We left Thursday in the late morning and drove through Knoxville, TN in route to Chattanooga. The drive took us around 5 hours with traffic/construction by Asheville, bathroom and a stop at Chipotle and Trader Joe's just outside of Chatty. We arrived around 4pm and checked into our Airbnb. Karel just purchased a Sea Sucker bike mount for the top of the car and although I was worried our bikes would fly off, they stayed really secure during our drive. The device is super easy to use and really practical for travel (and it only weighs 11 lbs so it would be great to travel with when we rent a car for races).
It's getting a bit harder to travel with Campy because he needs to be with one of us at all times (he can't be left alone in the Airbnb because he gets confused and anxious). He also gets tired more easily which means he can't be on the move for long periods of time. But we love making memories with him. At the age of 14.5 yrs old, I am not sure how many more race-cations we have with him but I treasure every trip he gets to take with us.
Our friends Don and Kathleen joined us for dinner at our place and it was fun catching up. Our best friend Alvi arrived around 8pm at our place. We went to bed shortly after he arrived and had a great night of sleep (until I had to let Campy outside to pee around 4am).
We met most of our athletes at the Dam around 8:30am on Friday. With all the times we have been at Chatty (at least 5), we have never swam at the Dam. It was nice to get in a 30 minute open water swim - although the water was really warm for a wetsuit swim. For many of our athletes, this was their first open water swim of the year so it was good for everyone to get used to their wetsuit and get a feel of the open water again.
We met most of our athletes at the Dam around 8:30am on Friday. With all the times we have been at Chatty (at least 5), we have never swam at the Dam. It was nice to get in a 30 minute open water swim - although the water was really warm for a wetsuit swim. For many of our athletes, this was their first open water swim of the year so it was good for everyone to get used to their wetsuit and get a feel of the open water again.
With over 20 of our team members racing IM 70.3 Chattanooga, it was so great to have such a big group in Chatty. Kathleen "babysat" Campy as we swam (Thank you Kathleen!).
After the swim, we drove back to the Airbnb (located by the National Cemetery) and Karel and Alvi went out for a 90 minute spin on the course. I stayed with Campy and had a meal and worked on the computer until they arrived home around noon. I headed off for my ride around 12:30 and rode on the course from our place and then climbed up the descend from Chickamauga to the top and then turned around. It was nice to spin my legs and to be reminded of the beautiful country scenery that reminds us of where we live/ride in Greenville, SC.
After the ride I quickly made myself a tempeh sandwich and we drove 2.5 miles to downtown to pick up our packets. Most of our athletes arrived at 2:30pm but we didn't get there until 3pm due to my late start of my ride. Luckily, most of our athletes checked-in together so they all had bib numbers close to one another. Because Alvi, Karel and I checked-in together, we had bib numbers next to one another which meant racking our bikes next to each other.
Campy got his finisher picture taken, made a quick stop at Publix and then drove back to our Airbnb.
As with all of our team races, we invited all of our team members over for a pizza party (our treat) from Home Slice Pizza (they have a lot of great options, especially for vegans and vegetarians). We also gave a pre race talk with course tips as well as suggestions for racing the first big race of the year.
Karel stayed busy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as several of our athletes has mechanical issues with their bikes that needed Karel's expertise. On Saturday morning, Alvi and I went out for our pre workout spin - we started at our place and rode toward downtown and then rode the course starting from the transition area to the town of St. Elmo. We then turned around and headed back to our place. It was a nice 45 minute spin to wake up the legs. I followed it up with a quick 8 min run around the block. I pushed the run just a little bit to see how my legs felt and it felt pretty good. I didn't feel like my recent performance at Ironman St. George two weeks ago was still in my legs but then again, I hadn't done anything longer than 3.5 hours over the past two weeks.
My mom and her partner Alan arrived on Friday afternoon and they went for a bike ride on Saturday. Alvi drove his car and Karel and I rode with my mom and Alan. They joined us as we checked in our bikes on Saturday around 1:30pm. We oriented ourselves with the swim in/bike out/bike in/run out and then showed my mom the start of the run course and the best places for spectating. On a piece of paper, I wrote down Karel and my predicted swim/bike/run times (a range of 5-10 minutes) as well as the best places to stand to see us and cheer.
