Iron Fit Endurance Triathlon Training on Long Island

As we enter the 2024 triathlon season, I enter my 10^th season with Iron Fit Endurance!  I’ve been reflecting on my 10 years coaching triathletes and it is incredible to see how far it has come and how different it is than I ever imagined.  The people I’ve had the pleasure to work with and the things I’ve witnessed really make my job the best in the world!  I’ve coached great athletes who later became top pros, people who never did physical activity until they were adults and everyone in between.  I’ve witnessed athletes of mine becoming the best of friends and I personally have met and become close friends with so many of the people I coach.  I’ve been inspired watching athletes of mine battle cancer with nothing but a positive attitude.  I've had an athlete of mine organize his own Ironman when races were cancelled during Covid.  I’ve coached husbands and wives, and their kids!  I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring a 23-year-old who had big dreams, but questionable follow through to become an incredible athlete into his 30's.  I’ve raced in Kona with a group of my athletes that qualified to be there too!  I’ve been amazed as people with crazy lives manage to do it all, fitting in training family and long work hours.  Athletes with ailments, like heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis work with myself and their doctors to do everything they can to stay active, healthy and accomplish their goals instead of just throwing in the towel.  My group is the BEST around and I think I may be the luckiest coach on the planet.

THANK YOU EVERYONE who I’ve had the pleasure of working with for the past 10 years.  Iron Fit Endurance 2014-2024 and still going strong!  Here are some of my favorite pictures throughout the years (too many to choose from!)!

I wanted to share this race report that I sent out to my athletes the morning after racing Ironman Lake Placid.  What I love and hate about Ironman is the unknown.  You can plan and train and you still never know what can happen on race day.  The ups and downs are great and the mental fortitude to push throughout the day to get to that finish line is immense.  I hadn’t raced Ironman Lake Placid since 2010.  Back then I was racing as a Pro.  Coming back now, 13 years later, I remember what is so special about the place.  It is a “hometown race” for us.  I felt as if everyone in the crowd knew me.  Not just my athletes, but also friends from the past that I’ve raced with through the years. 

Racing an Ironman with a group is the best.  I was fortunate to have an incredible group of athletes racing with me this year and we had an even more incredible group of spectators that came up to watch us.  It truly is that journey that matters most.  Training with others, the daily banter, spending the days before the race together and recapping the next day over breakfast.  These are the things that I treasure most. 

My 21st Ironman didn’t go quite as expected, but they rarely do!

Jodi and I lined up right at the front of the "1 Hour-1:05 Group".  It was so amazing to start next to Jodi for this one, as most of my swim starts are solo.  We hugged and before you know it, we were in the water!  My first thought was that I made a mistake wearing my full-sleeved wetsuit!  The water was warm, and my shoulders and arms were killing me from the get-go, as it was snug fitting!  And the loop felt SO long!  After the first loop, I tried to mentally prepare to go back in and do it again.  It was rough, especially the 2nd loop (not from wind, but from all the athletes!).  Halfway into the second loop I saw Jodi just ahead in a group and it brought a smile to my face to know she was having a great swim and going to win the swim portion of our group bet (which including everything from time splits to number of times you peed in the race, transitions, etc.)! The pic below is me coming out of the swim with our cheering squad (Joe Wines, Staci and Taylor Blanket, Julie Michels and Mary Beth Lichtneger!

Through T1 quickly and onto the bike.  The legs didn't feel "great", but experience tells me to give them time!  I started focusing on hydration and nutrition right away.  Halfway into the loop I started to feel slightly nauseous (very unlike me).  From that time until the end of the first loop I was fantasizing about running over something sharp, or a pulling over and causing a blow out in my rear tire so I couldn't continue.  I was hoping for that the entire time! That would give me an excuse to end my day without having to DNF on my own!  These are the crazy thoughts you have to get through the dark points in Ironman!

