to size. 

The store is open to the public so feel free to pass along the team store link to your friends, family and training partners. Anyone can purchase items from the store to sport in training and/or on event day.

Thanks for your Trimarni support!

2023 TRIMARNI GRAVEL SKILLS CAMP

Riding gravel is all the rage these days. Some perks include a change in scenery, being in nature, and discovering new roads and routes. More so, many people are switching from road to gravel biking due to far fewer cars/trucks. Although the chances of experiencing motorized traffic is very small on gravel roads, there's a greater risk of crashing due to the uneven surface under your wheels.

I learned this all too well in 2021 when I had two crashes within a few weeks in my first few months of riding my gravel bike. Although I had fitness to ride my bike, I lacked the skills needed to take my bike off road. Riding a gravel bike off road requires a very different skill set than riding on the road. I'm happy to report that with a lot of help from Karel, not only have I become more confident on my gravel bike (and no more crashes!) but I've also learned how to ride a mountain bike on very technical terrain - and haven't had any major crashes or accidents. 

And not all "gravel" is created equal - neither is tire pressure. There are silky smooth dirt roads and then there are washboard-like roads which will have you bouncing uncomfortably on and off your saddle. Add in climbing and descending, tight turns on loose rocks, deep sand, and peanut-butter clay, you may find that gravel riding is much harder than it looks on social media. Oh and don't forget to add in riding over puddles and water crossings. You never know what you will get when riding off road. Additionally, risk of heat stress, fatigue and bonking is also greater than on the road due to the lack of "convenient" stops to refill bottles and to restock edible fuel.

The purpose of this gravel skills camp is to help you become a safer, more skilled and confident cyclist. The truth is that riding a gravel bike is very different than riding on the road. On gravel, you can't just sit on your bike and pedal, especially when you are riding on sand, mud, loose gravel and roots. Weight distribution and surveying the ground in front of you are very important on technical terrain. Whereas you may be able to get away zoning out and sitting on your road or tri bike while being stiff and rigid, gravel riding requires you to stay relaxed and to react dynamically to the ground under you, so your bike can float freely under you. When you watch experienced gravel riders, you'll notice that they are rarely sitting - there's a lot of standing, hovering, moving the hands into different positions on the handlebars/drops and weight shifting. The key is making small adjustments to stay stable, safe and in control.

This camp will be divided into two distinct sections - developing skills and then applying the skills. You will have the opportunity to work on specific bike handling skills - like body position, descending, navigating curves and turns, riding through water and on single track, climbing, braking and pedaling mechanics. You will also learn about the inner workings of your bike like tire pressure, tire choice and cleaning/maintenance.

By attending this camp, you can expect to learn a lot. By mastering fundamental gravel cycling skills you will be able to feel confident and safe on any type of terrain, while keeping a smile on your face because you are having fun.

Quick Camp Facts

Location: Zirconia, NC and Dupont State Forest

Dates: February 17th - 19th, 2023

LEARN MORE HERE 
GRAVEL SKILLS CAMP

International travel - a quick hello from South Africa

Late this summer, Karel mentioned to me that we should travel somewhere warm in January 2023 to escape the winter and to do some type of athletic event. And his top choice was not Arizona, Florida or the Virgin Islands but....South Africa! Karel came up with this idea after hearing about the return of Xterra South Africa (off-road triathlon event). After several months of researching, travel hacking and planning (my favorite!) I was able to put together an exciting, affordable and memorable itinerary for our 2 week race-cation (which includes a Safari and Kruger National Park). We will be participating in Xterra South Africa on Sunday, January 22nd in Elgin Valley (outside of Gordon's Bay, an hour from Cape Town) and then flying to Johannsburg on the 23rd for a 4-day Safari tour. We will then travel back to Cape Town on the 27th for one last day in Cape Town before flying back to the US on the 28th/29th. 

If you couldn't tell, I love traveling. Since an early age, I've had the privilege of traveling all over the US and internationally. When I was in middle school, I participated in an exchange program and spent almost 2 weeks in Japan. At only 13-14 years of age, I spent some of the time living with a family that didn't speak English and took part in a lot of different traditions. During my senior year of college, I traveled to the Philippines during May term for a work service project. I spent two weeks working on buildings and schools and I slept on a wooden bed, took bucket showers and had no AC. I was surrouned by people who had little to nothing but were incredibly happy and grateful. Traveling to this third-world country truly changed my life. 

