On June 29th at 4am, Karel will be jumping into the water of Lake Iseo to start his first extreme triathlon. In 2023, Karel was all about off-road racing. He participated in Xterra, gravel and mountain bike events and completed two big stage races - The 5-day Oregon Gravel Grinder and the 6-day Breck Epic. Between his events, he supported me in my first two XTRI events (Canadaman and ICON).
After 17 Ironman distance triathlons, Karel was searching for a race that would get him excited for triathlon training. He wanted something different, unique and challenging.
Shortly after I completed the XTRI ICON event in Livigno, Italy in September 2023, Karel registered for the event in 2024. Similar to myself, Karel didn't want ICON to be his first extreme tri event as the event is very extreme with the cold water, altitude and massive elevation gain on the bike.
In doing some research, Karel came across an event called Stonebrixiaman (now called The Stone). Whereas ICON is part of the XTRI World Tour XTRI World Tour (as well as Norseman - the "World Championship" of XTRI which I will participate in in August), The Stone is part of the Extreme Tri Series.Extreme Tri Series.
When Karel was researching events, he was excited by the opportunity to bike up (and down) the famous Mortirolo and Gavia Pass. He was also excited (not sure if that is the correct word) for the run which is primarily off-road.
Although the distances are similar to an Ironman, Karel needed a race that made him feel all the emotions, similar to when he prepared for his first Ironman.
With the extreme triathlon events, the athlete is supported by his/her/their crew. I will be supporting Karel throughout his race. This means I will help him in T1 (transition from swim to bike) and I will be drivig our rental car throughout Italy, leap-frogging Karel to keep him fueled and hydrated and to help him with anything that he needs. I will then help him transition from bike to run and support him as needed throughout the run. There are a few aid stations along the bike and run course but Karel will be primarily relying on me to help refill his bottles and keep his tummy (and brain) happy. Then, to finish the race, I will join Karel for the last 7.5K (4.6 miles) of hiking to finish at Passo Paradiso which is one of the most famous ski slopes in the alps.
Karel will be arriving to the race (primarily) healthy but this hasn't been a smooth or easy journey for him. He continues to have issues with his back as well as his leg (which is due to the disc issue in his back). Karel has also had some unfortunate setbacks. In early April he had a severe cramp in both of his legs during a trail run. In late May he had a bike accident where he washed out from gravel on the road in a tight turn. A few days later, he slipped on the stairs and bruised (or fractured) his ribs. And then there has been the emotional journey with Campy nearing his final chapter with us.
Through all of this, Karel has not complained. He continues to show up to life and he focuses on what he can do each day. He loves to train and be outside but with his crash (and a lot of road rash) and then the ribs, he had to do a lot of indoor walking and running. But that didn't stop him. He walked on the treadmill on an incline. When he was able to transition to run/walk, he stayed on the treadmill because that is here he could manage the pain. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when Karel could run outside again. As for swimming, he was out of the water for almost two weeks to let his wounds heal but his ribs have been very slow to heal - making it challenging to swim. He is finally able to swim without pain (now his ribs are more of a nuisance). He got back on his bike the next day (after the crash) and he has been able to keep up with most of his bike training.
The past few weeks have been consistent and fairly smooth for Karel so now we just need to get to Italy and have him stay healthy until race day (one more week!).
As for the event, here are some fun facts....
- You can track Karel LIVE with this link (4am CET start)
- Karel will be given bags for his gear. For the run, there is a mandatory gear list and the athlete (and supporter - me) will have our run bags checked before the race and before the final 7.5K of the run.
Run mandatory equipment:
1.Technical waterproof windproof jacket for high mountain use (made of GORE-TEX or similar material)
2.Long-sleeved thermal shirt
3.Long trousers
4.Thermal hat or thermal buff
5.Headlamp
6.Emergency blanket (e.g., aluminum foil blanket)
7.Whistle
8.Reusable cup for drinking at refreshment points (there will not be cups available)
9.Water and food reserves
10. Mobile phone
11. GPS turned on for live tracking (provided by the organization)
- The swim is 3.8K (2.4 miles) from one side of the lake to the other. Karel will board a boat at 3:20am to be taken to the other side of Lake Iseo. All athletes will be giving a luminous buoy to wear around their waist for the swim. There are two landmarks on the coast that indicate the exit point from the water: A beam of light projected towards the sky and a bell tower of the church in Sulzano. There will only be two buoys with flashing lights: a buoy 1000 meters from the finish, near Montisola and a buoy in front of the water exit point.
- The bike course is 175K (108 miles) and has an elevation gain of 4100 meters (13,450). The event starts at Lake Iseo and includes the Aprica Pass, Mortirolo Pass and Gavia Pass. The bike finishes in Ponte di Legno.
- The 24.2 mile run course starts at Ponte di Legno (in the center of town) and finishes at Passo Paradiso (2600 meters or 8,530 feet). The run has a total elevation gain of 7200 feet (2200 meters) and is a mixture of road and trail but primarily trail.
- A nice assortment of food at the run course refreshment points.
- For reference of how long this race will take Karel to complete, the male 2023 winner went 14:03.
- Karel will be riding his Colnago with added aerobars. This was a process to find the best fit for Karel (and saddle).