Coming through town on loop 1 was incredible!  First, I saw Julie, Staci, Marybeth, Joe and Joanne screaming for me!  Heading through town, I felt the entire crowd knew me!  It was amazing. Then I got to see my parents, which was awesome (a sight I have been used to since first Ironman in 2001 at the age of 24!).  I started getting choked up as I headed out for loop 2...  I thought loop 2 would be disastrous after going through loop 1 nauseous and praying for a major flat to end my day, but I ended up feeling pretty good!  I "shut off my brain".  meaning that I tried not to think about the fact that I had to do this really hard loop again! That was too much to contemplate!  My back started to really hurt, so I'd try to stretch on any downhill that I could.  I was just happy the nausea went away, and with that, so did my thoughts and dreams of sabotaging my day!  At the end of the bike, probably 3 or 4 miles to go, a storm rolled through, and it was pouring!  I lost my helmet visor as I was trying to "defog" it ("No way I am stopping to pick that up at this point in the race!"  I said to myself).

Again, going through town I felt like a rock star!  I was told that I was in the lead in my age group!   In and out of T1 quickly, and onto the run I saw my parents first and then the IFE group!  I felt great and I was psyched.  The run is my strength, so I felt confident I could hold my lead.  I started running my "all day pace".  I knew I could run the entire marathon without stopping, and though I would most likely slow down the 2nd loop, I felt confident that I had first place tied up. 

Out to River Road, I focused on eating, hydrating and salt ("gel, water and coke at the next aid station; salt, coke and water at the next, repeat, repeat").  I peed (while running) 7 times on that loop and thought that was very odd.  I always pee, but 7 times in the first 11 miles was strange.

 Coming through town to finish off loop 1 was amazing!  Julie, Staci, Mary Beth and Joe were going nuts!  It was awesome!  I also saw John Caffrey as I ran past the run special needs, which was awesome.  I felt like everyone around the lake knew me and was screaming my name and I learned that I had 6 minutes "and building" on my next competitor.  "Just keep moving forward" was my mantra.  I would be fine!

 Finally, heading out for loop 2 I started to feel some stomach troubles out of the blue (the nausea on the bike is catching up with me? I thought).  I quickly dipped into the woods to take care of that and got back to running.  About 1 mile later, same thing.  Dip in the woods, but this time I came out also feeling dizzy... "keep moving forward, Danielle"....  then again it happened, and again.  Finally at mile 19, I had to stop and walk.  As I mentioned before I pride myself on my will to keep running without stopping.  Well, that went out the window!  

I was getting "loopy", and I was swerving around on the road (dazed and confused).  I did that past a medical check and one of the EMT's urged me to come over and "take a seat".  "OK", I said, and I thought, "well this will be it for me!  My race is over! " They started asking me questions (where I am from, etc.), took my blood pressure and pulse (both were fine! "Her blood pressure during extreme exercise is better than mine!" they joked.  "I must just be a big be wimp then if my blood pressure and pulse are fine!"  I joked back).

They asked if I had been hydrating (I told them I had been, but in hindsight, maybe it just wasn't enough on the bike?  I did take in 6 bottles of Maurten as well as water in my aero bottle, but maybe that wasn't enough on this day?  Also, I thought about my peeing 7 times on the first loop and how that was odd...so maybe I hydrated too much?  It's always a puzzle that you try to figure out!).  The EMT's urged me to "relax" in the comfy chair for a bit.  That sounded fantastic!  But when I heard that my vitals were GOOD, I found the will to get up and go.  I was still "loopy", and the next aid station wasn't far, so I shuffled over and walked through, trying to take in more fluids, some potato chips, and then start running again.  I just assumed my lead was no longer, and that was OK.  

At mile 22 I saw more EMTS and walked over to them.  I told them that I was stopped at the last check, but my vitals were OK.  "Do you want to drop out?", they asked.  I gave it a good thought for a second (part of me really wanted to drop out!) but I knew I couldn't., "No, I'm going to see if I can keep going".  About a mile later, I saw Bobby, and he told me I still had a 2-minute lead. "I do?!"  this perked me up!  "Danielle...you can do this!", I said to myself.  I started shuffling along.  I also started feeling better!  My pace wasn't fast, but I felt I could hold onto my lead.  I "ran" (shuffled) up the big hill in town. "No stopping now Danielle!" I said to myself!  "You can run 3 miles!"  Just past mile 25, I was told I had 20 seconds on 2nd place!!! "What?!!!" I yelled.  "20 seconds?!!!!!!"  I started to run as fast as I could!  I saw Mike Monastero and he told me to "empty the tank!"  "It's already empty!", I yelled as I started "sprinting (it felt like sprinting anyway!).  I ran as hard as I could for that last mile to the line, running in the 7:20's for the last 3/4 of a mile (it felt like 6:20's!).

