Chasing 9hours

Chasing Sub-9 at Leadville 100 🚵‍♀️⛰️
Last year, at 49, I crossed the Leadville 100 MTB finish line in 9 hours and 4 minutes—a ride that tested every ounce of grit I had. Now, as I approach 50, I'm going back to shave off those final 4 minutes and earn that elusive Sub-9 buckle.

This isn't just about time—it's about proving that strength, endurance, and drive don’t fade with age. It’s about training smarter, fueling better, and riding with relentless purpose.

Follow my journey as I chase Sub-9 at one of the toughest endurance MTB races in the world—and show what’s possible at any age. 💪🔥

#Leadville100 #Sub9Chase #WomenWhoRide #MTBGoals #RelentlessAt50 #GravelGritGrace

Age Groupies Podcast Episode 99 with Eddie Kenney and Coach A

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/agegroupie/id/16306415

Age Groupies Podcast

Episode 99…

Triathlon Season Planning

A little sugar and spice will make your tri season nice.

It’s that time of the year. Race season is winding down, Ironman is doing a great job of flooding your inbox with “tier one sold out” propaganda and your friends on social media are sharing all the races that they have already signed up for next year, so you’re feeling the heat to get some races “on the calendar.” Here are some tips to help you plan a successful race season.

First, choose one or two A races (most important race) then work around them. Secondly, line up some B races and then finish by peppering the year with fun C races that keep you excited about waking up early for training. I like to think of C races as Carrots (get it ? C races??) that are always right in front of your face taunting you to man up. Ok let’s break this down:

Find YOUR A race

YOUR A race needs to have specific meaning to you. This is an important step in the planning process. Perhaps your local team is doing this as a team race and you want the emotional support and fun training environment, maybe it’s in the town you grew up in, what about a destination you’ve always wanted to go to, is it a bucket list race, is it a race that you want to use as a qualifier for World Championships or Age Group Nationals? However you begin to choose your A races first start by asking yourself WHY? This answer will be the angel on your shoulder when the tough gets tougher. Your why is the most important question to answer; it’s your meaning to it all. Put the A race(s) on the calendar first, then fill in the B races. I suggest doing one of two options: Split your year into two parts, putting an A race in each or go a little crazy and pack them tight. (Or have just one A race!).

Year Spilt: After A race number one take a good solid week off of triathlon, especially if it’s a full Ironman distance. Treat each six months as an entirely new year, meaning plan B/C races to help you towards that one A race, plan for seasonal weather and how that affects your training and mood.

A Little Crazy: Pack’em tight. 6-8 week turn around between A races. This schedule is good for seasoned athletes that want to carry A race fitness into a even more important A race, such as a qualifier. Athletes that live in areas where weather does not permit outdoor year around training or limits winter and summer training can utilize this packed race schedule for optimizing their season and performance.

Don’t start “training” for an A race until 10-12 weeks out.

By “training” I mean mentally and specifically for that race. You’ll be training otherwise, but for other events and for building speed, endurance and strength not necessarily for the A race. Giving yourself 10-12 weeks to get in the zone of A race specific mode will help to keep you hungry for the work that you’ll be putting in, each session will have more meaning and more focus. In 17 years of racing and coaching I’ve experienced burnout and have seen it in competitors and athletes. This “race specific block” allows you to get serious to devote more time and energy to training. Because it’s in a tight time frame, you’re able to keep your eyes on the prize each day giving your all each session. As a bonus, your support group can typically get on board with this time frame. I suggest you look at your life calendar to see when you have 10-12 weeks to devote to training without much outside disruption, such as family vacations, holidays, big work projects and other family/social obligations. In the past I’ve enjoyed planning an A race that I knew would coincide with the beginning of a vacation, or I’ve planned the vacations around them that way. This has given me a mental and physical break to look forward to post race.

Mindfully choose B races

Before you just go adding B races to the schedule so you can feel like the cool kid in class... think WHY? Why do I want to do this race? If you can answer yes to these questions then go for it:

Will this race prepare me mentally for my A race that follows it?

Does this B race help prepare me physically for my A race?

Will this B race keep my motivation high for training?

So you’ve answered Yes to the above… now where do they fit into the calendar? Most athletes that have a few seasons of racing under their belt can plan to do a B race 4-6 weeks out from their A race. This B race should be half the distance of the A race or less and if possible on similar terrain with similar weather. You can use this B race as a dress rehearsal for the big show. If this is your first or second season think about taking that time frame back to 10-12 weeks out from your A race and treat it as a launch into your race training block. This B race can give you some data that you can use to set your training perimeters for your A race.

Add in a few C races that are less stressful in nature

“C” / Carrot races should be scheduled around your B races with a few considerations in mind:

1. What is their purpose?

2. Can you train through them?

3. How much life stress will it add?

Ask yourself - why do you want to do this race? (1) Is it because it’s local and cheap and you can whoop some ass? Ok great! These C races you are going to train straight through, no big taper, maybe a day or two depending on how much ass you want to whoop or if you’re using them as a field test for fitness. (2) Does it add very little life stress? And (3) is travel minimal, cost low and value high? Awesome! Go for it.