Unfortunately, Alvi's car had an electrical issue when we were about to leave so we waited with Alvi as he tried to find a shop that was open on the weekend. After 30 minutes of waiting, Karel drove me, my mom and Alan back to our Airbnb and Karel went back to get Alvi once the tow truck was on the way (thankfully Alvi's car was fixed on Monday around 11am).
I packed up my gear, prepared my bottles for bike and run and ate frequently throughout the rest of the day. I had french toast and eggs for breakfast, No chicken Noodle Soup (Amy's Organic), a bagel, animal crackers, pretzels, sweet potato, veggie burger, cheese and yogurt.
I watched a cute movie on Netflix (Senior Year) on my Ipad in bed while Karel watched the Giro on his computer. Around 7pm I walked Campy and took him next door to my mom's Airbnb so that she could take care of him through the night and then on race day. Unfortunately, it stormed throughout the night and Campy woke up howling so my mom didn't get the best night of sleep.
RACE DAY
The weather was predicted to have rain and storms on Sunday (race day). I checked the radar and it looked like we would get rain throughout the day but it looked like the storms would hold off until the afternoon. We received word around 4am that it was wetsuit legal (73 degrees) - which I kinda prepared for. I had a yogurt and bagel w/ PB, syrup and banana around 4am and then around 4:30am, I went for a quick jog around the block to get my system going. Surprisingly, I woke up excited to race without any nerves. I also slept really well which was unusual the night before a race. I felt alert and energized.
We left the Airbnb around 5am, parked by the wooden bridge (plenty of street parking) and then walked to the transition area. It drizzled a bit during our drive downtown but then it stopped.
Karel pumped up our tires with his cordless air compressor and then I put my nutrition on my bike and laid out my transition area. Before the swim, I realized I forgot to put out my cooling towel but I figured it would rain so I would be ok. Compared to the Ironman, it felt like I didn't have much stuff in my transition area but then again, I was "only" racing for less than 5 hours (and not almost 11 hours).
We had decided earlier on race week that we would walk to the race start (we encouraged our athletes to do the same) which was a great way to keep the body moving (I get sleepy on race buses) and to remind myself of the run course. It was a quick 25 minute 1.4 mile walk and we ended up arriving right at the front of the swim staging area. We arrived around 6:25am so I was feeling a bit rushed to put on my wetsuit (it was already feeling warm and humid out). After putting on my wetsuit, rubbing lube around my neck/armpits to prevent chaffing and applying Amp Human on my arms/shoulders/legs, I dropped off my morning clothes bag and then found myself being pushed toward the front as the swim volunteer started encouraging everyone to start lining up for the swim. I didn't get a chance to give Karel good luck wishes so I was a bit sad that I wouldn't see him again until the end of the race (or on the race course). I later learned that Karel was still putting on his wetsuit when people starting lining up and that is why he didn't enter the water until 25 minutes after I did (I was near the front).
While waiting in line, I sipped on Skratch in a throw away plastic bottle and poured water down my wetsuit to prevent the neck area from sucking on my chest (and to cool me down). My friend Leah (who I had never met in person before) lined up right behind me so it was nice to chat with her for a few minutes before the start.
1.4 mile swim
Because of the current of the river and the location of the swim start, this race is .2 mile longer than the typical half IM swim. The current wasn't running fast but it was enough to give us a little push down the river. As I made my way on the dock after the 7am Age Group start (professionals went off at 6:50 and 6:55am) I waited a few seconds before going into the water as I wanted to let the swimmers ahead of me get going so I would have some space to jump in and start swimming. Because of the layout of this course, it's not a direct line to the swim exit (point to point). Instead, the buoys are placed more like a curve. Instead of only sighting on the next upcoming buoy, I would sight on the following buoy to ensure that I was taking the most straightforward line possible. I never found it to be cluttered with athletes in the water but I did have to adjust my stroke a few times to swim around slower swimmers. Nearing the end of the swim, the water got really choppy so I adjusted my stroke to ensure I was still catching water. As I made my way around the only turn buoy to the stairs, it became very congested with athletes so it took a few extra seconds for me to get out of the water. Although Karel started way behind me, he had a great swim and felt really good in the water. He feels like his wetsuit has helped him reset his body position and catch and he is now (kinda) enjoying swimming again. As for myself, I love swimming and it's a sport where I feel the safest with my body and mind.
