Boise 70.3 Meetup Saturday & Last Day for the Custom Zoot Store!

Holy run laps (6!!) - how did you keep count?

I didn’t make it out to the run😜

It wasn’t too bad; I just knew after everyone else was off the course, I had one more lap 😂

It was great, more like 12×1500m reps!

Felt like a ton! Going by time made it easy enough.

Did you get Tim Hortons?

Absolutely (Blueberry sour cream glazed donut & steeped tea)

My first 3 meals! (Marshmallow cold brew ftw!)

Three times; I think Lisa went 5 times. It’s a national treasure.

Unfortunately, yes. Lisa and I got pizza. Some ragrets.

Lot of turns on the bike course, eh?

Loved that the corners kept it interesting.

Yes, but that was my favorite part because I couldn’t ride more than 200W ☠️, but I could try and take the corners faster

Quite a few, yes! I was able to see on Strava that I lost more time in the technical sections.

Oh yeah! I actually kind of love that. You can’t have any weaknesses here.

Biggest surprise of the weekend?

How electric the crowd was!

When I found out I made no prize money at either T100 finish (editor note: due to wildcards receiving appearance fees 🙃)

Zero surprises for me.

Not much really. Happy with the swim, bike course was wild, and I just hung on for dear life on the run.

What’d you look forward to on the run course?

The crushed gravel

Since it was quite a jog for me, there were these two amazing people (and podcast listeners) who cheered so loud for me each lap!

I looked forward to having the home field advantage and crowd support on the run which I did get!

I passed Jackson 4 minutes in, then got passed by Sam in the final minutes, and that was it.

How was the crowd support?

Incredible. Racing later meant more people had time to get there and really get into it.

The crowd support was quite awesome!

It was nice to get all the cheers from the Canadian fans.

Transition was popping! The sections through campus were pretty low-key.

Funniest thing that happened this weekend?

Seeing Lisa swim directly towards a sea lion in swim familiarization!

The caboose moto rolled up to me as I was pedaling slowly along the course and asked if I wanted a draft home (they were kidding) but made me laugh 😂 

Marc false starting on the swim and not getting a penalty.

Lisa and Jackson forgot warm clothes, so I had to lend them all of mine.

How are T100 pro meetings compared to other pro meetings?

Relaxed and the athletes had input.

Pretty similar, we always have something to complain about 😂

Pretty much the same except we got to sit on nice lounge chairs and couches.

Short, sweet, precise, and really well done. They allow for athlete feedback and aren’t afraid to tweak things.

Did you know about the killer whales before racing?

I didn’t know about the orcas, thank goodness!

I didn’t! People kept calling them orcas, and I didn’t know that orcas and killer whales are the same thing 😂

Still don’t think anyone has ever been attacked by a sea creature during a triathlon so I’m concerned about trying not to get dropped 😂

We heard they’re rarely seen where we were, so honestly, that was pretty cool.

Was there a moment during the race that you felt stronger than your previous self?

I had run issues early at mile 4.5. In the past, I would have felt defeated and demoralized, but I went into problem-solving mode. I let myself walk for 60 seconds - took in lots of nutrition, hydration, and caffeine, and never had to walk again!

First loop of the bike.

On the bike - I kept seeing power numbers in my target range; this was a welcome change from my last race!

What was your mantra during the dark moments?

I didn’t have a mantra, but I sang silly songs - definitely had some audible “let’s go” out loud as well.

“Suffering like this is still a privilege. Don’t waste it, and don’t wuss out.”

“You just have to keep moving forward.”

When did you start actually racing?

I went out hard to make the front group on the first lap of the swim, so right from the gun.

From the gun 😅 I struggle to keep up with the swimmers.

Mile 2 of the run, when it finally flattened out and I could feel my pace, but then I stopped racing again at mile 6(!) and it was pure survival.

Was there a spectator who unexpectedly impacted your race?

All the volunteers! They were out in the rain all day. The race wouldn’t have happened without their help and support.

A fellow racer whose dad was cheering. He always called out my name. My dad couldn’t come to this race and he’s been to all my other Ironmans. At one point he said “I know your dad is proud of you today!” and it meant so much.

I was so surprised to see Alyssa Godesky, someone I looked up to when I first started racing triathlon. She’s had two surgeries and is now back to doing wild multi-day racing adventures. She always gives the best race intel!

What part of your personality shows up most loudly when you’re deep in the pain cave?

My tenacity and stubbornness. During an Ironman there are times when your entire body is telling you to slow down or stop, but you have to find a way to keep going. I think that’s what make these types of races so rewarding.

My stubbornness. And my inner mean girl (directed at myself, for better or worse).

My logical mind. I constantly check in to see if I’m eating and drinking enough, and I evaluate if my condition is improving or not.

At what mile were you confident you would finish?

I know I’d finish at the start barring any bike issues or major injury. But going out on the second lap of the run is where you can really start imagining the finish line.

Mile 14 of the run. I was over halfway through - no point of turning back then.

Mile 20 of the run. The pulverized feeling in my quads was unchanged, and I was gaining time on the women behind me.

What emotion hit you first at the finish line?

Thankfulness! Thankful for a body that is able to do these crazy events. Thankful to supporters, volunteers, my coach, RTS. Thankful to be done!

I was lucky to finish with a new friend (and fan of the RTS podcast) - it was his first Ironman. I got to feel so much joy for him - combined with relief that it was over.

Relief. I’m so glad it’s over, and I don’t know if I want to accept my Kona slot. Then I immediately sat at a table and cried.

If you had to pick the swim, bike, or run and repeat it at every race for the rest of your career, which would you choose?

The swim!!! Super fun to have a rope line about 3 feet below the entire swim course. Hardly had to sight. I also love swim skin swims!

I guess the swim. But this was a rough day for me so I rally don’t want any of it to repeat too much 😅 

The bike! I didn’t get antsy until the last 45 minutes or so.

7/26 Boise 70.3: Jackson Laundry, Nick Chase, Ice Cream Meetup!

8/2 Muscatine: Dominika Jamnicky, Rachel Mensch

9/7 Santa Cruz 70.3: Jackson Laundry, Nick Chase, Lisa Becharas, Rachel Mensch, Liz Licea, Tom Robey

8/16 XTERRA Ruidoso: Ali O’Donnell

8/16 XTERRA Germany: Sam Teller

9/27 XTERRA Worlds: Ali O’Donnell, Sam Teller

8/17 Louisville 70.3: Jackson Laundry, Nick Chase, Greg Harper, Dominika Jamnicky, Vant Lammers, Alexander Frank, Amanda Macuiba, Liz Licea

9/28 IRONMAN Chattanooga: Nick Chase, Kate Curran(?), Alexander Frank, Amanda Macuiba

9/28 Augusta 70.3: Lisa Becharas, Vant Lammers, Tom Robey

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