2019 is right around the corner, and we’re loving the varying plans we’re seeing athletes put together. As you think about your goals and race dreams, this is a good time to consider adding a coach to help you bring all the pieces together. The Race Relentless squad will have a few openings for athletes of ALL levels for 2019, and our roster is open NOW for those conversations. Hit us up in the contact us section of the website so we can chat soon.

Ironman Lake Placid - Christine

It’s been almost two months since IM Lake Placid which has given me a little more time to reflect -- but overall, I’m just as happy today with the effort / results as I was when I crossed the finish line. I think the one thing that strikes me more now is my mindset on race morning and especially at the beginning of the bike. The weather conditions were not ideal -- it started to rain as I was making my way through T1. And when I jumped on my bike and started pedaling out of town, I was greeted with a pretty strong headwind. I had been expecting the first 20-30 miles of the bike to be the easiest part of my day. But they weren’t... the conditions were actually pretty miserable. BUT I think this is where some good coaching really helped me (and probably saved my race). I had been worrying about the weather all week as it consistently called for rain and thunderstorms on Sunday (while it was absolutely gorgeous leading up to the race...). Not to mention that I had been picturing beautiful weather in my mind every time I thought about the race. It was supposed to be sunny with blue skies and a high temp of oh 75, maybe 78. But Mother Nature obviously had something else in mind. So needless to say, I was a little stressed about the weather (esp since I was so looking forward to doing the entire Keene descent in aero and not sure how I felt about doing that in 15-20 mph winds / pouring down rain). So as race day started approaching, I couldn’t wait to talk to Audra as I knew she would help set me straight (as no one else could). And that she did. :-) She really helped change my perspective by helping me realize that this was just part of the racing experience - and that I had to learn how to deal with the conditions on race day (as they were, not how I wanted them to be). And to accept that there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it, so just embrace it and go with it. We also talked about how I should tweak my plan if the conditions were worse than expected, etc. And even though I had been receiving similar advice from others all week, I really needed to hear it from Coach A. And then I was fine. After we hung up, I don’t think I thought about the weather again (and even had to remind myself at one point that it was going to be raining). And I was even more surprised at my attitude when I started the bike. In reality, it was pretty miserable - cold, wet and windy. Not at all what I was hoping for, but for some reason, I wasn’t really all that bothered by it. I felt more amused by it than anything else -- like, are you kidding me? Could the weather possibly be any more shitty right now?? But I wasn’t angry or upset about it -- I didn’t really have any emotional reaction. I just started asking myself “okay, so what are you going to do about it?” Based on my discussion with Audra, I knew I had to change my plan and let my timing goal go out the window. It was all about saving my legs at that point. So I tried to let go of my expectations and just focus on conserving my energy. Thankfully the wind was only a factor for about the first 15 miles of each loop - it was fine once we made the left turn out of Keene and started heading toward Jay. And it eventually stopped raining around 11:00. The rest of the bike was pretty uneventful (with the exception of my bike computer dying at the beginning of the second lap - not sure how that happened since it was 100% charged that morning…). I finished in just under 7 hours … not the time I had been hoping for (or knew I was capable of). But on the bright side, my legs felt pretty damn good when I started the run (all things considered).

So onto the run… At first, I was a little fixated on my bike time -- I had a pretty strong feeling that it was off -- esp when I ran into a DM teammate in the changing tent and she asked me if I had experienced a mechanical on the bike. :-/ But many thanks to RR friend, Carolyn Basista, who did some amazing on-course coaching at the start of the run. Carolyn ran beside me for a few yards just to check-in, see how I was doing, etc. I kept asking her about my bike time but I noticed that she gracefully kept side-stepping the question, until I finally said “you’re not going to tell me my bike time, are you?” And she said, “Nope, don’t worry about it. Just focus on the run. Stay in the here and now” (or something to that effect). So that’s what I did. Even though I was disappointed with my bike time, I knew I had set myself up for a pretty good run so I felt encouraged by that. And I just tried to focus on the positives. I was pretty happy with my swim -- I had been aiming for 1:15 and finished in 1:16. I had made it through the bike in one piece and didn’t have any mechanical issues. And the weather had improved throughout the day and was actually pretty ideal (party cloudy and high around 75). Plus I had stayed on top of my nutrition and hydration all day. I could tell I had a lot left in the tank - both mentally and physically.

The first loop of the run went by pretty quickly -- I was able to keep a pretty steady pace (a little slower than planned) but there was no unintentional walking (so was very happy about that). I only walked the aid stations and the two steepest hills -- which was all part of the plan. Things eventually started getting “real” around mile 16, but that’s to be expected. My knees started hurting (something I hadn’t experienced in a long time), but I had hit a groove and I knew I was not going to start walking unless my legs just completely gave out and I collapsed (which seemed like a real possibility at times :-)). But I just kept plugging away -- completely absorbed in the moment. And as I got closer and closer to the finish line - the miles started flying by - mile 18, mile 21, mile 24 --then finally mile 25 (which seemed like the longest mile of my life!), I knew I was going to make it. My legs were in fact not going to give out (so that was exciting) and I was able to finish right around 4:30 (which was my goal - so super happy with that). And more importantly, I was able to stay strong until the end and finish with a smile on my face.