T1
Once I got off the stairs, I ran to the long steep ramp to take us up to the road by the transition area. The ramp was a little slippery so I had my hand close to the railing just in case. I spotted my mom cheering which was a nice surprise. The transition from swim to bike was a long one (there were over 3500 athletes racing!) but eventually I got to my bike. Alvi was finishing his transition as I was starting. I quickly took my wetsuit off, put on my helmet, socks and shoes and ran out of the transition area. I wore calf sleeves and socks for this race so that I could have a quicker transition time. Plus, in a full, compression socks are more comfortable than calf sleeves and socks. Luckily at that time, there weren't many athletes to navigate through as I ran my bike to the mount line. There were athletes mounting right on the mount line so I ran a bit ahead of them and close to the barricades so that I would have space to get on my bike.
56 mile bike
I was really excited for this bike ride. Because I had to be smart and pace myself at Ironman St. George, I was looking forward to the opportunity to push and take some risks on this bike course. My legs didn't feel good running from the swim to the transition area but after a few miles on the bike, my riding legs came around. There was headwind and crosswind on the way out to Andrews ("bottom" part of the course) so I knew this section would require a bit more effort. I was very careful for the first few miles due to the railroad tracks and being mindful of other athletes on the course. Once I crossed into George after St. Elmo, that is where I started to "race" my race. Around this time there were only a few athletes (males) ahead of me and I never saw any groups. I found myself behind one guy (draft legal) and it just felt a bit too easy. I needed to pass him but I wasn't sure when to do it. In the near distance, I saw 3 guys riding and once I committed, I pushed hard, passed the guy in front of me and burned a few matches riding really hard to get to that next group of guys. It was fun playing cat and mouse with some of the guys and this made the miles pass by really quickly. I ended up passing a girl that I know from online Jenna and I said "Are you Jenna?" She responded yes and I told her I was Marni. We ended up riding the rest of the bike close to one another - she was riding really strong. It was just under 26 miles to get to the Andrew's hill and it took me 1:08 (22.4mph). I didn't focus on my power but instead, just went by feel knowing that the way out would require a bit more work than on the way back. The Andrews climb felt good as I got out of the saddle and then I enjoyed the fun descend afterwards. I felt better with steady state efforts in Chatt compared to St. George but I could feel myself riding away from others on the uphills and trying to hang on on the flatter segments. I just love this course as it goes by so fast and it's so much fun. I never saw Karel and I was expecting him to pass me. Karel was really happy with his bike as he didn't have any back pain and he was able to enjoy the ride.
For nutrition, I only used Skratch SuperFuel Raspberry and filled up my hydration system with 1.5 bottles (650 calories worth and 1.2 liters water) and had 1 bottle between my aero bars to refill my hydration system (400 calories and 26 ounces). I ended up consuming everything (~1050 calories and 66 ounces) plus a few sips of water from the aid stations (and used water to cool down my body).
It wasn't too hot out because it was cloudy but it started to feel a bit warm nearing the back half of the ride. I ended up passing Alvi and we rode close to each other for several miles and then he rode away from me. Once I got to the "climb" in Chickamauga, it didn't feel like a climb as I felt myself flying up it. I really enjoyed the descend and pushed the stretch back to St. Elmo. For the next 30 miles, I averaged 23.6 mph and it took me 1:17. I had one of my fastest bike times for a half (just a little bit slower than last year) and I felt really good. After the Andrews climb, my legs really opened up and I felt like I had new fresh legs.
