XTRI ICON RACE RECAP - RUN

25.5 mile run (4311 feet, 13:10 min/mile average)
19^th fastest run. Fastest female run.

 

I was in a good place mentally and physically when starting the bike. Having Karel there with me helped a lot as I had been with my own thoughts for the past 10+ hours. I could not have asked for a better start to this run as the scenery was beautiful. We were surrounded by mountains, rocks, a flowing creek and the paved road turned into a non-technical trail. Since the first 2.5 miles were slightly downhill, I found my rhythm pretty quickly. Karel carried my USWE hydration pack (minus the hydration) to hold packets of Never Second C30 powder, sport nutrition and an extra flask filled with powder). He wore his hydration belt w/ a bottle and I had my Naked belt w/ 2 flasks (each filled with 1 scoop Never Second C30 berry). We learned a lot from Canadaman and we had a few strategies for this run: Run whenever I could. Let Karel carry stuff so I don’t have to.

In ICON, Karel was allowed to run in front of me and he could also run just ahead to refill my bottles at the aid stations. Every XTRI race is different with support crew so we asked about this in advance.

The first five miles went by really quickly. I loved the up and down of the trail and I was really enjoying the scenery. Karel would run ahead of me and tell me where to run if we were going over rocks/water. Karel had ran this section a few days prior so it also helped that he knew this part of the run course. There were two steep hills that we walked. As we approached the lake, I found myself passing a few guys. This never happens to me in a race (I’m usually being passed on the run) but I was feeling really good.

 

Although the XTRI run portion lasts a lot longer than a standard Ironman and includes a lot more elevation and terrain changes, I find it much more fun. I really like the variety of terrain and how you don’t have to be fast to have a good run. You need to be strategic with walking and running, you have to have good off-road skills, you need good fueling/hydration and you need to be good at managing fatigue.

Once we got on to the paved trail just outside of the town of Livigno, I enjoyed seeing all the people, families and dogs out on a sunny and comfortable Sunday afternoon. I had no concept of time but I was starting the run at 4pm. I didn’t know all of the course but I did study the course enough to know where the road vs. off road sections were.

The next 2.8 miles were familiar to me as I had ran on this trail a few times prior to the race. While the scenery was beautiful, it wasn’t my favorite part of the run as it felt long. Plus it was very windy and the wind was at our face. The air temp felt good, it was in the 50’s and partly cloudy but super windy. It helped to have Karel run in front of me but this section was really tough. The first aid station was at 7.5 miles and Honza was there with a few items if we needed anything. As I was running, Karel jogged slightly ahead to refill one of my flasks with water (it had powder in it). He would always keep one flask filled with just powder to make our stops quick and efficient. When I got to the aid station, I would grab water from a cup, take a few sips then continue running. Karel would run and catch up to me. This strategy worked really well so that I didn’t spend too long at the aid station. I never looked at my watch for paces or total time but every now and then I would look at it to see if I was getting closer to the next mile which helped me mentally as a way to “check” things off throughout the race.

I really enjoyed the next 3.6 miles. This brought us to the next aid station but it was all on trail. It was a bit rooty and there were some steep sections which required walking but every time I could run, I would.
The next aid station was quick and it was nice to see Honza again as he would give us smiles and cheers. I was still passing guys which was shocking.

Karel was fantastic. He would encourage me to run anytime I could and we would power walk up the steep climbs. He continued to navigate me so that all I had to do was run and focus on where I was landing. I wore New Balance Fuel Cell running shoes since I knew that the trails were not too technical. I liked that the tongue of the shoe was stitched into the shoe which prevented the top part of the shoe from moving on the even terrain. This helped keep my feet secure and stable. Although I don’t train in these shoes off road, I was confident in wearing these during the race (especially since there were several miles of road running).

Miles 11.3 – 14 were tough. I had side stiches that forced me to walk several times. I also felt a sudden drop in my energy. We were still running into head wind and the trail was much more exposed. There were steep uphills and steep downhills and we were at the furthest point of the course. Mentally and physically this was a tough section. Karel also carried a flask of coke so I had a few sips here and there but my main focus was trying to work through my side stiches so I could run more comfortably. Once I got to the mile 14 aid station (same one as mile 11.3 – it was a loop) I felt a bit better but I was starting to get more sore and tired. My quads were speaking to me and my upper back was also tired from all the power walking and running. It did help to feel the wind at our back so that was a nice boost.

Throughout the run we saw cows, horses, goats, chickens and dogs. But my favorite part was running by a restaurant at the far end of the course and seeing a black kitten. SO cute. The kitten arched its back in the typically black cat Halloween pose and then when Karel went up to it, the kitten was happy to have a rub. I wanted to pet the kitten but I also didn’t want to stop so I was happy that Karel stopped to pet it.

Miles 14-18 were challenging. A lot more hiking on very steep hills. I also started to feel a little cooler so I put on my gloves. I was happy that I had a shirt instead of a tank. The defeating part was knowing that we were on the same trail that we would take to the finish, but heading in the other direction. In other words, we were high up on the mountain, only to descend down and then climb up again. This part of the course was also more technical with bridges over water. I hadn’t thought much about my position but I was holding 2nd place and no other female was in sight. I was still passing guys thanks to being persistent with running or power walking.

There was a strict cut off of reaching T3 by 9pm in order to climb the final section to earn a white finisher shirt so that was my priority. It took me 3.5 hours to reach mile 18 (7:30pm). I had covered 1270 feet elevation gain so far but I felt like the race was only beginning.