Looking back, I can honestly say I enjoyed everything about this experience - from the training, to race week to the actual event. And as soon as I crossed the finish line, I knew I was going to do IM Mont Tremblant in 2019. So I think that speaks volumes about my LP experience (as I wasn’t sure I’d ever do another IM after finishing Cozumel in 2014). So yeah, I’m super excited about 2019 and can’t wait to see what’s in store for Year #2 as an RR athlete.

Wildflower Triathlon - Coach Audra

Wildflower Triathlon is as iconic as any race on the circuit, and with it’s exit a few years back because of low water levels at the lake, everyone is excited to see it back and thriving.

This year was not the first year that I raced Wildflower - I have raced this iconic race three times before and it consistently delivers a great experience. Each time I’m harshly reminded of the punishing difficulty of this course, but the most memorable are the good times with friends around the campground fire sharing stories of our day afterwards.

Wildflower is a festival of fun and racing that lasts all weekend and has a lot to offer for the short distance athlete to the off road triathlete to the long course crazies.

This year was special as I had two of my Race Relentless athletes join me, Jen Walrath and Audra Kammerer. There are a lot of logistics that go into racing at wildflower if you are planning on staying at the lake and camping, so be prepared with plenty of food, wood, TP, ice and drinks. In past years the venue has not had vendors with food or drinks to serve you, however this year new owners of this race have added a festival like experience with food vendors and a stage for bands! It’s great.

Top Ten Tips ;

1. Plan early if you want to camp in a tent, don’t do the glamour bell tent camping (not worth the money!), or you can bring an RV into the park.

2. Invite lots of friends, this is definitely a good group event.

3. Do off road run training, the run course is mainly in the dirt and is very hilly.

4. Lower the PSI in your tires on race day. I went with 95, I weigh 130lbs (bumpy roads)

5. Do some heat training, IT IS HOT (really hot).

6. Ride on some roads that are wood chip sealed, these roads are not in the best condition but they are pretty desolate.

7. Bring a change of clothes for the finish, it might be a hike back to your campsite and you’ll want to hang around the festival at the finish. Oh and stash cash for the ice cream truck and beer garden!

8. Hill training for the run and the bike! Everyone talks about Nasty Grade hill at mile 42 of the bike course - that hill is tough but nothing compared to the climb out of transition on the bike or the hills on the run course. (oh, and stairs)

9. You’ll be very exposed to sun on the run course, put extra screen on in T2!

10. The aid stations ROCK and you’ll have plenty of water, but no ice (unless you ask like I did) Most aid stations are remote and they can’t keep ice.

Swim -

Wildflower is a straightforward age group swim start. You’ll have 3 minutes to get into the water and warm,up prior to wave start, right after the wave in front of you goes off. Plenty of time!

There’s no current (it’s a lake), so when you are doing your practice swim the day before be sure to practice sighting. The swim exit is a giant arch that you can’t miss. Aim for that, not the last buoy. Choose a goggle that has some tint as the sun will be in your eyes at some point no matter your swim start time.

Line up inside right and aim for the inside of the first turn buoy. You’ll get a straighter shot to it bc you’ll have less folks to get around. Some people place an extra pair of shoes to run up the boat ramp in, I have found this unnecessary and a waste of time. The ramp will be covered with a indoor/outdoor carpet, you’ll be just fine.

Bike -

Choose an easier gear out of transition and spin all the way to the big hill, you’ll be weaving through the lower campgrounds and other riders so don’t expect to go balls out on the first few miles. You’ll serve yourself and others well if you chill your tits and get your legs under you, sit up and stay alert. When you get to the hill out of transition you’ll be in your easiest gear grinding it up, it’s steep and semi long. I have seen several people over the years on the side of that hill with pinch flats (from riding through the service (paved) road in the camp). Once you are out of the park and onto the highway the course is rolling with a few flat and down fast sections until mile 42 when Nasty Grade hits you. Don’t think when Nasty Grade is over that you are done climbing... nope it’s a net uphill all the way back to transition with a really long FAST downhill. Practice your descending skills PLEASE, I have seen some near crashes on that long descent! The road is in good condition there but there are a few tight curves and just long downs that allow you to pick up a lot of speed!

Run -

It’s hard. It’s the hardest half run course that I’ve ever done in 18 years of racing over 100 half distance races. I think that’s all I need to say. So train for a brutal run in the heat and dirt that goes up and down, and then up up up. It’s totally worth the fight to the finish and you’ll love every second once you have finished.

You’ll head out of T2 up some stairs and then onto the same road that you biked out on. The course is up and down from the get go but will feel more like all up hill. There are flat sections on this course and they are all exposed to full sun so be prepared. The course goes out into the woods and through the campgrounds - you’ll have lonely parts and sections that you’ll have a crowd to cheer you on. Enjoy the energy from the spectators and don’t get sucked into the death march that you’ll find out on the trail. Be agile! There’s lots of big rocks along the trail.

This course is not easy, as you can tell,but it’s not supposed to be easy now is it!?!? The vibe of the weekend is so worth the dirt on your legs and the hangover on Sunday morning. Have fun and be prepared to have your ass handed to you with a side of grassroots loving.

