Marni: 31.57
Karel: 32.48
After entering the warm water of Lake Eva, I slowly settled into my swim stroke. Still a bit shaken from the morning fainting incident, I swam with caution and gratitude. Despite not having any outcome goals for this race, I always enjoy building my swim and finishing strong. Although we had to line up according to "self predicted" swim times, I found myself passing a lot of people throughout the first segment of the "M" shaped swim course. I'd consider this course an easy swim but a technical one. The water is fairly calm and murky, but the course layout makes for a lot of turns and need to carefully navigate as you make your way to the inside of the course. We passed through a timing arch in the middle of the swim which was a new experience for me, but neat to see us passing under what felt like an inflatable bridge. Ironman did something similar for IM Florida in 2019 when the race was moved from Panama City Beach to Haines City due to Hurricanes (Karel did that race two weeks after IM Kona).
I felt steady and strong but only had one gear for the day. I didn't feel as if I could pick up my effort in the back half of the swim so instead I just settled into a rhythm that felt good in the moment. My two recent gravel bike crashes also made it difficult to swim train properly for about 3 weeks. Again, I was just super grateful to be swimming in a triathlon race. When I exited the water, I was really looking forward to being on my bike. Although I haven't ridden my tri bike very much this year, I felt like I was going into this race with good cycling fitness.
T1
Marni: 5:25
Karel: 3:59
The transition was looooong. Whereas normally we would exit the water and just run right into the transition area, we had almost 0.35 miles of barefoot running on the rough road. As I was nearing my transition rack, I took off my cap and goggles, then removed my swim skin and sat down. I opted to wear full compression socks for this race to give me some extra support on the run (hoping it would help with recovery) and to reduce the risk for blisters. With Chattanooga 70.3 approaching in 4 weeks, I didn't want this race to affect upcoming training - and blisters are no fun! I've gotten pretty quick at removing my chip and putting it back on after I put on my socks. Once I put on my socks and cycling shoes, on went the aero helmet. Although I started the swim a little ahead of Karel, I saw him running into the transition area, followed by Joe and Yannick. Karel exited the transition area in front of me so it was the last time I would see Karel until the finish line. I did have a videographer right by me in transition area (along with Andrew Messick, Ironman CEO) as he commented on my custom painted Ventum (bike sponsor of Ironman). This took me a bit off my game as I had a big video camera on me as I was trying to clip into my pedals. ;) Oh the pressure!
56 mile bike
Marni: 2:30.49
Karel: 2:22.38
With a new transition layout, we mounted our bikes on a slight incline just outside of where the Tennis Courts are located in Lake Eva Park (not on the hill on the far side of the park). Once I clipped in, I made my way up the next few hills and through the neighborhood streets before getting out on the loop part of the course. I fumbled with my helmet visor as I tried to get it to magnet on to my helmet. I was getting so frustrated as it felt like minutes were passing until it finally snapped in. I keep the visor on the helmet before taking it down and moving it to cover my eyes as this helps the visor from getting foggy in the transition area. Once I made my way past the school, my legs felt a little tired. It took a bit to remember all the feelings that are felt on race day and how your body can play tricks on you. At first I thought my legs were super tired but I just eased myself into my race rhythm. Before I knew it, I found myself passing several athletes in the first few miles, and made sure to say hello and good job to every female that I passed. It just felt so great to be out racing.
Having completed this race several times in the past, being familiar with the race course helped a lot. I knew where the windy sections were, the hills and the bumpy road at the end. Knowing what to expect gave me a bit of extra confidence on the bike. I didn't ride according to any metrics but just focused on racing a smart bike leg of the race. While I passed a lot of guys, I also had a few try to sit on my wheel. While the drafting wasn't bad like it was in the past, several athletes were not doing a good job of making legal passes or dropping back after a pass was made. I tried not to let it bother me as I didn't want to waste any of my energy on someone else. It was fun to see some familiar faces out on the bike course. For the entire bike, everything felt normal. No pandemic. Just racing. It was a beautiful feeling.
Karel had a really good bike. He recently made some changes in his bike position on his Ventum tri bike and he has felt little back discomfort like he has in the past. Karel has some disc and nerve issues (as revealed on a recent MRI) which often cause him pain on the bike and while sitting (oddly enough, not while running). He recently has had trouble sleeping because of tingling issues with his leg (nerve related). But he was really happy with how he felt on the bike and considering that he has not been seriously training on the tri bike this year, he was relieved to have put together a suitable bike for his current fitness and situation. He told me before the race that if his back was hurting him, he was likely going to put a pause on triathlon racing as the pain wasn't worth it. Thankfully - he's still a triathlete :)
I felt strong throughout the entire bike and never had a low moment. I tried to be strategic with when I passed someone, how I rode the hills, being as aero as possible in the windy sections and downhill (free speed) and keeping up with fuel and hydration (all liquid nutrition. I did bring a package of chews just in case I felt off but I didn't need them).