Although it's fun to see popular touristy sights, one of my favorite things about travel is meeting new people and learning about different cultures - the language, traditions, customs, religion, holidays and food. Without travel, all we know is what's normal and not normal in our own society. By immersing yourself in another culture, you learn different and new perspectives. You also become more mindful of the traditions, practices, thoughts, beliefs and lifestyles of other people. Seeing the world from a different point of view can make you a more understanding person. While travel is a great way to immerse yourself in a culture beyond your own, you can learn at home through articles, talking with friends and coworkers, YouTube, documentaries, blogs and social media.There are so many places I never knew about but now want to visit thanks to travel vloggers.

And one of the best parts of travel is the FOOD!

Whether it's the pizza in Italy or seafood in Japan, traveling introduces you to new flavors, recipes, ingredients and dishes. While we can agree that America has a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with food, food plays a very important role in many cultures - it shows different traditions in each community and for many cultures, nothing is more important than a family meal. Whether you order from a restaurant menu or step out of your comfort zone with local street food, there's no better way to experience an entire culture - from the local and seasonal ingredients to the traditional recipes - than through authentic dishes. 

In doing some research for our upcoming South Africa trip, I came across this article discussing 30 different culinary traditions. Here are a few of the ones I found most interesting: 

• Borscht (Ukraine and many Eastern European Countries) - a traditional soup with beetroots as the main ingredient. 
• French baguette  (a symbol of France) - a 'good' baguette has a crunchy crust and is 65 centimeters in length. The only ingredients are wheat floud, water, yeast and salt. 
• Tea (a way of life in China) - there are over 2,000 different teas produced in China. 
• Joumou (Haiti) - this soup is a symbol of freedom and liberation. Made from a local pumpkin or squash. 
• Ceebu Jën (Senegal West Africa). The dish is passed down from mother to daughter. The essential ingredients include fish, broken rice, tomatoes, onions and other seasonal veggies. The dish is eaten with one's hands or a piece of bread to scoop up the rice. This dish is a symbol of hospitality.
• Lavash (Armenia) - this dough is made from wheat flour and water. This bread plays an important role in Armenian weddings, where sheets of the bread are draped over the bride and groom's shoulders to signal future prosperity. 
• Nsima (Africa) - a thick porridge made through an elaborate process of mixing white cornmeal with water. In Malawi, the dish is eaten with a protein and vegetable. Young children are taught to pound maize and sift flour at an early age and eating a meal of Nsima is a way to strengthen family bonds. 
• Keskek (Turkey) - found in Turkish, Iranian and Greek cuisines and associated with ceremonial and religious occasions, cooked by groups of men and women together in the community. From beating the ingredients to praying over the wheat or barley to a music performance and the thickening and stirring of the dish, the local community all come together to take part in keşkek preparation.
• Airag or Kumis (Mongolia) - This fermented dairy product is made by churning fresh horse milk inside a special vessel crafted from cowhide. It's a critical source of nutrition for moadic communities. To make, the milk must be churned more than 500 times before the yeast is added to start the fermentation process. 

I'll be blogging about our travels but currently I'm soaking it all in and making the most of everyday here. You can follow me along on Instagram (@trimarni) where I'll be posting videos/pics on my stories. 

Why I love The FEED

 

While watching the Tour de France a few years ago, I noticed a lot of The Feed logos and commercials. I didn't care too much about the company when I first heard about it as I thought it was just another sport nutrition website to order products. 

But overtime, I realized that next to your local run/tri/bike shop, The Feed is a great place to purchase sport nutrition products (and lots of other sport related gear, equipment and nutrition). 

As a sport RD, I'm constantly recommending sport nutrition products to athletes. I'm also constantly trying out different products. But in order to see if a product will work, the only options are to hunt down a single serving at a local store or order online a case or bag of 16+ servings. It was so much more affordable for athletes (and myself) to try out products for a few workouts to see if that sport drink or recovery powder was tolerated by the taste buds and digestive system. 

As a Feed ambassador, I really enjoy this company. They are passionate about sport, inclusion, the environment and athletes and there are so many different products to chose from. Many of the products go on sale, which makes this website very practical and affordable, especially if you are on a budget but understand the importance of applying sport nutrition guidelines to your workouts. I just stocked up on a bunch of single serving packets of sport nutrition (see pic abov). I'm so excited to take a bite of the Cookies n' Cream PowerBar. I haven't had one since I was training for my first Ironman in 2006! And Karel loves the Enervit Jelly's - he always stocks up at the local bike shop in his home town of Znojmo, Czech Republic when we visit. I also wanted to try the new flavors of Never Second gels. And Karel loves Athletic Brewing Company. Sadly, our laws in SC don't allow delivery but we can get through the system through The Feed. 