For Karel's nutrition, he had C90 in his hydration system (2 bottles worth = 720 calories and 50 ounces) and between his aero bars, he had a bottle with 2 scoops C30 (240 calories and 26 ounces) for a total of 960 calories and 76 ounces).
Going back into town, I was super careful as I didn't want to make a mistake and crash. I probably eased up a bit too much - oh well. I removed my feet from my shoes and dismounted my bike just before the line.
I packed up my gear, prepared my bottles for bike and run and ate frequently throughout the rest of the day. I had french toast and eggs for breakfast, No chicken Noodle Soup (Amy's Organic), a bagel, animal crackers, pretzels, sweet potato, veggie burger, cheese and yogurt.
I watched a cute movie on Netflix (Senior Year) on my Ipad in bed while Karel watched the Giro on his computer. Around 7pm I walked Campy and took him next door to my mom's Airbnb so that she could take care of him through the night and then on race day. Unfortunately, it stormed throughout the night and Campy woke up howling so my mom didn't get the best night of sleep.
RACE DAY
The weather was predicted to have rain and storms on Sunday (race day). I checked the radar and it looked like we would get rain throughout the day but it looked like the storms would hold off until the afternoon. We received word around 4am that it was wetsuit legal (73 degrees) - which I kinda prepared for. I had a yogurt and bagel w/ PB, syrup and banana around 4am and then around 4:30am, I went for a quick jog around the block to get my system going. Surprisingly, I woke up excited to race without any nerves. I also slept really well which was unusual the night before a race. I felt alert and energized.
We left the Airbnb around 5am, parked by the wooden bridge (plenty of street parking) and then walked to the transition area. It drizzled a bit during our drive downtown but then it stopped.
Karel pumped up our tires with his cordless air compressor and then I put my nutrition on my bike and laid out my transition area. Before the swim, I realized I forgot to put out my cooling towel but I figured it would rain so I would be ok. Compared to the Ironman, it felt like I didn't have much stuff in my transition area but then again, I was "only" racing for less than 5 hours (and not almost 11 hours).
We had decided earlier on race week that we would walk to the race start (we encouraged our athletes to do the same) which was a great way to keep the body moving (I get sleepy on race buses) and to remind myself of the run course. It was a quick 25 minute 1.4 mile walk and we ended up arriving right at the front of the swim staging area. We arrived around 6:25am so I was feeling a bit rushed to put on my wetsuit (it was already feeling warm and humid out). After putting on my wetsuit, rubbing lube around my neck/armpits to prevent chaffing and applying Amp Human on my arms/shoulders/legs, I dropped off my morning clothes bag and then found myself being pushed toward the front as the swim volunteer started encouraging everyone to start lining up for the swim. I didn't get a chance to give Karel good luck wishes so I was a bit sad that I wouldn't see him again until the end of the race (or on the race course). I later learned that Karel was still putting on his wetsuit when people starting lining up and that is why he didn't enter the water until 25 minutes after I did (I was near the front).
While waiting in line, I sipped on Skratch in a throw away plastic bottle and poured water down my wetsuit to prevent the neck area from sucking on my chest (and to cool me down). My friend Leah (who I had never met in person before) lined up right behind me so it was nice to chat with her for a few minutes before the start.
1.4 mile swim
Because of the current of the river and the location of the swim start, this race is .2 mile longer than the typical half IM swim. The current wasn't running fast but it was enough to give us a little push down the river. As I made my way on the dock after the 7am Age Group start (professionals went off at 6:50 and 6:55am) I waited a few seconds before going into the water as I wanted to let the swimmers ahead of me get going so I would have some space to jump in and start swimming. Because of the layout of this course, it's not a direct line to the swim exit (point to point). Instead, the buoys are placed more like a curve. Instead of only sighting on the next upcoming buoy, I would sight on the following buoy to ensure that I was taking the most straightforward line possible. I never found it to be cluttered with athletes in the water but I did have to adjust my stroke a few times to swim around slower swimmers. Nearing the end of the swim, the water got really choppy so I adjusted my stroke to ensure I was still catching water. As I made my way around the only turn buoy to the stairs, it became very congested with athletes so it took a few extra seconds for me to get out of the water. Although Karel started way behind me, he had a great swim and felt really good in the water. He feels like his wetsuit has helped him reset his body position and catch and he is now (kinda) enjoying swimming again. As for myself, I love swimming and it's a sport where I feel the safest with my body and mind.
