123
mile bike - 9:24:59 (9:12.12 riding time)
15276 feet elevation gain, 5 mountain passes
15276 feet elevation gain, 5 mountain passes
Forcola Pass (10.2 miles, 1634 feet, 52 minutes)
It didn’t take long for me to warm up as once I
got out of the town of Livigno, I started to climb the first mountain pass. The
grade was gentle but it was a noticeable climb for 10 miles. My legs were tired
and I didn’t feel like my normal self so I just focused on trying to find a
good rhythm. The grade averaged around 3-5% which is one of my favorite climbing
grades so that helped as nothing was steep. The support cars are not allowed to
pace the athletes so Karel and I had a strategy that he would drive up next to
me, I would tell him what I needed/wanted and then he would find a good place
to stop to give me what I needed. Support crews also can not give aid while
moving in the car, the car has to be stopped. Anytime I needed a drink or food,
Karel would give it to me on an uphill (because it’s easier for him to run next
to me and hand me items). If I needed to pee or change clothes, he would find a
good place for me to stop next to the car. I have a lot of experience riding in
cold conditions because I ride outside year round in Greenville. Even though the
temp was in the mid 30’s for this first climb, I felt comfortable with my
clothing options. Karel and I discussed that I can not go into this race with
placement goals as I needed to stay focused on the process but it was a bit
discouraging to know I was the last female on the course and nearly the last
athlete starting the bike. Although my legs didn’t feel great, I found myself
passing athletes on the first climb, which gave me an encouraging boost. Although getting hypothermia was not ideal, I do think that taking that extra time in the transition to warm up after the swim helped me on the bike so that I didn't overbike. I later heard that several athletes biked really hard to start in order to try to warmup after the swim.
I
studied the bike course map in detail the day before the race. I looked at
strava files from previous competitors and I also wrote down on paper how long
each climb and descend was to get even more familiar with the course. Along
with having the Epic Ride Weather app, I felt very prepared with my clothing
choices, nutrition and pacing. This course really suited me as it was either
climbing or descending. You either go up or down with very little flat.
After a quick 2.5 mile descend into Switzerland, it was time to climb the Bernina Pass.
After a quick 2.5 mile descend into Switzerland, it was time to climb the Bernina Pass.
Bernina
Pass (2 miles, 826 feet, 18 minutes 32 seconds)
Although this climb was a little steeper than the previous pass (and much shorter), I felt so much better. My legs were awake, and I felt like I had more energy in my body. My goal was to drink 1 x 26 ounce bottle of 320 calories INFINIT fructose every 75 minutes (with the cold weather, my fluid needs were different than in warm weather) and to try to get in some type of solid food, gel or chew every 30-45 minutes for extra calories. I had practiced a lot in long rides/events with a variety of sport nutrition options and the Never Second gels, Clif bar Crunchy Peanut Butter, Maurten bar and Never Second bar and Power Bar chews were my favorite in terms of texture, consistency, taste and effectiveness (good digestion). Karel wanted me to try the KetoneAid KE4 Pro Ketone Ester Drink throughout the race (he felt like it really worked for him in Breck Epic) so that was the only new thing I tried/used in ICON. I also took 3-4 Gu Aminos every now and then (Karel would hand them to me and I would wash down with my drink).
After this second climb, it was time to make the long descend by St. Moritz and into Zernez. Participating in the 2022 Haute Route Alps gave me a lot of experience regarding riding through small towns, managing the cars (and other cyclists) on the road and understanding the nature of the climbs and descends in Alps/dolomites. Although there are cars on these narrow roads and technical descends, the riding in Europe is very different than in the US in that cars expect cyclists and the cars work together to keep the cyclists safe. It was a beautiful and fun 29 mile, 1hr and 9 minute gradual descend (averaging 25.4 mph). I was really happy to have the aerobars on my road bike to change the position and to be able to be more aero while descending almost 2900 feet. I passed several more athletes, including a few females. The other support cars were really supportive and after a few hours, I began to notice similar support crew vehicles (and athletes). At 2:09 into the ride, I stopped to pee and to change my gloves. It was 45 degrees when I stopped and I wasn’t overheating so I kept my layers on. I love riding with my buff in cold weather as it really helps me stay warm during descends. I had a sip of the disgusting ketons during my stop (and nearly gagged, blah!) and had a bite of banana. Karel was very organized with the stops and always had a selection of clothing and nutrition for me to choose from and he always had extra bottles of nutrition and water ready for me.