Santa Cruz Sandman Tri - Ryan

The night before the Sandman I was at work. We weren’t that busy with equine patients requiring care so I spent a good chunk of time researching my biggest worry. Great. White. Sharks. In June, two dozen juveniles had been spotted in the bay. July, a dead white shark washed up on shore. Last summer, a man was bit and killed in the bay. That’s it. I’m not swimming. Then there was the cold water temperature. I was informed after looking online that this time of year was warm between 65-70 F. Spoiler Alert: it was not. It was 58 F.

However, I had roped my college friend Ben into doing this race with me and he was going to be at the house by 5:30am to head up to Santa Cruz. Peer pressure wins again. Honestly, I would have thought I’d be more exhausted after having worked a 10 hour shift. I came home changed clothes quickly and Paul helped us load the bikes and gear into the truck.

The drive from Monterey up to the state park where the race was being held took us about 45 minutes. This race does have a $10 cash parking fee so be sure someone in your group has some money! On the drive up I ate my usual race breakfast of oatmeal and a banana. There was an intense fog when we arrived, which is very typical for this part of California, and part of me wished the swim would get cancelled. It did not. We squeezed into our wetsuits and then tentatively went for a warm up swim.

SWIM START: 8:05 AM

I thought I had warmed up sufficiently, I had not. Looking back this is obvious but the water was so numbingly cold that at the time I could barely stand the 5 minutes I was in it. The men went off first and we started 5 minutes later. We ran into the water from the beach and fortunately it got deep enough to swim comfortably very quickly. I felt like I started out okay but immediately the cold water takes your breath away. Still, I knew what was going on and remember to just take a slower stroke and breathe deep.

I made it to the first turn buoy which was at the end of the historic sunken cement ship. Then my world slid “off screen” like I’d been drinking all night. The horizon was moving all over my field of vision and I felt like I was going to vomit. It was scary and I tried to look around for help but couldn’t see anybody. I felt a little scared but floated on my back for a bit and hoped for it to pass.

Nothing changed and I told myself I had to make forward progress so I tried to continue on to the next buoy. I couldn’t sight for the life of me because everything was spinning. Yet, I made it to the 2nd turn and started heading back towards the beach. It was such a struggle that between the nausea and cold the last thing on my mind was Jaws. Which, is a win. You made a right and swam along the beach for a while. It wasn’t until this point I started to get my stride together. That being said, I still came out of the water pretty disorientated and with my classic calf cramps. I miraculously finished in 19:51 (1:46/100m) … who knows?

T1: 8:29 AM

T1 was a little bit of a struggle. The air temperature was sitting around 60 F and it never warmed up after that. I had a hard time up through the soft sand and an even harder time getting my wetsuit off. Ben had been racked next to me so I could immediately see he was out on the bike already when I got there. I was a little disappointed with my transition time of 4 minutes.

BIKE COURSE: 8:33 AM

The bike course felt like a climb the whole time. It started out with a steady climb and continued into one continuous climb-flat repeat. There were plenty of other ladies to give me people to chase which made the beginning go fast. Fortunately, there wasn’t bad wind to deal with but it didn’t warm up either. In the future I will definitely pack a wind breaker or sleeves. Something to help warm me up and keep the cold air off me.

You spend much of the second half of the bike heading back down your big climb which is great for making up some time. Just be aware that right before you come back into transition you will face an incredibly steep downhill that can be clogged with car traffic. They will make you slow way down since there are large speed bumps to go over. If you’re not careful I could see people going over their handle bars. I felt like I was going to!

Overall, the bike course is not closed but you don’t really have car traffic to contend with. It isn’t until the very end that you feel like you’re avoiding cars some. I was lucky in that I fell in with a guy who I was leap frogging with most of the race. I’d pass him on the climbs and he’d pass me on the downhills. It always irritated me when he’d fly down by me and encouraged me to work harder on the hills. I finished the bike in 48:47 averaging 16 mph. Not great.

T2: 9:21 AM

I felt great flowing through T2. I made it in a great 1:35 but it also helps the transition area was super small.

RUN COURSE: 9:23 AM

Newsflash – it was still cold at this stage of the game. I thought the run was going to be through soft sand and I was dreading it! While I was SLIGHTLY relieved to find out that there was a nice hard pack shoulder to run on I was still apprehensive on how it was going to go. Once, I hit the hard pack I was good to go. It’s a simple out and back run (my favorite!). You start going under the pier you swam around and it was especially exciting to see Paul up there cheering. I finished the 4 mile run in 30:33 (avg. 8:15/mile) for a total time of 1:44:55. The run actually went by pretty fast and you run over the ups and downs of the sand & surf. Just look out for any dead marine life like the seal I passed!

POST RACE PARTY … OR NAP

I didn’t feel like this was my best race and I finished frustrated that I could have done better. Ben and I posted the exact same finish time… okay fine Ben, you beat my by 30 seconds! I still made it on the podium for my age group which was exciting. I wanted to finish higher overall but I’ll take this for my first and maybe only race in this region. For a cold day filled with cold water and cold air it was fun looking back on it. After awards Paul, Ben, and I went to brunch at Avenue Cafe. There was a bit of a wait and I promptly fell asleep waiting for our table. I was in such a zombie state during brunch I can’t even remember what I ordered. Paul and Ben told me the food was very good however! We highly recommend it for a post race refuel.

You can see more from Ryan at thetravelingtriathlete.

