Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Every athlete is bound to experience at least one race per season that gives you unfavorable weather-related conditions. I still remember my first Ironman (IMFL) in 2006 (picture above). It was around 38 degrees on race day morning and after the 2.4 mile wetsuit legal swim, I spent several extra minuets in the swim-to-bike changing tent in an effort to completely dry off my body (and stop my chills) before getting on to the bike. I ended up having a great first IM experience and although I was less than a minute away from breaking 11 hours in my first Ironman, I don't regret spending that extra time in the changing tent to warm-up my body. I also remember racing IM 70.3 Branson in 2012, which happened to be Karel's very first half IM (the event got cancelled because of the difficulty of the bike course). Race morning was around 43 degrees and I remember the sand at the beach being so incredibly cold that I felt like my feet were standing on needles. Although the water was so...

When we moved to Greenville, SC in May of 2014 (from Jacksonville, FL), our winter riding wardrobe consisted mostly of arm warmers, leg warmers, gloves, shoe covers, ear coverings and a pair of riding tights for those "cold" days in Florida. Sure, we had the basic gear to keep our extremities warm during the cooler days but come December in Greenville, we quickly realized that we needed more gear for comfort, functionality and warmth. I certainly have my limit when it comes to outdoor riding (it needs to be above 40 degrees) but in order to keep my cycling skills sharp and fresh, I need to be outside on my bike over the winter. Thankfully, with the right gear, even those 40-degree rides are not too brutally cold. In conjunction with packet pickup for the Hincapie Gran Fondo, the Hincapie Warehouse Sale (located at 45 Pete Hollis Blvd, Greenville, SC 29601) is an event not to be missed. If you are in or near the Greenville area and you are in need of some high qual...

There was a time in my triathlon season when I thought that the off-season meant that I deserved an extended amount of time (4-6 weeks) of no structured training - a complete break from all things swim/bike/run. This extended break from training provided me with a great physical and mental escape from the monotony of training but I came to realize that this break was too long for me - mentally and physically. My next approach to managing the triathlon off-season was to put all of my energy, focus and time into running. Living in Florida made this easy as there were countless half and full marathon events to choose from in October until February. Although I enjoyed a run-focus block of training, I never found this strategy to be beneficial to my triathlon development. I also discovered that during this time of reduced swim and bike training, I was very prone to injuries and chronic niggles, which ultimately affected my triathlon training come March. The next (and most recent)...

"That setback was just what I wanted"....said no one ever.  Setbacks are no fun. They are frustrating, distracting and depressing. Life is messy, with no shortage of obstacles to overcome. As an athlete, I recognize that setbacks are bound to happen. While some setbacks, like a cancelled race, an injury or sickness are frustrating, there are much more serious risks in life. Setbacks often put life into perspective and make you feel grateful for the great/good days.  Knowing that setbacks happen to everyone, we must not view them as failures.  Setbacks provide us with a powerful opportunity to persevere in times of defeat. Often times, we gain a new outlook on life. Over this season, Karel and I have had a lot of athletic success. I feel like we are reaching our prime years of endurance triathlon racing as we feel incredibly strong, resilient, healthy and confident with our athletic abilities. Plus, we are having a lot of fun training and racing. Although our tr...

Karel and I spent all of Saturday watching the Ironman World Championship. Actually, we first went out on our road bikes for a 2.5 hour ride (no shortage of mountain views) and then from 12:15-11pm, we watched and tracked athletes on Ironman.com. It was such a special day to have two of our athletes (Lisa and Leyla) out on the course for their first IM Kona experience (both finished!), which was also on the day when the male professional Ironman World Championship course record was broken. It was so much fun to track so many of our friends and to watch the professionals race in one exciting race on the big island of Kona! Congrats to everyone who earned a spot to the IM Kona start line! I always find that the Ironman World Championship has a special way of helping athletes dream a bit bigger. While triathlon may not be for everyone, this recognized event is extremely motivating, regardless of fitness/athletic background. While motivation can easily come from watching a one day ...

RACING UNDER PRESSURE For many months, Ironman World Championship participants have been dreaming about race day. And now, with only one more sleep left to go, excitement suddenly turns into nerves and a calm mind suddenly goes into overdrive. When you are racing against the best athletes in the world at the Ironman World Championship, it's easy to feel intimidated about everyone around you who is in the best shape ever and ready to perform at the top of their physical game. But don't let this psych you out. Athletic excellence on race day comes when your mind is as strong as your body. Don't let yourself get intimidated by the other athletes around you or by the challenging course. You earned your right to be at the start line and you know what you are getting yourself into. Trust yourself that you have the capability to reach the finish line.  Here are my simple tips to help you perform under pressure while making the most of your Ironman World Championsh...

RACING WITH A SPREADSHEET Racing an Ironman triathlon is dynamic as there are so many variables that affect your performance. Some are within your control and others are out of your control. No matter how hard you trained, you will never feel fully prepared for everything that happens on race day. And in Kona, the unpredictable nature of the wind and heat make for an intimidating racing experience. Going into the race with expectations and assumptions of how the day will go is just fine if that approach brings you confidence and excitement. But remind yourself that a great race day performance requires flexibility and adaptability. With a spreadsheet, metric-obsessed mindset, it's easy to fail to reach athletic excellence on race day. Although it's the approach of many athletes, you can't go into an Ironman and expect your body to go on auto cruise for 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and 26.2 miles of running by trying to hit certain paces/watts/speeds for ...