As we were running toward the building where T3 was located, Karel and I talked about what we would do in T3. We decided that we would keep our running shoes on and not change to trail shoes. Karel would carry my backpack and I would keep my hydration belt on. I would also use my hiking sticks.

As I ran into the building, we got our backpacks from someone and sat down on a bench to grab what we needed before the last part of the race. In XTRI events, there is a T3 (transition three) which is where you are required to have someone with you for the remainder of the race. Karel was allowed to do the entire run with me but he had to be with me for the remainder of the race.

Our T3 was 6.5 minutes and during that time, I was announced as the 2nd female and I was interviewed by the female announcer. I told her that I feel like I am only half way and I have a lot left in the race.

My legs were getting really tired and I knew the rest of the course would be challenging. Although I was running slowly, I was still running. Karel carried my backpack which helped a lot. We ran 1.8 miles through the town of Livigno and it was so much fun getting cheers from people at restaurants and walking around the town. It was nearing 8pm so it was starting to get darker out. There was a DJ announcer in the town and that gave me a big boost as he announced that I was the 2nd female (in Italian). I was high fiving some kids and taking in all the positive energy. It gave me a big boost. Although the course was really well marked, we thought we missed the turn in the town which had us worried but all was ok.

When we made the turn from the paved road in town and on to the grass, Karel handed me my hiking poles and we started power walking. This section was hard. It was on a grass field and very steep (over 16%). We climbed over 500 feet in .6 miles. The next 1.75 miles were tough as it was on a packed gravel road. I loved running past some cows w/ bells on their neck. At this point, I was getting really tired so Karel would grab my bottle from my belt (or use his bottle) and put it in my mouth to drink. He was making all the decisions for me at this point as I was really struggling. Every part of my body was tired and sore and each step forward was painful. But anytime we could run, even if just for a few steps, we would move our feet quickly forward. And I was still passing athletes.

When we got to the last aid station (~22 miles), Honza was there (he ran up the hill by T3). He told Karel something in Czech and had a very concerned look on his face. I was taking a few sips of water when Karel told me “Marni, the girl behind you is only 5 minutes and we need to go.”

Ugh, not again. In Canadaman I was passed with ½ mile to go and finished 2nd female. I told Karel that I didn’t not come this far to get third.

At this point, we 2.74 miles to the finish line and 2400 feet to climb. With our headlamps as our only way to guide us up the dark ski mountain, we were on a mission. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I could see any other headlamps but it hurt so badly to turn my head as my shoulders and neck were so sore. There were several people ahead of us on the mountain so we made it a game to see if we could catch the next set of headlamps. Karel’s headlamp stopped working for some reason but he was fine without it as he was right there next to me keeping me going. I probably could have drank/fueled more in this section but everything was getting hard. I was thankful I hadn’t had any stomach issues during this race (I peed once on the run in the bushes so 4 times throughout the race).

I met a guy from Canada (a friend of a friend) and he kept me going as we were getting close to the finish. Although we were walking, my effort felt the same as if I was running. The only difference is that each mile was taking double the time versus running. The grade was steep, averaging over 16% and very little relief. But if the gravel road went down just a bit, I would jog. The hiking poles really helped as I could use my upper body to help me walk faster.

I could hear the music at the finish and the lights became brighter at the top of the ski lift. I had watched videos of the ICON finish line and knew there was a short steep rocky climb to the finish but when I saw the finish, I told Karel “I don’t think I can get up that.” Now my greatest worry was actually reaching the finish.

Our new Canadian friend let us go ahead for the finish since he knew I was racing for 2nd. I was still worried I was going to be caught but it felt impossible to gather the strength to get up this crazy steep and rocky climb. The finish line was deserving of this ICONic event. It took me 4 minutes to climb .1 mile but I finally made it to the finish. Every finisher could lift the finisher tape and I had barely enough strength to lift it over my head. I fell to the ground completely exhausted.

The announcer said I was the 2nd female and I felt so much relief. I was so thankful for Honza for his cheers and support. Karel was amazing. I could not have done this without him. I get to do the “fun” part but he has to be there on the sidelines all day, taking care of me. We worked so well together as a team and it was so special to share this with him, especially to share the last 5 hours with him.

 

I passed 20 guys on the run and had the 19th fastest run. I didn’t run fast but I ran when I could. And I worked so hard on the final mountain. It took me an hour to cover the last 2.74 miles (22.3 min/mile pace average) and I was able to extend my lead from 5 minutes to almost 25 minutes in the last few miles.

I was 55 minutes behind Nina (who won the race) but I felt like I had won on the day. I was so proud of what I was able to overcome, what my body was able to conquer and the strength of my mind.

I hobbled my way inside the building and after changing into some dry clothes, I had some soup and hot chocolate. It was cold on the top of the mountain at 9000 feet.

I finished the race around 9:35pm. It was a very long day. Around 10:30pm we made our way down the mountain on the chair lift and then I walked back to the hotel while Karel drove Honza back to his place.

I found my limits at ICON but I was able to push beyond them. Every XTRI event offers 2 male and female slots (top two athletes) for the XTRI World Championship in Norseman. I received the 2nd slot. Going into this race I told myself that I would not accept my slot to Norseman for 2024 as I felt I wasn’t ready for the difficulty of that event. But after talking with some people who did Norseman and Icon and discussing things over with Karel, we decided that now is the time. I accepted my slot and I’ll be going to Norway to compete in Norseman in August 2024.

I was the only US finisher and one of the 5 ladies who reached the top and earned a white finisher shirt. Ten ladies finished the race out of 100+ competitors.

Total: 16:33:28, 2nd female, 27th overall

RESULTS

How it started at 5am

How it ended at 9:36 pm