Here are a few of the reasons why I love purchasing products from The Feed: 

• Prevent taste bud fatigue with different flavors/brands
• Try out different brands
• Gift to a friend who is interested in trying out new products
• Great for younger athletes who want to experiment with different bars and sport drinks for practices and games
• Try out different products if you have a sensitive stomach (this way you aren't stuc with a box of 24 gels if you can't tolerate one of them)
• Learn about new companies/products 
• Purchase single servings to experiment with new products/flavors to incorporate into your fueling regime
• Purchase single servings for travel/races/long training sessions
• Create an order of your favorite brands, shipped all at once.
• Try products from other countries (which is helpful if you plan to race internationally)
• Subscribe and get your favorites delivered every 4 weeks
• Keep your sport nutrition stock varied so you can choose the best option for the workout/race

To get shopping, you can use my custom link  thefeed.cc/trimarnicoach

Join the 2023 Trimarni Team

Thank you IRONMAN TRI CLUB for the team spotlight!

"TriMarni Coaching and Nutrition - is a community of inspiring athletes from all over the world where no athlete is too fast or too slow. They are adventure seekers who love to stretch the comfort zone and use triathlon to strengthen mental and physical health. In 2022, TriMarni had 197 affiliated TriClub athletes compete across 44 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events globally with many highlights including first overall TriClub at IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge with a total of 30,000 points. With 89 athletes already set to toe the line in 29 IRONMAN event globally in 2023, this TriClub loves competing together and doing what they love surrounded by people who believe in them."

If you'd like to join our team, we welcome members anytime from all types of sports - triathlon, ultraendurance, gravel, MTB and so much more. As a team member, you will receive weekly presentations/discussions on topics like sport/race day nutrition, bike skills/training, course discussions, race strategies, race travel hacks, and answers to your questions. We also provide a weekly educational newsletter, team challenges and offer over 20 brand partnership discounts and dealers accounts. Plus you receive discounts to our camps and training plans. Our team is very inclusive and supportive and we would love to share your athletic journey with you.

To learn more about our team, check out our website HERE.

                                                Will we see you at one of our 2023 team events? 

The problem with New Year Resolutions

 

Resolution.
"The act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict or problem." 

How many times have you resolved to improve your lifestyle habits?

Have you ever promised yourself that you will exercise more, start saving money or eat a healthier diet?

According to research, ~40% of people abandon their New Year Resolution after only one month.

I'm not for resolutions but I'm all for setting goals. But for most people, a mental shift is needed. As you go about your day and think about all the things that are making it hard for you to pursue your goal. To reach the end goal, you must embrace the steps in the process of getting there. Your thoughts matter. 

One of the most effective ways of enjoying the process of pursuing a goal is replacing that one word "have" with "get". Immediately, you should feel a sense of calm of what you "get" to do. Words like "need" or "have" or "must" can bring a sense of shame or guilt. In contrast, pursuing a goal with words like "want to" or "get to" can be much more motivating.

By replacing mandatory words like "I should" with empowering words like "I choose to" you are more likely to stick with the action plan needed to pursue your goal. Sometimes all you need is to reframe a situation and to change your perspective. 

If you are struggling with motivation or feel it's impossible to move forward with your goals, I encourage you to spend some time with these questions: 
 

2022 Reflection Questions
1. What is the best thing that happened? 
2. What challenges did you overcome?
3. What did you want to do but were too afraid to try?
4. What was the most important lesson you learned?
5. What new habits did you start?
6. How did you fail?
7. What got in the way of your success?
8. What did you struggle with?
9. What did you leave unfinished?
10. What did you do for your physical and mental health?

2023 Intention Questions
1. What do you intend to be different at the end of this year?
2. What do you want to accomplish?
3. What will be your purpose this year?
4. How will you make this year matter?
5. What opportunities do you want to create for yourself?
6. What do you want to change completely?
7. What personal qualities do you want to strengthen?
8. What skills do you want to learn?
9. How will you take care of yourself physically and mentally?
10. Who do you want to become this year?

As a reminder, most New Year's resolutions fail because there isn't much thought into the meaning behind the resolution and what it will take to achieve it. Your focus is likely centered on what will happen when you reach your goal and there is no planned-out process of actually achieving the resolution. Plus, there's often little meaning attached to the resolution - it's something that you feel you need to do. 