Although this climb was a little steeper than the previous pass (and much shorter), I felt so much better. My legs were awake, and I felt like I had more energy in my body. My goal was to drink 1 x 26 ounce bottle of 320 calories INFINIT fructose every 75 minutes (with the cold weather, my fluid needs were different than in warm weather) and to try to get in some type of solid food, gel or chew every 30-45 minutes for extra calories. I had practiced a lot in long rides/events with a variety of sport nutrition options and the Never Second gels, Clif bar Crunchy Peanut Butter, Maurten bar and Never Second bar and Power Bar chews were my favorite in terms of texture, consistency, taste and effectiveness (good digestion). Karel wanted me to try the KetoneAid KE4 Pro Ketone Ester Drink throughout the race (he felt like it really worked for him in Breck Epic) so that was the only new thing I tried/used in ICON. I also took 3-4 Gu Aminos every now and then (Karel would hand them to me and I would wash down with my drink).
After this second climb, it was time to make the long descend by St. Moritz and into Zernez. Participating in the 2022 Haute Route Alps gave me a lot of experience regarding riding through small towns, managing the cars (and other cyclists) on the road and understanding the nature of the climbs and descends in Alps/dolomites. Although there are cars on these narrow roads and technical descends, the riding in Europe is very different than in the US in that cars expect cyclists and the cars work together to keep the cyclists safe. It was a beautiful and fun 29 mile, 1hr and 9 minute gradual descend (averaging 25.4 mph). I was really happy to have the aerobars on my road bike to change the position and to be able to be more aero while descending almost 2900 feet. I passed several more athletes, including a few females. The other support cars were really supportive and after a few hours, I began to notice similar support crew vehicles (and athletes). At 2:09 into the ride, I stopped to pee and to change my gloves. It was 45 degrees when I stopped and I wasn’t overheating so I kept my layers on. I love riding with my buff in cold weather as it really helps me stay warm during descends. I had a sip of the disgusting ketons during my stop (and nearly gagged, blah!) and had a bite of banana. Karel was very organized with the stops and always had a selection of clothing and nutrition for me to choose from and he always had extra bottles of nutrition and water ready for me.
Fuorn
Pass (13 miles, 1696 feet, 1hr 11 minutes)
I felt like my energy level was stable. I was feeling stronger as the ride went on. The sun was shining and I felt warm. I continued to pass athletes on the climbs. There were many times when I was riding by myself without any cars/athletes in sight but the course was really well marked with signs. Although I had the course on my Garmin, it doesn’t really work internationally with turns but it does show the climbs that you are on and I really like seeing how much longer I have with each climb. I never focused on my speed or power or total time but just focused on each climb and trying to manage my effort for steady riding. I continued to focus on my fueling and drinking on the climbs but even more so on the descends when it was easier to take in solid food. We had to obey all rules of the road which meant stopping at any lights. We were notified about a construction area (which there were several along the route) that had a light for one way traffic. There was also a short section of gravel. This stop felt like forever but it was only a few minutes. I used that time to take a few bites of a bar.
The weather was getting nicer and it was in the 50s. I had been riding for almost 4 hours and I was feeling great. I felt like the miles were going by really quickly thanks to all the descending. Now it was time for another 61 minute, 22.6 mile gradual 4159 feet descend to the lowest elevation on the course at around 3000 feet. There was a lot of traffic in the small town before the Stelvio pass. Large buses were going through the tiny streets and villages so I had to do a lot of slowing down. I ended up riding on the sidewalk for a block becauses of all the stopped cars. There were volunteers at the major intersections to tell us which way to go but other than that, we had to follow all rules of the road.