Swim Run Casco Bay - Jen

Have you heard of Ötillö?  That crazy race in Sweden where people swim between and run over 20+ islands?  That race that Pippa Middleton once did?  (Yes, she’s a total boss.)  Well, this is sort of like that, only shorter and not in Sweden.

Casco Bay was the first (or at least one of the first) swim run race in the United States and is modeled after Ötillö.  It is a 2-person team event, but it is not a relay – both people must compete together.  This means being within 10 feet of your partner at all times.  In other words, hopefully you like each other, because you’re going to have some quality time together.
My partner was Caroline (we call her Cricket), a long-time friend from our time as triathletes in D.C.  She now lives in New York, NY while I live in Boise, ID.  This meant that we could not train together, but it was not much of an inconvenience.  This was our second year doing the race – we did the short course in 2017 – and knew that we worked well as a team.  

For this year’s race, we once again tackled the short course, but the course had changed and was longer than last year.  Although actual distance can vary, we were looking at nearly 3 miles of swimming and approximately 12 miles of running, a combination of road, trail, and rocky coastline with some scrambling required.  I was stoked!

Quickly, for those not familiar with swim run, a few key distinctions from triathlon: 
•    As I mentioned, it traditionally is a 2-person team sport.  While swimming, both for safety and to adhere to the rules, most teams use a 10-foot tether to physically link themselves together.  And while running, neither person strays too far from the other.

•    You can swim with all of the toys – paddles, pull buoys, and fins (if you want).  We opted to forego the fins and swim in our shoes, to make transitions faster, but did use paddles and pull buoys.  Using pull buoys saves the legs for running and makes it easier to swim in shoes, which add to the usual weight and drag of the legs.

•    There is no transition area.  Transitions happen on the fly, and there are many – 14 in this year’s race.  We ran (or staggered) in and out of the water, navigating rocks and seaweed.  To make transitions as seamless as possible, when running, we used carabiners to hold our paddles, and modified our pull buoys with bungee cord so that we could affix them to our thighs and swivel them to the side while running.

•    Finally, as I noted above, running surfaces are varied.  For the race in Maine, some of it was road, some of it was trail, and some of it was straight up rock scrambling.

Since we had done the short course in 2017, we generally knew what to expect, but the course was different and we had to do some homework.  We attended the pre-race briefing the day before the race and were dissatisfied with the level of detail provided about the course, in particular, the swims.  We hunkered down in front of a computer and pulled up tidal charts for Casco Bay so that we could determine, for each swim, how the currents would push us (left or right) so that we could try to adjust our sighting accordingly.  We also packed our gear, double-checked that we had everything, and settled in for some sleep.

Race morning!  Usually, I am equal parts nervous and excited and for what is about to happen, and this race morning was no exception.  I sat on the ferry with Cricket and our friends, Alexis and Eben (also racing), as we took in the scenery on our way to the start.  Our conversation was mostly light-hearted and silly, but sprinkled with discussion of the course, the weather (it was rainy), and how the day’s event might unfold.  We arrived at Peaks Island, the start of our day, stowed our morning bags, and got ready to go.

After a few words from the race director, we were off!  Imagine several hundred athletes in various types of wetsuits, nearly all sporting pull buoys on their thighs, with swim paddles in hand or dangling from carabiners, and nearly all either wearing or carrying swim caps and goggles.  I expect that it was a sight to behold.  

The first few miles were a run segment and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  We were fresh and full of energy, and the four of us ran together, which was a lot of fun.  The course took us through Peaks Island via road and trail.  We reached the beach and parted ways for our longest swim of the race.  Currents were strong – much stronger than we had anticipated – and Cricket and I ended up having to run over one additional, small island.  Our detour took some extra time, but did not put us off course.  We rounded the island on foot, spied our intended landing zone, and hopped back into the water to complete the swim.

As it turns out, strong currents were the theme of the day.  Every swim was challenging, and it seemed like we were always swimming against the current.  Runs were a welcome reprieve, and a good time to bring up the core body temperature after spending substantial chunks of time in cool waters.  

Just before our final swim, I looked down and realized that I had lost one of my paddles.  Another racer said that they had seen one – but back across the island, where we had landed some bit ago – so we opted to carry on and I did the last swim without paddles.  It ended up being a non-issue and we safely made our last landfall for the final run to the finish.

When we crossed the finish line, we had not won any prizes or awards, but it was satisfying nonetheless.  We did it!  We were awesome.  We wanted food.  And dry clothes.  And to drink a beer.  And to eat all the doughnuts.  (All of which we did do.)  We had spent 5 hours navigating the waters and islands of Casco Bay and were darn proud of ourselves.  

I have done several endurance events in my life that took far longer (10+ hours), but there is something about swim run that, even though this particular race was shorter, is just as challenging.  I also love that it is multi-sport, and that it is “in the wild,” so to speak.  And it is fun to share the experience with a partner (thanks, Cricket!).  I am not sure whether there is more swim run in our future, but I can say that Casco Bay is a fantastic course, Maine is a beautiful and welcoming place, and I’m happy to share more details with anyone who is interested in giving swim run a try.  It is fun to be part of the “island-hopping” crowd!