I'm all about self-improvement. Ultimately, you need to understand why you want to change and why it is what you want. Find purpose and meaning in every change of behavior, action, thought or habit. 

Diet Culture and the effect on athletes

Yesterday was a great day. Karel, me and our friends Carley and Alvi went for a 64 mile gravel ride in Walhalla. The ride included gravel, road, single track and a lot of climbing. The route took us a little over 5 hours and we covered around 7300 feet of elevation. Carley encouraged me to go for one of the QOM climbs - a 9-ish mile gravel climb that took me 48 minutes. It was super tough to stay on Karel's wheel but I was relieved when it was complete (and I secured the queen status - at least for now). As I was riding, I couldn't help but think about how my body was able to perform. I was so tired and sore from the previous week/weekend of training yet my body was continuing to impress me. This got me thinking about how athletes view and treat their bodies, especially as it relates to food. 

One of the most common New Year resolutions is losing weight or changing body composition. This is very likely due to diet culture. If you are tempted to lose weight fast, it's easy to get sucked into one of the many endless popular diet endorsements.

Diet culture focuses on size, shape and weight. It has an obsession with thinness. Even if it comes across as a 'lifestyle' or 'health-promoting' there is an expectation that if you change the way you look, you'll be more attractive, loved, accepted, happy, valued, healthy and successful.

Diet culture does not prioritize health and well-being. It focuses on thinness, leanness and muscles. Diet culture is everywhere and it requires a daily fight to ignore the constant messages that you are not worthy unless you look a certain way.

With so much pressure to change the way that you look through restrictive eating, you must remember that diet culture is not responsible for the side effects of dieting. These include feelings of guilt and failure, lowered self-esteem, destroying your relationship with food and your body and putting you at risk for disordered eating or an eating disorder. Diet culture glorifies extreme weight loss. It also shames people in larger or non "ideal" bodies.  According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 35% of dieting becomes obsessive and 20-25% of diets turn into eating disorders. 

But this blog post isn't to talk just about diet culture. There is a subculture within diet culture. One that normalizes and even encourages disordered eating habits and body preoccupation. 

Athletic diet culture. 

The general population isn't alone when it comes to buying into diet culture. It's not uncommon for athletes - training 10+ hours a week for an athletic competition - to have an off-limit food list, restrict food groups, avoid carbohydrates, skip snacks and fast - because there's the belief that....

• You'll be faster if you lose weight
• You'll become a better athlete if you lose weight
• You'll be healthier if you lose weight
• You don't look like an athlete, you should lose weight

It's almost impossible to exist happily in your own body when dealing with sport specific pressures around body weight. Many disordered behaviors like excessive training, fasted workouts, avoiding carbohydrates, not consuming sport nutrition, skipping snacks, restricting calories and a preoccupation with food are perceived as normal or even encouraged in the athletic population. Although disordered eating behaviors are unhealthy for the general population, they can be somewhat dangerous to the athlete population. 

For athletes - no matter your current size, age or fitness ability - your ability to stay consistent with training and absorb training training depends on the fuel and nutrients that you give it. Like a car, your body will not run without fuel. However, unlike a car, your body will begin to struggle when fuel supply begins to drop below half a tank. The nutrients in the food that you eat plays a vital role in your body's ability to withstand training stress and function in daily life. Poor nutrition can lead to fatigue, hormonal issues, compromised immunity and bone health, slowed metabolism, injury, poor performance, difficulty concentrating, low motivation, burnout and restless sleep. 

While certain diets may look appealing for health, weight loss or performance, consider what may happen to your body when it doesn't receive adequate vitamins and minerals due to calorie/food restriction: 

Gluten Free - low in fiber, iron, folate, vitamin D, B12, magnesium, calcium, zinc. 
Clean eating (no processed or fortified foods) - low in calcium, iron, folate, B12, potassium, calcium, sodium. 
Keto/low carb- low in fiber, carbohydrates, vitamin D, calcium, folate, magnesium, vitamin D.
Vegan - low in protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, B12, Omega-3.
Low calorie - everything.

Whether you choose to change your diet for medical, health, ethical or performance reasons, it's important to consider what your style of eating does or doesn't provide in order to ensure you can stay healthy and perform well as an athlete. 

Don't downgrade your training by dieting in order to attempt to achieve a specific body composition. Upgrade your diet to support your training. Performance improvements come from taking care of your body, not from simply existing in a smaller body.