I felt like my energy level was stable. I was feeling stronger as the ride went on. The sun was shining and I felt warm. I continued to pass athletes on the climbs. There were many times when I was riding by myself without any cars/athletes in sight but the course was really well marked with signs. Although I had the course on my Garmin, it doesn’t really work internationally with turns but it does show the climbs that you are on and I really like seeing how much longer I have with each climb. I never focused on my speed or power or total time but just focused on each climb and trying to manage my effort for steady riding. I continued to focus on my fueling and drinking on the climbs but even more so on the descends when it was easier to take in solid food. We had to obey all rules of the road which meant stopping at any lights. We were notified about a construction area (which there were several along the route) that had a light for one way traffic. There was also a short section of gravel. This stop felt like forever but it was only a few minutes. I used that time to take a few bites of a bar.
The weather was getting nicer and it was in the 50s. I had been riding for almost 4 hours and I was feeling great. I felt like the miles were going by really quickly thanks to all the descending. Now it was time for another 61 minute, 22.6 mile gradual 4159 feet descend to the lowest elevation on the course at around 3000 feet. There was a lot of traffic in the small town before the Stelvio pass. Large buses were going through the tiny streets and villages so I had to do a lot of slowing down. I ended up riding on the sidewalk for a block becauses of all the stopped cars. There were volunteers at the major intersections to tell us which way to go but other than that, we had to follow all rules of the road.
Stelvio
Pass (14.4 miles, 48 switchbacks, 5715 feet, 2 hours and 17 minutes)
By the time I reached the start of the iconic Stelvio Pass, I had covered 80 miles in 4:46 (17.2 mph) and accumulated 5744 feet. In my mind, this was “half way” and I was ready for the 2nd half of the bike course. I was so excited to climb Stelvio and to experience the epic 48 switchbacks.
Karel had the car parked on the side of the road so that I could take off some layers. It was in the mid 60’s and it felt amazing. I kept my toe covers on the entire ride (just didn’t feel like taking them off) but took off my jacket, ear covers, gloves and buff. I went pee behind the car, had a swig of Ketones and a few sips of coke and water and then started the climb on Stelvio. Throughout the ride, I also nibbled on a few pieces of banana (typically when I stopped). I only had 1 bottle of sport drink on my bike so that I didn’t carry too much weight. Even when Karel handed me a bottle of water or coke, it only had ~8-16 ounces in it so that I wasn't carrying too much.
By the time I reached the start of the iconic Stelvio Pass, I had covered 80 miles in 4:46 (17.2 mph) and accumulated 5744 feet. In my mind, this was “half way” and I was ready for the 2nd half of the bike course. I was so excited to climb Stelvio and to experience the epic 48 switchbacks.
Karel had the car parked on the side of the road so that I could take off some layers. It was in the mid 60’s and it felt amazing. I kept my toe covers on the entire ride (just didn’t feel like taking them off) but took off my jacket, ear covers, gloves and buff. I went pee behind the car, had a swig of Ketones and a few sips of coke and water and then started the climb on Stelvio. Throughout the ride, I also nibbled on a few pieces of banana (typically when I stopped). I only had 1 bottle of sport drink on my bike so that I didn’t carry too much weight. Even when Karel handed me a bottle of water or coke, it only had ~8-16 ounces in it so that I wasn't carrying too much.