*Photo credit: #RuddockVisuals

UTMB OCC 56K - Stephanie

It has been a week since finishing the UTMB OCC 56km. People wonder why go all the way ‘over there’ for their ‘small’ race, but, the OCC proved to be anything but “small”.

As I arrived in Chamonix I was blow away by the energy surrounding the town, participants from all corners of the world, brands I have never seen or heard. People taking it all in. But what was more impressive was the view…. OH MY! The view to Mont Blanc was just nothing short of spectacular. I remember staring at it thinking 1) I have never seen anything quite like this and 2) so happy I don’t have to climb it.

I was fortunate enough (or unfortunate – more on this in a bit) to be able to stay at my sister’s friend place at Les Carroz. The apartment was an easy 30 min drive into Chamonix. As I laid in bed at my sister’s place I googled mapped “Les Carroz to Orsiers”. To my surprise (because I have no other word to explain it) I learned the place I had chosen to sleep at was an hr and 45 mins from my start. I’ve done enough races in my life to know this is NOT IDEAL, but something in me (after freaking the fuck out (excuse my French) knew it would be ok. My start time was not until 8:15am so there was ample time. My friend and teammate Jen was with me and that gave me enough confidence and security that we would be OK.

As many of you know, my race mornings are just about the same every time. Wake up 10 mins before the alarm goes off, take a shower, make coffee, get breakfast and go. This time it was just exactly like that except… I had not slept a thing the night before. I kept tossing and turning, thinking about how on Earth I would climb +/- 11,000 ft, how fast I needed to move to make the cut-offs, would it rain, would it be cold, did I have enough food, etc., etc.  As morning rolled in I was sleepy and tired (cold as well), but so eager to race I doubt Jen truly knew how I was feeling.

As I lined with everyone else I remember feeling happy, fortunate, nervous, excited, and just ready to go. For the last 18 months I have been pushed to what I thought were my limits – broken down and built up just to be broken down again. Training has been hard at times but more rewarding than ever.  

During one of our drives to Chamonix I asked Jen to read me (only the good sections) a race report of the OCC. She had told me the 1st 3 miles were fast & runnable. I was ready for that. If that was true I knew I would be able to get the 1st 6 miles in the 1st hour so my goal of 8-ish hours was attainable. 1st mile was fast and then as we approached mile 2 everything began to change. We went from running to “#$$%^, this is only mile 2”. It was at that moment when I knew the day was all about putting one foot in front of the other. UTMB makes every participant carry a cell phone (that works internationally) and at one point as I climbed La Giete I got 2 text messages. 1st messaged from my friend Phil said, “looking good darling, you have La Giete to climb and then it will get better…” 2nd text message was from Coach A that said, “woke up at 2:30 am thinking of you”. I read both and promptly replied “I am on the road to hell”. Not long after Coach A replied “well, at least you have a preview to it”. Phil replied, “Oh I understand, went on a 45 min run and climbed the hill to the zoo, now off to bed again”. I LOLed and kept on trucking.

The next 30 miles where nothing short of brutal. I still can’t decide whether climbing (what it felt like 45% grades) is better than descending, but what I can say is that this is by far the hardest, most rewarding race I have ever done.  Running, climbing, crawling, cursing (yet no crying) through the French and Swiss alps is an unbelievable experience, one I would hope to repeat.

To my sister, Joel, Gabriel & Santiago – merci pour tout!

To Jen (who was able to come last minute and chase me around the mountains to make sure I was ok) thank you! Eternally grateful. And to my Coach…. Thank you for believing in me more than I believe in myself. For pushing me to places I did not know existed. For asking just that much more from me.

#racerelentless

IM Florida 70.3 - Tori

In 2017 my coach and I decided that I was just going to build fitness and make 2018 my comeback/redemption year. I had so many life things happen post IMTX 2016 and I needed a reset. I was recovering from thyroid surgery, a PCS move with the military and the joys of home searching/buying. There was so much going on, I was having a hard time just focusing on me.

Fast Forward to 2018. Coach and I laid out the plan for the year with much flexibility built in. IMFL 70.3 would be a redemption race, I DNF’d it in 2015 (my first DNF) and I felt like I really need to go back and conquer the course. If nothing else, so I could finally wear the hat/T-shirt/backpack with pride.

Leading up to IMFL 70.3, my mother falls ill. First with a stroke, then a cancer diagnosis. After all the testing and appointments, surgery is scheduled just 4 days before the race. Of course this is the second thought in my head as moms tells me the plan. The first of course being that I need to get off work to be there. The second, is to tell her it’s the week of the race. We discuss, she’s adamant I go and race. My training has been minimal at this point, my fitness is there but it wasn’t going to be a rockstar kind of day. I called my coach to discuss, she asked if I was dropping out. I tell her NO!! We devise the plan.

April 4th- Mom goes into surgery for cancer. Upon waking up from surgery I ask her again if she’s sure she wants me to leave, and in her drugged up state, she says yes. I’m certain she would have said yes without those drugs 😉 So, I leave 24 hours after her surgery, drive to FL. Typical pre race things happen: Bike tune up, eat all the food, check in to race, get all the gear, hug friends, get off feet and relax. I opted not to leave my bike there overnight (Big storms were coming through) and instead brought it with me race morning to check in. I was staying with my donut loving, life giving friend Ashley and she truly was a Godsend during this entire weekend. She was so patient and just so willing to do whatever I needed. It’s great to have these kind of friends, I was still so worried about my mom and I couldn’t think clearly most of the time.