2023 Trimarni Training Camps - register now

Since our very first group training camp in March 2014 in Clermont, Florida and now 15+ camps later, our focus has remained the same.

Our mission is to provide athletes with a safe, enriching and affordable camp experience. We strive to empower you to stretch your athletic limits by teaching you how to become a better all around athlete and more confident human being.

When you participate in a Trimarni camp, you will learn new skills and training techniques to ensure that you can train smarter and race better. You will train with like-minded athletes who will bring out the best in you.

We live in the perfect training playground in Greenville, SC and we want to share it with you. We will take care of everything so that all you have to do is book your travel and arrive to camp excited to improve your weaknesses and show off your strengths.

GRAVEL SKILLS CAMP

EARLY SEASON CAMP

LONG DISTANCE CAMP

Our three training camps are now open for registration. They will sell out so act fast. To learn more about each camp and to secure your spot, click HERE.

Any questions, feel free to send me an email. See you in 2023!

2022 Donations - thank you for your support!

'Tis the season of giving thanks, showing appreciation and helping those in need.

Thank you for supporting Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition in 2022. Through your purchases - nutrition consultation, bike fit, camp, clothing, water bottles and coffee - we can continue supporting animal rescues. You are making a difference in our lives and in the lives of our furry friends and we are extremely grateful.

Here's a list of the non profit animal rescues that we are donating to in 2022.

The Catnip cottage

Vintage Pet Rescue

Heaths Haven

Furball Farm Pet Sanctuary

Greenville Humane Society

When clothes make you feel "fat"

Same person. Same day. A body in motion. 

Your weight and appearance do not define you. How you look is not the most interesting thing about you. 

For almost all athletes, at some point in the athletic career, body image is a struggle. When it comes to appearance-related content on social media, this constant comparison to unrealistic images of people presenting the best version of themselves can negatively impact your relationship with your body. Unrealistic expectations of how your body should look may turn into unhealthy eating and exercise behaviors and disordered eating.

Although athletes have the same risk factors for body image issues as non-athletes, athletes are constantly conflicted with two body images - one in sport and one outside of sport. The body that is fit for performance may not meet society's "thin" ideal. 

For athletes, there are two wardrobes. Clothes that are designed for functionality and performanace and clothes for outside of sport - work, leisure, formal, etc. Depending on which body you are dressing (sport vs. daily life), if you struggle with poor body image, there's a good chance that you feel there is one right way to look in those clothes. This may lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth. As a result of not matching the "ideal" image, many athletes take drastic measures to "fix" features that fall short of the accepted standard. 

How many times has your day been ruined after trying on clothes in your closest that didn't fit you? How do you feel when you receive clothing (as a present) from a friend, partner or loved one but need to return for a bigger size?

If you can relate, I want to remind/tell you that YOU wear your clothes. Do not let your clothes dictate how you feel about yourself. You do not have to conform to a certain body type. You do not have to start "fixing" your body on January 1st. Bodies naturally fluctuate throughout life. 

From now until the end of the year, I encourage you to clean out your closest of clothes that no longer serve you well. Next, buy clothes that fit your body and make you feel good. And even if you are on a path of improved health, you still deserve to feel confident at your current size, shape or weight. 

Stop clinging on to a past version of yourself. Don't punish yourself by withholding a new wardrobe with hopes of meeting a specific clothing size. 

When you let go of what was, you can make space for what can be. 
You deserve to be comfortable and confident in your clothes. 

Be proud of your every-day-body and your incredible body in motion. 

Beat the winter blues with your tribe

 The winter can be a challenging time when it's cold and dreary but getting outside to exercise is an immediate mood booster. And as the saying goes, there's no bad weather, only bad clothing.

On Saturday morning, Karel went gravel biking with our friend Alvi and I joined the GVL WBL group ride. I've participated in this winter bike league for the past few years and it has significantly helped my mental health in the winter. Being inside or alone with my own thoughts is challenging for me and I find that I am the happiest when I am with people. I feel incredibly lucky that I have several swim partners and bike partners to help get me out the door when the weather is less than ideal.  

I returned home from my ride shortly before Karel and for the next 20 minutes, I couldn't stop talking about the ride. I told him about the 60+ people that showed up, the horses that ran alongside us in a farm, the guy who didn't have the best bike handling skills and was making me nervous being behind him, my effort on the QOM (and winning $20), meeting new friends, reconnecting with familiar faces, the spicy effort on Pumpkintown road with the juniors taking the lead and pulling the group, and chatting up a storm with my friend Carley. And all of this in ~35-40 degrees. 