Once I got off the stairs, I ran to the long steep ramp to take us up to the road by the transition area. The ramp was a little slippery so I had my hand close to the railing just in case. I spotted my mom cheering which was a nice surprise. The transition from swim to bike was a long one (there were over 3500 athletes racing!) but eventually I got to my bike. Alvi was finishing his transition as I was starting. I quickly took my wetsuit off, put on my helmet, socks and shoes and ran out of the transition area. I wore calf sleeves and socks for this race so that I could have a quicker transition time. Plus, in a full, compression socks are more comfortable than calf sleeves and socks. Luckily at that time, there weren't many athletes to navigate through as I ran my bike to the mount line. There were athletes mounting right on the mount line so I ran a bit ahead of them and close to the barricades so that I would have space to get on my bike.
I was really excited for this bike ride. Because I had to be smart and pace myself at Ironman St. George, I was looking forward to the opportunity to push and take some risks on this bike course. My legs didn't feel good running from the swim to the transition area but after a few miles on the bike, my riding legs came around. There was headwind and crosswind on the way out to Andrews ("bottom" part of the course) so I knew this section would require a bit more effort. I was very careful for the first few miles due to the railroad tracks and being mindful of other athletes on the course. Once I crossed into George after St. Elmo, that is where I started to "race" my race. Around this time there were only a few athletes (males) ahead of me and I never saw any groups. I found myself behind one guy (draft legal) and it just felt a bit too easy. I needed to pass him but I wasn't sure when to do it. In the near distance, I saw 3 guys riding and once I committed, I pushed hard, passed the guy in front of me and burned a few matches riding really hard to get to that next group of guys. It was fun playing cat and mouse with some of the guys and this made the miles pass by really quickly. I ended up passing a girl that I know from online Jenna and I said "Are you Jenna?" She responded yes and I told her I was Marni. We ended up riding the rest of the bike close to one another - she was riding really strong. It was just under 26 miles to get to the Andrew's hill and it took me 1:08 (22.4mph). I didn't focus on my power but instead, just went by feel knowing that the way out would require a bit more work than on the way back. The Andrews climb felt good as I got out of the saddle and then I enjoyed the fun descend afterwards. I felt better with steady state efforts in Chatt compared to St. George but I could feel myself riding away from others on the uphills and trying to hang on on the flatter segments. I just love this course as it goes by so fast and it's so much fun. I never saw Karel and I was expecting him to pass me. Karel was really happy with his bike as he didn't have any back pain and he was able to enjoy the ride.
For nutrition, I only used Skratch SuperFuel Raspberry and filled up my hydration system with 1.5 bottles (650 calories worth and 1.2 liters water) and had 1 bottle between my aero bars to refill my hydration system (400 calories and 26 ounces). I ended up consuming everything (~1050 calories and 66 ounces) plus a few sips of water from the aid stations (and used water to cool down my body).
It wasn't too hot out because it was cloudy but it started to feel a bit warm nearing the back half of the ride. I ended up passing Alvi and we rode close to each other for several miles and then he rode away from me. Once I got to the "climb" in Chickamauga, it didn't feel like a climb as I felt myself flying up it. I really enjoyed the descend and pushed the stretch back to St. Elmo. For the next 30 miles, I averaged 23.6 mph and it took me 1:17. I had one of my fastest bike times for a half (just a little bit slower than last year) and I felt really good. After the Andrews climb, my legs really opened up and I felt like I had new fresh legs.
For Karel's nutrition, he had C90 in his hydration system (2 bottles worth = 720 calories and 50 ounces) and between his aero bars, he had a bottle with 2 scoops C30 (240 calories and 26 ounces) for a total of 960 calories and 76 ounces).