Race morning we get up so early (This is the only thing I hate about racing!) and get things ready to go. Drive to the race (I don’t remember much about the morning) and check the bike in, set up transition and get mentally ready to make new memories on this course, the one that broke my heart for the first time. I need to mention that I’m racked with my HitSquad teammates and they make the morning much easier, each of them asking about my mom and wishing me and her the best. These guys became my instant extended family. 

The Swim: They changed the race to a rolling start- my absolute favorite way to race an IM! (Many people hate it) I seat myself in the 45-50 minute group, because this is where I know I’ll end up. The last time I did this race I finished the swim in 1:11:13, just a hair over the 1:10 limit. Hence the DNF. For the 2018 race it was wetsuit legal, just barely, but I was suited up and ready to go. Amy found me in the sea of 2000 people and hugged me tight, causing my goggles to leak..(or maybe that was my happy tears). It was nice to see her just before I entered the water giving me the thumbs up that I could do this. As with every race, if you can get out of the water in time, you will finish. For the first 500 yds it was a battle royale. So congested, so many people. I did everything I could to find my own space. At the first buoy I was reminded why I said I would never do this race again- it is just too crowded. Like seriously you have to swim on the grass outside the lake to avoid people. But I kept my mind in the game, focused on each stroke and finally emerged at the finish in 50:22, 21 minutes better than last time.

A quick run through transition and on the bike. I was a little excited about the bike because I had a really great bike split on this race before (racing mad does that for you!) and I was looking forward to besting it. One tiny problem- I was very undertrained for this race. It was hot, hilly and again, crowded. I enjoy riding with people around me, but I do not enjoy having to ride two and three abreast to keep from drafting. At times it held me up, at times I had to push hard to get out of a pack and get my piece of the shoulder back. It was a great ride, cool at first, and then hot. I got behind on my fluids (I’m beginning to see this as a thyroid issue-I’m just not thirsty) but didn’t realize it until later. I climbed the hills, I pushed hard, I gave that bike my all and finished in 3:31:31, 10 minutes slower than I had raced it before. I was a little disappointed in this but knew at least I would have legs to run on. My heart really believed I could race it much faster, so I took that disappointment out on the run.

In transition I’m by myself on my rack and on the next row is a girl who is very excited to get off her bike and go run. She’s beaming with excitement and telling her support crew how much fun she’s having. I don’t mean to, but I laugh out loud and ask her if it’s her first race. She says no, but says it’s the first one she has enjoyed. I smiled big and wished her the best run. Meanwhile I was telling myself how much the rest of this day was going to suck and how this was going to be my last year of racing triathlons. I grab my stuff, hit the porta john, and run out, up the first of many hills.

The Run: I remember this run from the last time, except now the road was paved. It’s three loops, with hills in the first two miles over every loop, and inclines the other two miles. A total elevation gain of 486 feet! I had a plan going in, I had been running the hills in my neighborhood, I knew I could get up them. It was so hot at this point, no clouds, and did I mention hilly? Paramedics were on every corner, ice was at every aide station. I walked up the hills, ran down the hills and the jogged the flats. I was starting to feel the effects of heat exhaustion. I was nauseous, I couldn’t get any fluids in or food. I saw Ashley about 3 miles into the first loop and I told her I was going to drop out of the race. I didn’t feel well, I was overheating and I needed to find shade. She encouraged me to keep going to get to the second loop and reevaluate. Because I couldn’t get fluids in, I poured them on me, I put ice on every major artery. I did everything I could to keep myself in the right mindset. Loop two came and I walked up those hills again. Saw Ashley again told her I was dying but I kept moving. (In front of me a man passed out about 5 minutes later!). I make it through loop 2, see Amy at the finish and tell her I’m dying. She tells me to keep moving. I have the best friends. On loop 3 the clouds come and it looks like rain. I pray for rain. I pray for the clouds to stay. I’m feeling better because I’ve been successful in getting my body temp down and some fluids in. I know I’m going to finish if I have to walk the last 4 miles.

As in all races, I wind up with friends along the course. A man was running behind me, then with me for this last loop and we began to talk. I told him I was walking all inclines, but running downhills and flats. He asked if I minded company. Nope, but I’m not altering my plan. So we ran the last 3 miles together, and I’m so grateful. It really took my mind off what was happening. At the last 1/2 mile he left me, clearly he had more in the tank! I ran in to the finisher shoot and Ashley was waiting with a huge smile for me! That run would be a 2:57:28, my second slowest run in a 70.3. 12 minutes slower than the last time I did it.

It’s easy to compare races, and no two are ever the same, not even on the same course. But the Type A perfectionist in me does it anyway. I tried hard to see the small victories, the great swim time considering my lack of training, the great transition times (I’ve been working on those!), and the fact that I finished this race. All in 7:34:55, 13 minutes slower than my DNF. I also look at it as a huge success considering my mind was totally on getting back in my car and driving the 12 hours back to MS to be with my mom. I pick it apart all the time, and I truly am now finished trying to prove anything to myself with this course. I did prove that I could race without much training- which I DO NOT recommend, and that if I recover properly I can pick up my training right away.

