Whew. What a relief to get the first race of the 2018 season out of the way.
As I mentioned before, this race was extra special for me and Karel because we shared the race course with over 30 of our coaching athletes from all over the US. Although we selected this race venue as our first key race of the season before we found out it was the Regional Tri Club Championship event, this was a fantastic location for tri clubs as the event is very spectator and family friendly and the community really embraces the event.
There was so much Trimarni fun happening before the race, which helped ease the nerves and build the excitement. Karel and I made ourselves available to our athletes before the race to make sure everyone was mentally, nutritionally, physically and equipment ready to dust off the rust at this early season half IM event. It was incredible to see our athletes in action and to celebrate their hard work, the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition team placed 3rd in Division IV!
As I mentioned before, this race was extra special for me and Karel because we shared the race course with over 30 of our coaching athletes from all over the US. Although we selected this race venue as our first key race of the season before we found out it was the Regional Tri Club Championship event, this was a fantastic location for tri clubs as the event is very spectator and family friendly and the community really embraces the event.
There was so much Trimarni fun happening before the race, which helped ease the nerves and build the excitement. Karel and I made ourselves available to our athletes before the race to make sure everyone was mentally, nutritionally, physically and equipment ready to dust off the rust at this early season half IM event. It was incredible to see our athletes in action and to celebrate their hard work, the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition team placed 3rd in Division IV!
IM 70.3 Florida was a nice reminder of the hurt, emotions and unknowns that come with racing. The weather was tolerable - not incredibly hot and not pouring down rain. Keeping with the context of the season, this was only the very first race of the season with a looong season ahead of us. Although the winter months seem to go by very slowly, we have a lot of races planned this summer and no doubt, the weeks will fly by and each race will be here before we know it. With my last race being in September and Karel's last race in November, there was no need for us to be in peak fitness right now in early April. This race was not a showcase of our athletic worthiness or predictor for the rest of the season but instead, an opportunity to race with our current level of fitness and go through the motions and emotions of endurance racing.....knowing that we have yet to get into our "race specific" training.
Karel and I did not have any goals going into this race, which provided no expectations or pressures. Sometimes this mentality can be refreshing for it makes racing fun as the opportunity for mistakes, lessons learned and low moments are welcomed and not feared. Also, without an outcome focused goal, it's much easier to keep the mind in the present moment, focusing on the process instead of trying to chase an end result.
Karel put together a good race. He was a little disappointed in his run but he felt in the context of the season, it's better for him not to be running "fast" right now as he has three Ironman events this summer (including Kona) with his last Ironman in November. He felt as if last year he got fast too quickly and he didn't want to make the same mistake this year. Karel was extremely pleased with his swim (of course, he had to beat me by 5 seconds - errr) and felt comfortable on his new Ventum bike.
Karel and I did not have any goals going into this race, which provided no expectations or pressures. Sometimes this mentality can be refreshing for it makes racing fun as the opportunity for mistakes, lessons learned and low moments are welcomed and not feared. Also, without an outcome focused goal, it's much easier to keep the mind in the present moment, focusing on the process instead of trying to chase an end result.
Karel put together a good race. He was a little disappointed in his run but he felt in the context of the season, it's better for him not to be running "fast" right now as he has three Ironman events this summer (including Kona) with his last Ironman in November. He felt as if last year he got fast too quickly and he didn't want to make the same mistake this year. Karel was extremely pleased with his swim (of course, he had to beat me by 5 seconds - errr) and felt comfortable on his new Ventum bike.
I was very pleased with my race. I didn't have any low moments and felt great all day. I had a good swim, a great bike and a solid run. My legs took some time to come around on the run but they responded well in the 2nd and 3rd loop. After I crossed the finish line, I surprised myself with a 4-minute PR from last year, which was simply as a result of my motto "do things well" all day.
Karel and I loved the cheers from those on and off the course. There's something so special about the energy boost you get from spectators, teammates and from other athletes.
I went into the race with the typical questions of "why do I keep doing this??!!" but I think that's normal to question why we like to embrace these uncomfortable feelings and unkowns of racing. Racing is so much more than just testing my fitness. Racing provides me with a safe, supportive and competitive environment to stretch my comfort zone, escape from every-day-stressors in life, explore possibilities and work through the tough moments. And more so, I just love being surrounded by like-minded individuals who also enjoy swimming, biking and running in a competitive setting.
With this being the 2nd time I have done the race (3rd for Karel), I have to say that this event is very well organized, it's easy to get to, the course is safe and the volunteers are great. There can always be things to complain about but with all things considered, I really like this venue - especially for an early season race. And like I said before, we got really lucky with the weather. The day before the race there were two storms throughout the afternoon/evening and hot days leading up the race. Luckily, it cooled off a little on race day but the humidity hung around.
Now that this race is behind us, we will recover and then ease back into our structured training as we build up for our upcoming summer races. We will cruise through St. George 70.3 in 4 weeks without any pressures/expectations as our next big focus is Ironman Austria.
Now that this race is behind us, we will recover and then ease back into our structured training as we build up for our upcoming summer races. We will cruise through St. George 70.3 in 4 weeks without any pressures/expectations as our next big focus is Ironman Austria.
Race Results
Marni
1st AG (35-39), 5th overall female
1st AG (35-39), 5th overall female
Swim: 29.46
T1: 3:00
Bike: 2:30.32
T2: 2:38
Run: 1:38.59
Total: 4:44.52
Karel
3rd AG (40-44), 13th overall
3rd AG (40-44), 13th overall
Swim: 29.41
T1: 2:37
Bike: 2:22.45
T2: 2:59
Run: 1:29.33
Total: 4:27.33
Stay tuned for our official race recap.