Going back into town, I was super careful as I didn't want to make a mistake and crash. I probably eased up a bit too much - oh well. I removed my feet from my shoes and dismounted my bike just before the line.
It felt nice to feel my feet on the ground. I ran my bike to my rack and quickly put on my running shoes and hydration belt. I put my flasks in my belt and ran off with my hat and visor. I decided to wear my watch under my wetsuit on my wrist so that I had it on for the entire race and I didn't have to fumble with it during the run. I knew I needed to have quick transitions at this race as every second/minute counted with the tough competition.
13.1 mile run
I found my running legs pretty quickly after the bike. I've always ran well in Chattanooga so I reminded myself of that when I started the run. I was the 2nd amateur on the run course (Jenna was just ahead of me) but I saw my friend Meg Fillnow entering the transition area as I started running so I knew it was only a matter of time before I would begin to get passed by the faster runners. I try to use my strengths (swim/bike) to the best of my abilities and just trust myself to do a good job of not slowing down on the run. As I made my way up the hill, I spotted my mom and Campy. I also had a cheer from someone who said that they said hi to Campy and that made me smile. I love this spectator friendly course as well as how the course is broken down - there are so many little segments to check off. The miles went by really fast and I felt really good. Anytime my watch beeped at the mile, I looked down and I was so surprised (in a good way) with how fast I was running. I questioned if I would be able to keep up the pace but then pushed that thought to the side and just focused on one mile at a time. I was passed by a few girls on the run but I was happy with how I was feeling and how I was running. I was just running my own race. Before the second loop, I saw my mom on the wooden bridge with Campy and that made me happy. I still hadn't seen Karel so part of me was worried that something happened but I figured my mom would have told me if anything happened to Karel. The second loop got a bit more crowded with athletes starting their first loop so the aid stations got a bit more crowded. I was using water to cool myself and grabbing ice at every aid station to pour down my sports bra and then I'd grab the ice and hold in my hands. I never felt hot during the run and I didn't need any walk/reset breaks. I was shocked how good I felt running!
I caught up to Alvi and we ran together for a little bit up the hill and then I was passed by my friend Jackie (the overall female professional winner) on the bridge. I gave her a cheer. I spotted Karel twice on the course and then he finally passed me on the bridge with less than a few miles to go. I started to get a bit tired around mile 11 and Karel told me to dig deep and stay committed. Even though I was passed by several girls, everyone was super supportive. We were all cheering each other on and telling one another how strong each other looked. The vibe was really encouraging and I know that brought out the best in one another. I'm pretty sure I was smiling the entire run - I was having a lot of fun and the miles went by so quickly.
The wooden bridge was hard the 2nd time around and my legs were starting to feel really tired but I was still running happy.
Karel's nutrition was 1 flask of C30 and then he had a packet of Green Match Skratch that he used to refill his flask in the 2nd half of the run. He used water from the aid stations and had a few sips of coke.
For my nutrition, I had 2 flasks, each with 1 scoop C30. I finished both throughout the run and used water at the aid stations.
I looked at my watch when I made my way to the finish line before starting the run down the hill and I knew it would be close to break 1:40. I pushed as hard as I could be ended up 2 seconds short. I was getting updates from our friend Thomas about my placement so last I heard I was in 2nd place and I ended up 2nd in my age group and 5th overall female amateur. Karel started the run 7 minutes down from first place in his age group and thanks to Thomas giving Karel some updates, Karel ended up running him down to win the 45-49 age group with one of his fastest half ironman run times in several years.
It was great to see Karel there and I was joined by my mom, Alan and Campy at the finish line. We waited for the rest of our athletes to finish and we enjoyed hearing about their day.
We rode our bikes back to our Airbnb to spin out the stiffness from the race and then rode back to the awards around 4pm. We weren't too sore after the race but felt the soreness the next morning (it was a rough night of sleep). Although we got our awards, the ceremony was cancelled just after the 45-49 age group due to an approaching storm. We rushed back to our car and headed back to our Airbnb. We enjoyed burgers and fries (veggie burger for me) from Slicks with Kathleen and Don and our friends Ashley and Zach (who we hadn't seen in a few months).