Crossing the line (Jow Wines was my "catcher"!), I thought I would break down, but I was in disbelief of what I just did, and how hard that day was, so I just stood there and contemplated on how hard that was.  I then saw my parents and gave them a hug as I tried to take in some fluid and food.

Minutes later we checked, and I learned that I had a good 3-4 minutes on 2nd place.  I couldn't believe that the day turned around as it did and that I was there, in the oval after a battle from the start!  My 21st Ironman, 5th Lake Placid, 13 years later.  Nothing was easy on this day!  This will go down as one of my hardest ever!

Thank you to my athletes for their amazing support!  I am truly lucky.

Below are pics of Magda and Greg Petryk and Jodi Cameron finishing up their races!

I was discussing the mental side of sport with an athlete of mine yesterday and it had me reflecting on my own mental growth throughout my triathlon career.

2022 was my 25th season in triathlon and it was very much a “mental” season for me.  I had a goal of making it to Kona again to race my 20th Ironman, but come summertime, I found myself wondering if I wanted to race an Ironman again!  While I was training, I didn’t fully commit mentally to racing Ironman Mont Tremblant until 3 weeks before race day.  After a rough Kona in 2019, and 3 years OFF racing Ironman, I found myself intimidated by the distance!  Who would think?  At that point I had raced 18 Ironman, had raced as a Pro, was fortunate to race KONA as a Pro. One would think I would have it in the bag, but the truth is, I wondered if I still had it in me to race an Ironman well.

I spent the two weeks before race day really working on my mental game.  I worked on my mental strength and self-talk daily.  Simple things like preparing myself to be positive on race day, to never give up, to stay strong.  I got to Canada and felt excited to race again!  The day before the race I received a different type of mental motivation to race well.  One of my best friends, Simon (an Ironman legend in his own right) called to tell me his wife was not doing well and was in fact dying.  This hit me hard.  My focus shifted from me to Simon and Ingrid.  I told Simon they would both me in my thoughts throughout race day, this one was for them.  As I started the race, I thought of them both and vowed to remain positive and never give up for them.  That’s exactly what I did all day.  I had a great race and I dedicated it to my dear friends.

After discussing this with Simon the next day, he was touched and said that he did similar “mental games” during an Ironman.  Before the race he strategically “placed” loved ones who were no longer with him, as well as those who still are, along the course to provide motivation and inspiration throughout his day.  I truly believe your mental game must be 100% ON to race well, and this is something we ALL must work on.  What is your "why?" on race day?

5 weeks later, I went to Kona.  I never felt recovered from IMMT and I didn’t have that same mental “ON switch” that I had for my last race.  I was tired physically, but more so MENTALLY.  I found it exhausting to find that same motivation that I had in Canada.  I couldn’t focus enough to get my mental game set.  It showed throughout my day.  I never felt “good”, I went through the motions, and during the run I started to really faulter.  It was a sub-par performance from start to finish.  This is where the mental growth comes in...  20 years ago, I may have been devasted.  This year, I wasn’t.  I took it in stride.  I’ve been at this a long time, and I know that some days you are ON and some days, way OFF.  We see it with pros and age groupers all the time.  Despite preparation, some races will go terribly wrong for you while others will be super smooth!  This is all part of the journey!

Instead of getting upset if a race or workout doesn’t go as planned, try reflecting on the entire process and journey. Appreciate what you are doing and who you are doing it with.  Kona 2022 may not have been a “fast race” for me, but it was a great trip!  I spent time with Simon, I got to share my 20th Ironman with my friend Bob (also his 20th), both Simon and Bob “caught me” at the finish line, and I got to share my Kona journey with 5 of my athletes who were all there racing for the first time!  I left Kona happy and content, but my fire inside is still there.  My motivation to “do it right” is very strong, so I will be back!

