Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

There's something special about racing close to home - especially in the thick of peak training. Pleasant Ridge Park in Marietta, SC is just 20 minutes from our house, making this a "local" mountain bike race. Karel and I have raced this event twice before but familiarity with the trails doesn't make racing (or training) at Pleasant Ridge any easier. The single-track trail system at Pleasant Ridge is directional, flipping between clockwise and counterclockwise every other month, with hikers and bikers going in opposite directions. In February, the course runs clockwise (in my opinion, the more technical direction, loaded with rocky features that have been challenging me all season but also includes several fast sections - that Karel loves). Over the past month, Karel and I have been putting in serious work on those features, and I finally strung together a few clean loops without unclipping or falling (a huge milestone for me that I've been working on for the past...

Thursday (2/19) After my morning workout (run followed by a swim), we loaded up the car and my mom, her partner Alan, Sunny, Karel, and me hit the road to Pelham, Alabama. The 6 hour drive was uneventful except for the obligatory crawl through Atlanta traffic. We arrived at our Airbnb around 6:30pm (a two-story townhome around 10 minutes away from the park). With two sleeps before race start, it was nice to not feel rushed before the Saturday race.  Sunny has become a great traveler. He loves road trips and exploring new places with us. I still remember our first trip together in 2024 at Ironman Chattanooga. We had just adopted Sunny and he was so anxious, scared and reactive. He has come so far thanks to his extensive obedience training with Dog Elite Upstate. We love making memories with him.   Dinner was Chipotle (delivered while we unpacked), which has become a ritual. This race-cation tradition started in February 2022 when Karel and I made our very first trip to Oak Moun...

Karel and I had a fun time reflecting on his Patagonman extreme triathlon experience. If you'd like to hear about his race experience (the highs, lows and everything between), you can check out his race recap video (HERE) As I was editing the video (adding pictures and videos from the race), I couldn't help but think about the journey that Karel went through to get to the start line. For athletes, it’s easy to believe that everything comes down to one day.....the race. The months (or years) of training can feel like a means to an end - an unfulfilling road that hinges on a race day outcome. But here's the truth: it's not about the race result. The fulfillment happens in the preparation.  The Trap of the Finish Line Mentality Goals are essential. They give direction, motivation, and structure to training. They help you get out of your cozy bed and power through a workout when there are distractions all around you. However, when your self-worth is centered around a res...

Pre-Race  We started our drive to Chattanooga around 1pm on Thursday. Sunny has been keeping me busy with his new "job" as a therapy dog and we spent an hour in the morning at the Children's Museum.  The drive was uneventful with on and off rain. The quickest route was through the mountains and the drive was very beautiful. It was a new route to us and we loved it. We arrived around 6pm to our Airbnb (1/2 mile from the race start) and unloaded the car. I ordered Chipotle online and picked it up around 7pm. My body was feeling great all week but I was very tired. It was as if I couldn't get enough sleep to feel rested during the day. I was supposed to get my period on Monday but I was feeling stressed and anxious all week which contributed to a late period (it arrived Friday afternoon).  On Friday morning we went to the Dam for a swim. It felt good to be in the water (which was warm). I wore my swim skin and swam for around 30 minutes. I included some faster efforts th...