Karel and I had so much fun racing and we are thankful that our bodies were able to stay healthy and strong during this race, just two weeks after Ironman St. George. And we are excited to do it all again next weekend in Blue Ridge for the 70.3!
I found my running legs pretty quickly after the bike. I've always ran well in Chattanooga so I reminded myself of that when I started the run. I was the 2nd amateur on the run course (Jenna was just ahead of me) but I saw my friend Meg Fillnow entering the transition area as I started running so I knew it was only a matter of time before I would begin to get passed by the faster runners. I try to use my strengths (swim/bike) to the best of my abilities and just trust myself to do a good job of not slowing down on the run. As I made my way up the hill, I spotted my mom and Campy. I also had a cheer from someone who said that they said hi to Campy and that made me smile. I love this spectator friendly course as well as how the course is broken down - there are so many little segments to check off. The miles went by really fast and I felt really good. Anytime my watch beeped at the mile, I looked down and I was so surprised (in a good way) with how fast I was running. I questioned if I would be able to keep up the pace but then pushed that thought to the side and just focused on one mile at a time. I was passed by a few girls on the run but I was happy with how I was feeling and how I was running. I was just running my own race. Before the second loop, I saw my mom on the wooden bridge with Campy and that made me happy. I still hadn't seen Karel so part of me was worried that something happened but I figured my mom would have told me if anything happened to Karel. The second loop got a bit more crowded with athletes starting their first loop so the aid stations got a bit more crowded. I was using water to cool myself and grabbing ice at every aid station to pour down my sports bra and then I'd grab the ice and hold in my hands. I never felt hot during the run and I didn't need any walk/reset breaks. I was shocked how good I felt running!
The wooden bridge was hard the 2nd time around and my legs were starting to feel really tired but I was still running happy.
For my nutrition, I had 2 flasks, each with 1 scoop C30. I finished both throughout the run and used water at the aid stations.
I looked at my watch when I made my way to the finish line before starting the run down the hill and I knew it would be close to break 1:40. I pushed as hard as I could be ended up 2 seconds short. I was getting updates from our friend Thomas about my placement so last I heard I was in 2nd place and I ended up 2nd in my age group and 5th overall female amateur. Karel started the run 7 minutes down from first place in his age group and thanks to Thomas giving Karel some updates, Karel ended up running him down to win the 45-49 age group with one of his fastest half ironman run times in several years.
Karel and I had so much fun racing and we are thankful that our bodies were able to stay healthy and strong during this race, just two weeks after Ironman St. George. And we are excited to do it all again next weekend in Blue Ridge for the 70.3!
Marni - 4:41.48, 2nd AG (40-44), 5th female amateur
Swim: 27:55 (2nd AG)
T1: 3:38
Bike: 2:27.51 (2nd AG)
T2:2:24
Run: 1:40 (5th AG)
Karel - 4:23.55, 1st AG (45-49)
Swim: 28:00 (5th AG)
T1: 3:36
Bike: 2:24.28 (7th AG)
T2: 2:55
Run: 1:24.59 (1st AG)
Racing is a lot like a project - a bunch of tiny projects that you are familiar with but requires an open mind and no assumptions. And each tiny project within the project requires a tool. The more experience you gain in training and on race day, the more tools you collect to use for the race day project. Sometimes you will pick the wrong tool and sometimes you don't have the tool you want and you will need to improvise. Many times you have to change tools quickly. But that's racing - constantly figuring out what is the best tool for the job. Continue to add 'tools' to your race day bag. There's never a bad race, only lessons learned and tools collected. Swim: 27:55 (2nd AG)
T1: 3:38
Bike: 2:27.51 (2nd AG)
T2:2:24
Run: 1:40 (5th AG)
Karel - 4:23.55, 1st AG (45-49)
Swim: 28:00 (5th AG)
T1: 3:36
Bike: 2:24.28 (7th AG)
T2: 2:55
Run: 1:24.59 (1st AG)