In 2012, Karel and I searched for a challenging half ironman
for us to share the experience together. We chose Branson 70.3.
You see, Karel made the jump into triathlons in 2012 and he wanted a course that challenged him for his first 70.3 distance. I was on board for this course because not only would we get to travel somewhere new (and if you know me well, you know I love to race to travel and travel to race) but this course had a lot of climbing and that was exactly what I love in a bike course.
You see, Karel made the jump into triathlons in 2012 and he wanted a course that challenged him for his first 70.3 distance. I was on board for this course because not only would we get to travel somewhere new (and if you know me well, you know I love to race to travel and travel to race) but this course had a lot of climbing and that was exactly what I love in a bike course.
Perhaps this seems a bit crazy to choose a course that has been ranked as one
of the hardest bike courses (although, after riding both Branson 70.3 and St
Croix 70.3 I may need to disagree on this) for Karel’s first half IM but we enjoy a
challenge when it comes to racing. We certainly do not take for granted that
70.3 or 140.6 miles is a long way for the human body to go but we thrive off
challenges, especially when it comes to swimming, biking and then running on difficult courses.
I heard of the St. Croix 70.3 several years ago when I started
into endurance triathlons and it was always on my bucket list of races to do. Before I qualified for my first IM World Championship in Kona Hawaii, this race destination was so appealing because it was on an island and was known to be tough.
From what I knew about the course it had everything that I love in a course and things that I know would
challenge me and perhaps even take me out of my comfort zone.
When Karel and I were planning our 2014 race season, we
talked about the possibility of doing this race, not to try to Kona qualify but
just to conquer this course and everything that comes with it – heat, wind,
hills, descends, humidity, ocean swim, the “Beast”, bumpy roads, trails and
grass on the run course and a small race vibe feel.
We booked our travel early in the year and all of our prep
was gearing up for this race. We came to St. Croix to race among some of the
best athletes around the world who come to this race for Kona slots and to
conquer this challenging, yet incredibly beautiful course. Plus you can't beat this location for a vacation so why not suffer for 70.3 miles in the middle of our travels to the Virgin Islands.
Both Karel and myself were a bit nervous for this race course. Not
because of the 70.3 distance (for this was Karel’s 7th half IM
distance and this was my 9th half IM distance) but instead because
of the unknown.
The biggest unknown when it comes to challenging courses is
how the body will accept all of the race course stress. Even if you are ready
for the perfect race, plan to pace your perfect race or push your limits, you
never know how a course will affect your body and mind. With a challenging course, there is the unknown of what the body will do in the next mile (or not do) but also you are constantly using every skill/tool that you have as an athlete to prepare for the next mile.
The most important
parts of "surviving" tough courses are hydration, calories/sport nutrition, pacing,
attitude, proper clothing and practical gear/equipment. But even if you try to
control all of these variables that can positively affect your race, there is
still that unknown of how your body will swim, bike and the run to the finish
line.
Now that we have earned our St. Croix 70.3 finisher medals
and can say “been there, done that!” it is time to celebrate, thank our bodies,
reflect and continue to challenge ourselves as we dream big and work hard for
our goals….and explore amazing parts of this world by swimming, biking and
running on exciting race courses.
Thank you for your support and for following us along - we appreciated all the good luck vibes (no flats - although we both had our share of issues throughout the bike course which I will share in my race reports). We are both incredibly happy with our performances today on this island.
Race reports to come…….
But first, here's the stats from our race today.
RESULTS
Marni Sumbal
6th age group (30-34)
1.2 mile swim: 33:42
T1: 2:12
56 mile bike: 3:05:47 (18.09mph)
T2: 1:25
13.1 mile run: 1:41:28 (7:44 min/mile)
Total time: 5:24:34
25th overall female
14th overall amateur
5th fastest amateur run split
Karel
Sumbal
11th age group (35-39)
1.2 mile swim: 36:48
T1: 1:27
56 mile bike: 2:43 (20.6mph)
T2: 1:15
13.1 mile run: 1:34 (7:11 min/mile)
Total time: 4:56:53
45th overall male
73rd overall
32nd amateur male
11th age group (35-39)
1.2 mile swim: 36:48
T1: 1:27
56 mile bike: 2:43 (20.6mph)
T2: 1:15
13.1 mile run: 1:34 (7:11 min/mile)
Total time: 4:56:53
45th overall male
73rd overall
32nd amateur male