Here are some of the many pics of my IFE athletes this season.  This is what it’s all about!

Happy Training and racing!

Dee

As we enter this triathlon season, I’ll be entering my 25th year in the sport. I’ve been doing triathlon more than half my life and I still love it, which is amazing in itself.  Triathlon has made my life so rich is many different ways:  right out of College it gave me another outlet to compete; I was fortunate to qualify and race as a Pro in my late 20’s and early 30’s; I met my long-term partner, George through the sport (cycling together with mutual friends 17 years ago), I’ve been able to make a living through the sport, as a coach; and I’ve met and coached the most incredible people, with the most inspiring stories. I've learned a lot about myself along the way, and truly believe its the experiences, the people and the journey along the way that's most memorable.  Thinking back these are the things that I cherish, not the wins and the trophies.

I’ve raced every year since 1998, minus one season that took me out due to injury, and of course raced "virtually" in 2020 due to the pandemic.  Ive finished 18 Ironman races, started 20 (2 DNF’s), I've qualified for Kona 7 times and have been to Kona 6 times (the title picture is me in Kona 2005, 27 years old).  This year I’ll be racing Ironman Mont-Tremblant in hopes of going to Kona for the 7th time alongside my athletes Leah, Shayne and John Caffrey (and possibly others who qualify this season!).  If I qualify, Kona will be my 20th Ironman.  After all this time, the thought of it still gives me goosebumps, so I take that as a good sign.  I hope each of you finds a race or a goal that gives you goosebumps!

I want to share some highlights from 2021 as I look forward to the 2022 season...

 Erin, Radek, Phil, myself and Joe started of the season with a trip to FL to race IM Gulf Coast 70.3!  Phil, Radek and myself left with slots to the IM 70.3 World Championships in St. George!

After not racing in 2020, Kurt got back in the race scene again. Kurt moved to Ohio a few years ago, but I'm still fortunate to coach him!

 Todd and Mark both qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships at the IM Mussleman 70.3!

We had our 5th Annual IFE World Championships, always a highlight to our season!   

Alex did his first tri, Mighty Hamptons, along with veteran triathlete, Mike Scanlon:  

Julie competed in and finished both IM Mussleman 70.3 and IMAC 70.3:  

Hilary and Katie both finished their first Maggie Fischer Memorial Cross Bay Swim, 5.6 Miles across the Great South Bay:

RJ competed in his first Ironman with a great finish, at IMMD:  

Erin, Mark, Radek, Todd and myself raced the IM 70.3 World Championships in Utah: 

Unfortunately, Phil had a bike accident preventing him from going to Utah to race!  He'll be back stronger than ever this year!

Shayne had a breakthrough race at IMMD, placing 2nd in his age group and qualifying for Kona:  

I got to race the Montauk Lighthouse Sprint Tri again, 19 years later, alongside my 18-year-old athlete Olivia, who is currently racing D1 Triathlon at the University of Denver!

Jeffrey Reynolds finished his first Ironman, IMFL, on a brutal weather day!

Leah (2nd from right),Johnny (far left) and Jeff (far right) had a big days at IM Maine 70.3 posting PR's!  

Staci and Joe (far right) finished their first Ironman, IMLP in fantastic style!

John Edwards had mechanical issues at Placid, but finished the season with Mighty Hamptons and Mightyman Montauk 70.3:  

That's just a handful of the highlights from IFE's 2021 season! 

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy fun and fast 2022!  

Here's to year 25!

It's been such a great spring for Iron Fit Endurance.  Races are BACK and feels especially exciting this year after all we have been through!  I was recently asked the question, "What motivates you to do triathlon?  WHY put yourself through the suffering?"  My answer? "It's the challenge that I looked forward to in my life, also the competition is something that draws me to the sport and continues to do so after 23 years."  As my first race of the season neared (Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3 this past weekend), I realized that it was even more than that.  I love the idea of a faraway goal that I get to work towards, I love being "race fit", I love the excitement as you start tapering, the feeling that the hard work and sacrifices are done and now it's time to rest and get psyched for race day.  The prep, planning, travel, excitement of race week, the nerves... I love it all!  Even better when you have others to share in your excitement as I did this past weekend with my friends and athletes Erin, Radek, Phil, and Joe.  The race banter, seeing each other before the swim start, seeing each other out on the course and finally the celebration after.  This is what really draws me to racing after 23 years in the sport!

