XTRI ICON Livigno, Italy - Day 2 and 3

 

8/29
We woke up around 6:45am to somewhat clear skies. We could see the snow on the mountains. It was cold out (upper 30's) but no rain. We were hungry for breakfast around 8am and ordered some eggs along with our "continental" food options. We then layered up for our bike ride. We had been following the Haute Route online (they just finished up the 7-day stage in the Alps which we did last year and heading to the 5-stage Dolomites next). They shorted stage 1 from Bormio to the iconic Stelvio pass due to wet and snowy conditions. Karel was planning to ride up and over Stelvio but he modified his route (but still went to the top of the Stelvio). I rode with Karel to around Tornante (~1 hour, which was mostly climbing). We were in good company as there were some UAE cyclists just ahead of us and a lot of other cyclists. Even with the cold conditions, there were so many people out riding, hiking and walking. I felt really good climbing and was reminded of all the climbing we did in the Haute Routes. I feel that event prepared me really well for what to expect for XTRI ICON (123 miles, 14,000+ feet of climbing). I got a bit cold after stopping with Karel to look at the map before he left to continue on his ride and my hands were really cold. The good thing about this ride was getting an idea of what to wear after the cold swim that starts at 5am on race day (September 1st). 

I had lunch by myself around 1:40pm (it was delicious) and had Karel's lunch sent to the room for his return. 

I got some work done throughout the afternoon. Karel didn't return from his bike ride almost 5pm. His 74 mile route to the top of the Stelvio and back to Livigno had 11,500 feet of elevation gain. It took him almost 7 hours to complete. It took him almost 2 hours to climb 42 switchbacks (5350 feet) over 12 miles. The crazy part is that it took him 30 minutes to descend! I will be climbing Stelvio from the other side (48 switchbacks) near the end of the ICON XTRI and then descending down the 42 switchbacks to Bormio. 

Because of the snow on top of Stelvio, the roads were wet so as he was descending, the water was spraying on him, leaving him wet and cold. And the Foscagno Pass took him 90 minutes to climb 12.8 miles. Karel returned to our hotel exhausted and cold. He ate his cold lunch and then we went to the hotel spa (it's free for guests) to warm up. We sat in the warm pool with jets (not a hot tub). We also sat in the salt room, hay room and sauna. It was really relaxing. 

Nearing 7pm, it was time for dinner in the hotel. We were both really tired but struggled to get a restful night of sleep. My mind was thinking about tomorrow morning - my first opportunity to experience the dark cold water of Livigno. 

8/30

We woke up to my alarm at 4:45am. The ICON XTRI event offers a familiarization swim at 5:30am (race start is 5am) to experience the water conditions. I didn't know the water temp so I told myself to expect 50 degrees (which is super cold and I have never swam in anything less than 58 degrees) and anything warmer would be a bonus. This race is all about mental tricks and keeping my brain and body calm. We put on our wetsuits in our hotel room as the air temp was 33 degrees. Since I will be putting on dry clothes after the swim on race day, I wore a ROKA swimsuit and my ROKA sleeveless swimskin under my wetsuit (to barriers to keep my core warm). As we were leaving the hotel around 5:10am, we realized that the reception office was closed. Our car key was behind the front desk. Instead of driving, we went with plan B - bike. It was kinda weird, kinda fun to bike in our wetsuits and winter clothing but it was a nice way to get the blood flowing. 

We arrived to the swim start at Lake Livigno (across from the Aquagranda) just before 5:30am and there were probably around 30 athletes at the swim (out of the 150 registrants). I put on a thermal cap, booties and gloves (I've only worn booties before) and clear ROKA goggles and made my way to the water. Karel got in first (he only had booties and a thermal cap) and he said the water was cold. I got in very slowly to get my breathing under control before I started swimming. Although it was cold on my face, all my thermal gear worked great. While I was still getting water in my wetsuit, in my feet and in my hands, I wasn't cold. As I started swimming, the water felt less cold and more comfortable. It was still chilly but not extreme. It was strange swimming with so much gear on my extremities. I stopped several times as it was so dark and I was focusing on the boat with a light on it but I also didn't want to run into other athletes. The dark water didn't bother me, if anything I kinda liked it. 

I swam ~750 yards (to the boat and back). It was really good to have this experience to test out my gear and to check off this big uncertainty going into this race. I asked another athlete of the water temp and he told me 12.5 celcius. After we changed in the tent and rode back to our hotel (our fingers were freezing even with gloves) around 6:30am, I converted the temperature from celcius to Fahrenheit and it was 53 degrees!! The coldest water that I've ever swam in. I texted one of my friends (who is an experienced OWS) and she told me that I am now part of the <100 swim club - when you swim in conditions where the water + air temperature adds up to <100. Who knew there was such a thing! 

It took a while for us to warm up in our hotel room. Around 8:30am we went to get some breakfast in the hotel. After we ate, I was so exhausted. The swim really wore me out! I struggled for the next two hours and after getting some work done, I found the energy to get outside for a 38 minute run on some of the run course (paved sections) around 10:30am. Suprisingly, I still don't feel the altitude and when I exercise, I feel really good. It's when I am sitting/laying down that I get super tired. 

Karel left for a run while I was working on the computer. He decided to check out some of my run course (since he will be running all of it with me as my support crew). He ran up to T2 and then back to our hotel. It was an 18 mile, 2:33 run w/ 1800 feet elevation. He took some pictures from his run and it looks beautiful. Here are some pics from the run course that we each took. 

The lake (swim venue) during the day. 

We ate lunch at the hotel around 1pm and shortly, after we went to check in for the race. The race headquarters is a quick 350 meter walk from our hotel. 

The requirements for this race are pretty strict. You are required to show your triathlon license (USAT).  Thermal booties and swim cap are required for the swim. A change of clothes must be in the support car for the bike (if needed). The athlete and the support person must check in a bag that must be worn from T3 until the finish (last 12K) that includes a hat, gloves, long sleeve shirt, waterproof jacket w/ hood, running pants and a headlap. Because of the difficulty of this event (the bike alone will take me over 9 hours), most athletes won't be starting the 26 mile run (4000 feet elevation gain) until late afternoon. Because the last few miles of the run take us up to 9000 feet (3000 mile climb), weather can be unpredictable. 

After I picked up all my stuff, we went back to the room and I started to organize all of my gear. Unlike Canadaman which was rainy and warm, this race will be cold to start but because of all the elevation gain and loss throughout the day, the weather is up and down all day which requires a lot of different clothing options. I use the Epic Weather app to help me plan my gear. 

I'm hoping for a good night of sleep tonight as I know I won't sleep well on Thursday with the race starting at 5am on Friday.