Following IMFL 70.3 I came home to be with my mom. Share all the swag, show her all the photos and talk about the race. I get one chance each time to tell her about it before it’s old news. I could talk about Triathlon every day, if someone wanted to listen. 

So you take the lessons, you apply them, you talk to your coach about them. You reevaluate your year, your plan, your goals. You make new plans, new goals. You move forward. Until it’s not fun anymore, and then you move on. I have two big races left on the calendar this year and I’m going to focus on having fun. If I make it to IMAZ and across the finish line then the process will start all over.

This could be my last year of Triathlons, but I also like the thought of doing Honu and Iceland, Roth and Santa Rosa. Maybe I’ll finish my career with Boulder. But first, I have to go find the fun in racing again.

IM Chattanooga 70.3 - Stephanie

Nov 27, 2017 ... the day I registered for Chatty (also, just 9 days after completing the North Face Endurance Challenge 50-miler and swearing off running for the next month). I was on the phone with Coach A trying to decide what race would be best to try and qualify for Worlds 70.3. We went back and forth about it and then decided Chatty would be a good choice. 2018 was supposed to be the year I would put all eggs in one basket and try and qualify for 70.3 Worlds. I had been too close the prior year and really wanted to be part of that 'dance'.  

As the weeks went by and I continued to register for other races,  2018 went from trying to qualify to racing unbelievable races around the world: Challenge Roth, OCC 56-km (trail) & Berlin Marathon. Challenge Roth became our focus and therefore Chatty would become a long training weekend. 

After a long drive from DC I arrived to Chatty Friday morning, settled in and went out for a shakeout run with Coach. We had planned out the weekend where we would run and bike the days prior to the race and day after the race. Nothing was a surprise. We were using Chatty to build endurance & mental strength. On Friday we went on a short run where we went up just about every climb on the course. I went as far as telling Coach A that if she wanted me to do hill repeats she should have told me so, no need to "lie" to me by telling me we were going on a short run. On Saturday we rode 44 of the 57 miles of the bike course. I knew then that the course would be fast - I was excited - but knew I had to be careful not to over do it on the bike. Although at times I did not really understand why we were working out so much before the race I am so happy we did - there were no surprises Sunday. I knew what to expect and when to expect it. 

Race day started like any other typical race day: 4:30 am alarm, shower, breakfast, go! We arrived to transition around 5:30, laid out our things and took the shuttle to the swim start. Swim was a rolling start so we seeded ourselves with the 27-30 min group. By this point I had already nervously peed myself about 10 times. We walked down the ramp and off we went. 

Swim at Chatty is a fast swim as most of the 1.2 mile course is with current. I settled in, picked my line and swam. At times I got kicked, slapped, and pushed around but for the most part I had plenty of space. I had given myself a range of what I wanted 35-30 min swim. If I nailed this I would come out with at least a 5-min PR. Swim time 29:48 - NAILED it!

As we exited the water we had to run what felt like an eternity to get to our bike. Once in transition I went through it pretty fast and off I went.  My friend had told me I was 18th, time to chase some women down. 

The bike is a 57-mile course with flats, false flats, some climbs and fast descents. I stayed focused keeping my heart rate in check, managing my wattage output as best as I could all while hoping I could catch up to Coach A who I know was a bit ahead of me. At around mile 20-something I did manage to catch up to her. Our Coach is the best, she sang for me, not once but twice. We had to fight off a small group of men that refused to be overtaken by women. Drafting was an issue at times and unfortunately there were no course marshals to control what was going on. All we could do was be patient and ride as safely as we could. Just as I had given myself a range during the swim I also gave myself a range for the bike 2:45-2:40. When I saw that at the 2-hr mark I had biked 43 miles I knew I was well within that range. For the last 12-15 miles I resettled and made sure I flushed out the legs so that they would be ready for the run. Bike time:2:36:20 - PR baby! 

I entered T2 in 7th place... I had chased down 11 women on the bike and now it was time to see what was left in the tank. The run course is 2-loops, mainly flat-ish with some small climbs and some longer descents.  

As I took off running I saw Coach A in transition and was happy to know that I soon would be seeing her on the course and if lucky would be able to run a bit with her. We started the run in what I later found out was a temp of high 80's but felt like hell. It was a dry hot summer day, one I had not experienced yet this year as DC has had a long winter. At around mile 4-ish I began to cramp. I knew I needed to get some salt, keep my core temperature down and go on "survival mode". For the last 6 months I have had some incredible training runs so that gave me the confidence I needed to know that pacing at 8:15 / 8:30 was normal, that I was not going to die. This allowed me to not worry and be able walk the water stations and get the fluids and ice needed. I had a good run, not the best. This time around it was good enough to secure a 7th place.  Run time: 1:54:01

I crossed the finish in 5:06:46 (an 8-min PR) and when I looked up Coach A was there, holding my medal. That moment was incredible. I've trusted her now for over a year and having her place my medal was special. We hugged hard, took a picture to remember that moment and then went on a 15-min run (mental strength training - doing that thing you sure as hell don't want to do) before drinking the most delicious Blue Moon beer I have ever had.