I
didn’t let the magnitude of this mountain affect me as I just focused on one
mile at a time. I was actually really excited for this climb and I feel that
positive mindset helped me for the next 2 hours. Once the signs started to count
down the switchbacks starting from 48, I focused on one switchback at a time. I
made sure to drink every ½ mile as it gave me something to focus on. I didn’t
find the grade too challenging but it was averaging around 8-11%. The scenery
was remarkable. The road was narrow and packed with cars, motorcycles and other
cyclists. Karel and Honza were limited with areas to pull off and stop but he
was able to hand me water a few times throughout the climb and switch out sport
drink bottles. It didn’t feel like I was climbing for 2 hours but I was ready
to reach the top as I was nearing 10 switchbacks to go. I enjoyed the extra momentum
out of every switchbacks. Some sections were long between switchbacks and that became
hard.
I took a selfie while riding. I couldn't resist :)
As I was nearing the top, I passed the 2nd place lady and told her good job. I couldn’t believe that I was now the 2nd place female. Although I wasn’t “racing” I felt like I had overcome so much so early on in the race and I could finally showcase my strengths. I had passed a lot of guys on the climb and and I couldn’t stop thinking about what I was doing with my body. When I reached the top of the Stelvio I had been riding for almost 7 hours, climbed over 11,000 feet and had ridden 93.7 miles. The top of the Stelvio was packed with vistors as there were several shops, restaurants and pubs. Karel and Honza managed to find a place to park and I quickly grabbed a bottle, had a few bites of a banana, grabbed a bar and put on a jacket and gloves before the descend. Karel told me that I was in 2nd place but not to let that change how I was racing. There was still a lot left in the race. Even though it was in the 60’s, descending while a little sweaty can be chilly.
I really wanted a picture with the Stelvio sign but there were lots of people around so Karel got a quick picture and then I continued on. As I was putting on my jacket, the 2nd place girl kept riding so now I was third.
I really wanted a picture with the Stelvio sign but there were lots of people around so Karel got a quick picture and then I continued on. As I was putting on my jacket, the 2nd place girl kept riding so now I was third.
The
11 mile descend to Bormio was steep, fast and a little technical with long straights
and tight switchbacks. Although I had gone through several tunnels throughout
the event, there was a one way tunnel that Karel warned me about and the light
to wait for your turn took several minutes. Thankfully I got lucky and made the
green light through the tunnel. My hands/arms got really tired descending for
30 minutes so I was relieved when I got to a flatter section (~3 miles) and
could rest in the aero bars.
At 110 miles, I stopped by the car and gave Karel my jacket, grabbed two bottles of sport drink, took a shot of ketones (blah!) and made my way to the last climb. This was the last time I would see Karel until T2 as he wanted to make sure he was there ready for me and also he needed to get ready to run the marathon with me.
At 110 miles, I stopped by the car and gave Karel my jacket, grabbed two bottles of sport drink, took a shot of ketones (blah!) and made my way to the last climb. This was the last time I would see Karel until T2 as he wanted to make sure he was there ready for me and also he needed to get ready to run the marathon with me.
Foscagno
pass (9 miles, 2925 feet, 1 hour and 21 minutes)
Karel warned me about the last pass that it was challenging. The gradient was around 8% and it was also very windy. Throughout every climb, I focused on a steady sustainable effort. But for this climb, it was hard to find the right effort as I could feel that I was getting tired and I also needed to conserve energy for the run. I feel like I was able to ride well (I continued to pass a few more guys) and I also repassed the 2nd place girl (Anastasiia). Her support crew/partner was very nice and he would always cheer for me. I knew that Nina (who won the female race) was a strong cyclist so I wasn’t focused on catching her throughout the race. She won the event in 2022 but I also know that anything can happen in XTRI events. Even though it was a competition/race, I felt like everyone was supportive of one another. Athletes weren’t really talking throughout the race as everyone was focused on their own effort. Once I reached the top of the climb, I started to get my mind prepared for the run. I had reconned the last few miles of the bike so that really helped to know what was left before the transition. It was a quick 3 mile descend before I rolled into T2 and met Honza and Karel in the parking lot.
