Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

It took me a few miles to get over the fact that I lost two hours worth of nutrition from my rear two cages - which has never happened before in over 11 years of endurance triathlon racing. Since I was not even 5 miles into the bike, mentally, it really affected me. I was frustrated and I couldn't get my head into a good place. But after realizing that Karel likely had a faster transition than me (nothing good happens in the transition area according to Karel) and I wouldn't be seeing him for the rest of the day, I forced myself to get out of my pity party and put on my Ironman hat and figure out how to overcome this nutrition setback. With every Ironman, there is something to learn. I often think of the Ironman as a day of decision making. Perhaps this is what makes the Ironman distance so addicting in that every race tests you physically and mentally and you keep wanting to get better with every next race. With my experience and knowledge, I knew that I would need to use...

Karel and I arrived in Chattanooga on Tues evening so that we could settle (back) into the city before race day on Sunday. As I mentioned in a previous post, I registered for IM Choo about 10 days out from race day as it was my comeback race from my fainting incident on race day morning at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. While a half IM may have made more sense since my season was focused on half IM distance racing, the idea of racing an Ironman made me excited to want to race again. Although I did not plan to race an Ironman this year and didn't focus my training on preparing me for an Ironman until 2018, I felt calm, confident and excited to participate in my 12th Ironman in Chattanooga. Seeing that Karel directed all of his training and energy to Chatty as his key race to try to win his age group and qualify for Kona, I fueled off his race day readiness. Plus, being out on the course with my athletes had me even more excited for the race. Karel had a tremendous amount ...

After our last race of every season, Karel and I like to reflect on the previous season and set new realistic and bold goals for the next season. Rather than overanalyzing single race results and critiquing every detail of every race, we like to focus on the season as a whole so that we can do a better job of training and racing smarter for the next season. Over the past 11 years of endurance triathlon racing (five for Karel), we have learned to let go of expectations, assuming that the only way to reach a goal is to perfectly follow a plan or to avoid setbacks all together. This doesn't mean that we don't set big goals for ourselves but rather, we recognize that accomplishing a goal requires going with the flow of life and staying in the moment on race day. Life transitions, whether it's an injury, fainting and smashing your face on the floor on race day morning or balancing training during a stressful period at work, can cause a significant amount of stress, making i...

Here we are again, back in Chattanooga! As we were driving into town on Tues evening, my stomach felt a little funny as it felt strange to return to the place where my fainting setback left me with a smashed face and an unfulfilled feeling for my last race of the season. But I didn't let this feeling get to me because I returned back to Chattanooga with Karel with excitement and gratitude for another race opportunity by my body. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I have emotionally moved on from my recent DNS at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship but physically, a big part of me feels like I have some unfinished business here in Chattanooga. Knowing that stuff happens and we can't control the future, the only way that I could move on from my last race experience was to make sure that my next racing decision was not for anyone else but myself.  I wanted to do a race that made me happy. After giving my next race a lot of thought, I couldn't be more excited to turn m...

Do you relate to our mission, vision and core values? If yes, we would love to work with you!  Here's your chance to be part of the 2018 Trimarni Coaching Team!!                                  The 2018 Trimarni Coaching application will remain open from September 20th until October 4th. To be part of the Trimarni team as a one-on-one athlete, you must apply during this time. To learn more about our 2018 Trimarni coaching, visit our coaching page HERE. Click this link to apply:  2018 Coaching Application

If you have a friend/spouse/significant other who is an athlete, there's a good chance that you have spent a weekend or two at a race, waking up early to cheer, stand on your feet, take pictures, carry around stuff for your athlete and eventually, finding yourself exhausting by the end of the event. Rain, heat, wind or shine, you have been there from start to finish and you know that spectating is hard work! Although spectating makes for a long and tiring day, there's no better way to make memories and celebrate an accomplishment with someone who is close to you. Additionally, surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals or being around inspiring athletes can be very motivating. Although spectators don't receive medals, it's the spectators that help athletes get through the race (and make racing so much fun). In thinking back to all eleven of my Ironman events, it was the spectators and volunteers who kept me going during the low, dark times when I didn't...

On Saturday morning, before heading out for a 3.5 hour brick workout with Karel and Thomas, I came across a quote that spoke loudly to me. It read, " Good things fall apart so that better things can fall together."  I think any athlete would agree that sports can be so exciting and fulfilling and also cruel and disappointing. But it's through the setbacks and failures that we develop a stronger and better appreciation for when things go well. Although the sadness of not competing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship hit me hard for a few days, my mind was ready to move on once the cuts and bruises on my face finally healed. Setbacks are normal and I believe that you can only gain experience, wisdom and gratitude by going through the hard times. Tough times make you stronger! If you have recently experienced a setback in your athletic journey, I give you permission to be upset, frustrated and disappointed. Negative emotions are normal but make sure to not to bla...