As I was getting closer to the transition area, I checked in on my metrics and I was inching close to 2:30. I really wanted to break 2:30 but the neighborhood section at the end kinda slowed me down. Hopefully one of these days I can break 2:30 on the bike.
T2
Marni: 4:24
Karel: 3:57
After performing a flying dismount (shoes still clipped into the pedals), I made my way into the loooong transition area. My shoes kept hitting the ground and it felt like forever until I finally made my way to my bike rack. I quickly changed into my run gear (shoes, visor, sunglasses, cooling towel, hydration band w/ bib number and flasks) and I was on my way out of the transition area. Although I had a lot to cover to enter the transition area, my rack (as well as Karel's rack) was near the exit of bike out and run out.
13.1 mile Run
Marni: 1:50.13
Karel: 1:25.22
The new layout of the transition area also changed the start of the run course. It was fun to twist and turn on a walking path before making our way back out on the actual run course. This year was 2 loops (instead of three) with a few new segments on the course. When I started the run, I felt ok - not great. I just eased myself into a good rhythm and took it easy on the first few hills. I did not feel fast and my energy just felt a bit low. I gave myself time as the first 15-20 min of a run off the bike rarely feel good. Once I got to the back part of the loop, I started to feel much more hot. Although my breathing wasn't heavy or labored, it just felt like I couldn't get myself to feel cool. I was happy to see so many amazing volunteers on the course as they were all super helpful and enthusiastic. I looked forward to water and ice at every aid station (and then eventually some coke for a pick-me-up). I was hoping to see Karel but I never saw him.
Although I could have been disappointed in seeing "slow" running paces, I had to be honest with myself that I didn't do any specific run training that should make me run faster. Plus, with how the morning started off, I was just happy I was on the race course and not on the sidelines. As I made my way to the last few miles of the first loop, I took a walk break just to reset. I was still really warm and just negotiated with myself to keep my form good and to run steady. Nearing the end of the first loop, I started to see a few of my athletes which made me super happy.
I'll be honest. I did have those "normal" thoughts of quitting, asking myself why in the heck I do this crazy sport and if all this suffering was worth it. There was a lot of negative voices in my head but I kept moving myself forward - with or without those thoughts, I knew I was going to get myself to the finish line and finish what I started. Nearing the last aid station on the first loop (at the top of a short hill), I needed to go to the bathroom. When I took off my one piece tri kit and finished, I felt a bit cooler without the kit on my upper body. The tri kit is amazing but for some reason I just felt hot on the day. I decided to keep the top part of the kit down for the 2nd part of the run and I think it helped a lot. I felt like a new person - tired but somewhat new :)
Although I was not able to run any faster, I felt like I was getting my energy back. It wasn't until mile 10 that I felt like I was just easing into my race day effort and I could keep going. Again, I didn't train to run fast for this race but I guess my running resilience is in a good place.
Karel did his usual thing on the run and ran down the competition. It wasn't until the last mile that Karel was within 9 seconds of first place. Karel "virtually" made the pass and never knew that his race was so exciting for those who were tracking. Karel was happy with his run considering the lack of run specificity in his training. He was just happy that he could put together a solid bike/run combo and not just struggle through the bike.
As I made my way to the finish line, I was so happy to cross another half Ironman distance finishing line. Karel waited for me in the finisher area and then we met up with coach Joe and our friend Steven. Soon after, more Trimarnis started rolling in and it was fun to give some cheers to our athletes. Because of the COVID protocols, it was difficult to head back out on the course to cheer for our athletes so we stayed in the athlete area until more Trimarnis crossed the finish line. Because I didn't dig deep during the race and included a lot of walk breaks at the aid stations on the run (plus a bathroom stop), I didn't have that deep fatigue feeling in my legs - surely I was tired and exhausted but I didn't feel broken.
After we cleaned up at the house and had some food, we packed up our car and headed back to the race course to get our awards. There was no formal award ceremony but we were able to pick up our awards after 4pm. At this time, they also had registration for those who qualified for the IM 70.3 World Championship in St. George in September. Karel took his slot but I declined my spot. I am looking forward to cheering on Karel and our athletes without the pressure of having to train for a World Championship in the fall. I am really looking forward to my upcoming races - Chatt 70.3, Virginia 70.3 and Ironman Lake Placid. Karel is doing Chatt and Virginia and IM CDA.
Although my race had it's struggles and obstacles, I am not disappointed. If anything, this race sparked the light for training and racing - something that had been missing in my life for the past year. Karel also felt the same. We both wanted to finish this race with excitement for our upcoming training and I feel we both achieved that outcome after crossing the finish line at Ironman 70.3 Florida.
We can't wait to do it all again in 3 weeks!
And congrats to the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition TriClub for placing 3rd overall at IM 70.3 Florida!!