Karel warned me about the last pass that it was challenging. The gradient was around 8% and it was also very windy. Throughout every climb, I focused on a steady sustainable effort. But for this climb, it was hard to find the right effort as I could feel that I was getting tired and I also needed to conserve energy for the run. I feel like I was able to ride well (I continued to pass a few more guys) and I also repassed the 2nd place girl (Anastasiia). Her support crew/partner was very nice and he would always cheer for me. I knew that Nina (who won the female race) was a strong cyclist so I wasn’t focused on catching her throughout the race. She won the event in 2022 but I also know that anything can happen in XTRI events. Even though it was a competition/race, I felt like everyone was supportive of one another. Athletes weren’t really talking throughout the race as everyone was focused on their own effort. Once I reached the top of the climb, I started to get my mind prepared for the run. I had reconned the last few miles of the bike so that really helped to know what was left before the transition. It was a quick 3 mile descend before I rolled into T2 and met Honza and Karel in the parking lot.
T2 was in a different place than T1. T2 was in Trepalle, a little village around 6600 feet just outside of Livigno (which sits at 6000 feet).
I
got off my bike and handed it to Honza, who collected my bike and gear bag
(with all my bike stuff) as the support crew is responsible of taking
everything outside of transition as soon as the athlete leaves. In Canadaman,
Karel was my support crew for everything so it was super helpful to have Honza.
This also allowed Karel to run with me for as much as I wanted throughout the
run (it’s mandatory to have a support member run with you at T3, which is mile
18 until the finish). I wanted Karel to run the entire marathon with me as I
wanted his company and I also felt like he could help me be more strategic with
my fueling and aid stations. In this race, there were aid stations every 3
miles (after 6 miles) but only with coke, water, pie (yep!)and gels.
I really had to pee in the last few miles but there was only one restroom (in the building outside of T2) so I had to hold it until I exited T2.
I did a complete change out of my bibs, base layer, jersey and sports bra and put on tri shorts, a fresh sports bra and tech shirt. I had a tank as an option but since it was really windy and getting cooler, I opted for the tech shirt. One of my running flasks leaked in my bag so some of my items were wet but Karel did his best to dry things off. I put on my Naked run belt with two flasks and put my GSP transponder in my belt. Apparently, my transponder hadn’t been working all day which left several people worried. After leaving transition, I went to the bathroom and was able to have a small BM and pee but, no stomach issues which was great. I had never eaten so much on the bike before. In a regular IM, I only consume liquid calories ~360-400 calories per hour. But in this race, I took in so much! Karel went pee as well and I stretched out my feet as they were really tired.
My transition was 7 minutes and I had the 34th fastest bike (out of 113 bike finishers) and I was the 39th athlete out of T2. I had passed 53 athletes on the bike course.
I was actually looking forward to the marathon and running/hiking/joging the next 5 hours and 5000 feet with Karel.
I really had to pee in the last few miles but there was only one restroom (in the building outside of T2) so I had to hold it until I exited T2.
I did a complete change out of my bibs, base layer, jersey and sports bra and put on tri shorts, a fresh sports bra and tech shirt. I had a tank as an option but since it was really windy and getting cooler, I opted for the tech shirt. One of my running flasks leaked in my bag so some of my items were wet but Karel did his best to dry things off. I put on my Naked run belt with two flasks and put my GSP transponder in my belt. Apparently, my transponder hadn’t been working all day which left several people worried. After leaving transition, I went to the bathroom and was able to have a small BM and pee but, no stomach issues which was great. I had never eaten so much on the bike before. In a regular IM, I only consume liquid calories ~360-400 calories per hour. But in this race, I took in so much! Karel went pee as well and I stretched out my feet as they were really tired.
My transition was 7 minutes and I had the 34th fastest bike (out of 113 bike finishers) and I was the 39th athlete out of T2. I had passed 53 athletes on the bike course.
I was actually looking forward to the marathon and running/hiking/joging the next 5 hours and 5000 feet with Karel.