Here are some race results from 2021 so far!

Local Races!  Race Awesome Cedar Creek Duathlon and Event Power's Mother's Day Duathlon:

Shayne had a great season opener placing 4th overall at the Cedar Creek Du with a super fast run.  He backed that up with another great Duathlon finish (2nd Age Group, 9th Overall) at The Event Power Mothers Day Duathlon

Alex made his multisport debut with an impressive first Duathlon at the Cedar Creek Duathlon.  His goal is to tow the line at an Olympic Distance this year!

Scott Janicola was back at it with a 2nd place Age Group finish at the Cedar Creek Duathlon:

Phil Brogan started the season with an Age Group Win at the Cedar Creek Duathlon:

Staci Blanket and Johnny Graziano both got flats at the Cedar Creek Du, but Staci was back at it getting 2nd place overall female at the Event Power Mother's Day Du.  Staci is one gifted athlete and runner as you can see here!

Katie Hughes got back to racing again and had an awesome first race back at the Mother's day Du!  She got 4th in her Age Group!

Mark Shannon made his Duathlon debut crushing it with an Age Group Win!  He'll be doing his first 70.3 in July!

Olivia placed 4th in the TT and has been crushing the Junior Elite Circuit with some fast racing and a spot to Nationals in July!  She'll be racing for the University of Denver Women's Tri Team in the fall!!

Event Power Mini Mightyman Pool Triathlon!

Gordon started off the season with an age group win, as he does so often!

Jeffrey Reynolds also raced the Mini Mightyman and placed 3rd in his age group!

Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3:

Erin Miller, Joe Wines, Phil Brogan, Radek Jakubowski and myself travelled down to Panama City Beach this past weekend for the IM Gulf Coast 70.3 race.  We had a blast while putting down some impressive races!

Radek placed 4th in his age group (missing 3rd by just 1 second!!).  He totally crushed the bike with a 2:18 split and also put up a PR run (and PR 70.3 race) earning him a slot to 70.3 worlds in St. George!  

Phil crushed the bike as well and put up an impressive PR race, breaking 5 hours for the first time,  and earning a spot to 70.3 worlds in St. George as well!

I also had a great race, breaking 4:50 for the first time in many years, winning my age group and earning a slot to 70.3 worlds!

Here we are Radek, myself and Phil at the awards and slot allocation as well as the group celebrating our races:

Erin had a strong race despite having some issues with nausea that we pegged down to not taking in enough sodium...that's OK!  Races are where we can see what went right and wrong and adjust.  She still finished 19th in the age group and will be back to rock the next 70.3!

Joe had a solid race all around, putting out a strong swim in rough conditions and a rocking bike.  He also lacked sodium intake on the bike which affected the latter half of the run.  This was Joe's first race back in over 5 years and it was a fantastic start to the season.  He'll be racing Ironman Lake Placid in July and this race was a perfect way to test out what did and did not work so he can nail it at IMLP!  

Good luck to everyone as they prepare for their races this season!  Enjoy every minute, have fun with your training partners, set goals and be proud of what you can accomplish with hard work and determination! 

Happy training and racing! 

Dee

Since my last blog, during the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve personally struggled with inspirational words to help others navigate through these uncertain times, however I have found inspiration through others!  So many of my athletes have inspired me along the way and I feel compelled to share this in hopes that it can inspire others to do great things, get out of a rut, do something positive or at the very least just read something that isn’t negative.  Here is my list of inspirational Iron Fit Endurance athletes!

DEAN BRUNO:  East Moriches Ironman

Dean had been training for Ironman Lake Placid when we decided that it would be too risky for him to compete, even if the race did happen in 2020.  He told me that he wanted to do an Ironman that day anyway (yes, I thought he was nuts!)  …and just like that, the East Moriches Ironman was born!  Dean meticulously planned an event that could rival any race out there!  I was fortunate to do the swim with Dean (an unforgettable memory), a little over half the bike and half the run as well.  All who were involved in this event were forever changed and inspired by Dean’s grit, determination, and organization.  The feeling of love was palpable as Deans friends and family gathered to support him that day, and Bobby Moore (a friend of Deans) decided to jump in and compete as well.  Yes, they both smashed their PR’s in unforgettable fashion!