This got me thinking about a sense of belonging and how important "tribes" are to my happiness. I had to make the effort to form my tribes but it was essential for connection and belonging. Even though I'm selfishly seeking tribes to help me with my training/fitness, it's nice to belong to something greater than myself. Connecting with people you most identify with is extremely important to well-being. 

If you struggle in the winter, find a tribe. If you can't find one, start one. You deserve to feel like you belong. Find people who share similar values and passions. Develop awareness of what's missing from your life, what you are looking for and what you enjoy. Commit time and effort to your tribe. Be willing to try new things and to step out of your comfort zone. Ditch the judgement. Be open-minded. 

Rituals and routines are so important for mental health. For 8 weeks in December and January, I know where I neeed to be on Saturday at 10am. Even though I only know a handful of people at the group ride, there's no judgement, only belonging, respect and being cared for. We all share a love for the bike, for being outside and for enjoying the many benefits that come with riding in a group. I love my cycling tribe. 

Stress, Depression and Mental Health - Tips for coping

I have spent much of my career focusing on the many ways to help athletes optimize physical health. But it wasn't until my life was turned upside down by the passing of my dad to cancer in May of 2014, followed shortly by a diagnosis of PMDD, that my mental health became just as important as my physical health. 

Mental illnesses often come with the stigmatized belief that those who struggle with depression or anxiety are weak and fragile. Many people hide mental health struggles due to shame. To improve quality of life, it's important to work through any barriers that are preventing you from addressing your mental health in a positive and productive way. 

Anxiety and depression are interesting. It's wild how certain words, pictures, videos, people or noises can be very triggering some days and I can be immune to the same things on another day. Over the years (with the help of medication) I've learned valuable coping skills for working through the emotions, thoughts and feelings that can be distorded and confusing. 

Mental health isn't just about how you think. It's about how you feel and act. It includes your emotional, psychological and social well-being. It determines how you make choices throughout the day, how you handle stress and how you interact with others. Mental health is important throughout your entire life. You must never stop caring about your mental health. And as I've learned over the years, mental health can change over time.

Depression is a common mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave, leading to a variety of emotional and physical problems. When you are depressed, you have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living. Depression drains your energy, optimism, and motivation.

Depression isn't something tha- you can't simply "snap out" of it. It's not "all in your head" and you can't just "look on the bright side." Depression is a serious but treatable disorder that affects millions of people. Don’t underestimate the seriousness of depression.

Depression makes it difficult to connect on a deep emotional level with anyone, even the people you love the most. Depressed people may say hurtful things and lash out in anger (remember that this is the illness talking) but many times, someone may be depressed but always act happy and joyful. It may be hard to believe that a caring, happy, funny, successful, kind and loving person would ever consider something as drastic as suicide, but a depressed person may not see any other way out. Depression clouds judgment and distorts thinking due to intense, uncomfortable feelings.

During depressive episodes, symptoms may include:

• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
• Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
• Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
• Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

Do not be afraid to ask for help. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not a weakness. There are many mental health services available for mental, emotional and social concerns. With appropriate care, you can recover from mental illness to live a rewarding and meaningful life. Carrying for your mental health is just as important as taking care of yourself physically.


A few helpful ways to reduce your own feelings of stress, anxiety and depression:

• Manage your time with a to-do list so that you don't feel overwhelmed with tasks and deadlines.
• Accept your own needs and recognize the triggers that make you feel physically and mentally exhausted or troubled.
• Give yourself a break to mentally calm down your mind and to physically calm down your body.
• Bring joy to exercise. Exercise produces stress-relieving hormones and can improve overall mental and physical health. Training should never feel like a chore.
• Set time for yourself without feeling guilty that you should be doing something else with your time. Do something daily that makes you feel good.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs, eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep.
• Don't be afraid to talk about your feelings to a close friend, counselor, to your spouse, caregiver, boss or family member.
• Ask for help when you feel overwhelmed. You don't have to be superman/woman. It's ok to feel too tired, busy or not in the mood to do something.
• Accept your unique self. We are all different. Be proud of who you are - and how you look - instead of wishing you were more like someone else.
• Care for others. Maintain relationships and connect with people that care about you and are important in your life.

If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues, there are many hotlines that offer free services. Click here for more information.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.