STACI BLANKET:  Positivity always wins!

Staci had a terrible bike accident in July.  One that required hip surgery to insert pins along with a broken leg and many other injuries.  Staci could have wallowed in self-pity (she missed being a part of Dean’s EMOIM race, couldn't walk and the prognosis for recovery looked bleak), however she came out of surgery with a positive attitude despite being in severe pain and not being able to walk!  Staci dedicated herself to recovery, never uttering a negative word, and today Staci is way ahead of her doctor's predictions of where she would be at this point!  She is back to teaching spin class, sending our team strength workouts, and even rocking the run again!  A true inspiration!  Here's Staci back out on her bike for the first time:

HILARY TOPPER:  Do something you have never done before!

Hilary decided to challenge herself this year by doing her first ever 70.3 Aqua Bike!  Hilary had never biked 50 miles let alone string together a 1.2 Mile swim and 56-mile bike, but she did it this year!  I was fortunate to witness her swim (she came out of the water saying that she wished the swim were longer)!  I then hopped on the bike to do the beginning with her.  Despite not having an actual “race”, Hilary pushed herself and accomplished something she did not think she could do just a few months before!  So awesome!

RJ Ehli also found inspiration to create his own race after IM Chattanooga 70.3 was cancelled, so he decided to do his own 70.3 event...his very first 70.3!

Shayne Lewis also decided to try something different..by running 30 miles on Fire Island...from Robert Moses Field 5 to Davis Park and back!

ALEX MATTHEW:  From Heart attack to 50 Mile Ultra-Run!

It was the fall of 2019 when Alex had his major heart attack.  His first words to his Doctor?  "when can I run again?"!  Talk about determined, Alex started walking back and forth down the hallways of his hospital after major surgery!  Alex never backed down and set the bar high.  After running his first marathon a few months prior to the heart attack (Alex always a character actually ran 29 miles that day after making a wrong turn!) Alex set his sights on Ultra running.  I was so lucky to be able to act as his "crew" for part of the 50 Miler and was so impressed with his fortitude, positive attitude, and incredible ability to organize every detail!  Alex had every minute laid out for his crew so that when he came around, we knew exactly what food to give him, what to fill his bottles with and when to charge his phone!  I'm excited to see what Alex thinks up next year!

JEFFREY REYNOLDS:  Run every day!

Jeff starting running daily over the summer, even if it was just one mile.  He enjoyed the challenge of keeping it up and now Jeff is up to a 177-day run streak and he’s still going!  Just finding something small to keep you going every day is a great way to stay engaged and positive!  Go Jeff!  Thanks for the inspiration!

As a team we did some different things to keep us engaged and motivated:  The IFE Summer Challenge was an 8-week team competition in which we created 7 person teams.   Teams received points each week in different categories (swim, bike, run, strength, wellness, indulgences, etc.) …this was a super fun way to interact and compete with one another!  The pictures below: Part of the IFE Summer Challenge winning team Jackie, Joann, Todd, and Maureen (Jeff, Gabby and Erin are missing) and a 5K race that counted towards IFE Summer Challenge points with Shayne, Gabby, R.J., Deepak and Olivia:

The IFE World Championships is a yearly tradition, and I was really happy to have it again this summer!  Below are the podium winners: Arioch, Christina, and Jose (Top Relay), Shayne, Dean and Mark (Top 3 Overall), Noah and Todd 2nd place relay), Jackie Mike and JB (top Aqua bike)

We also just had the IFE 5K, 10K and ½ marathon which had Mark Shannon running his first ½ marathon ever, along with Christa Dwyer and Julie Michels running a PR in her ½ marathon!  This was a great way to challenge ourselves!

So, while I may have been at a loss for words on how to navigate through these crazy times, my athletes have showed me that despite races in 2020, we can still rock some amazing accomplishments!!

Happy Training and racing!!

Dee

I have a lot of questions from my athletes recently, regarding my thoughts on the season ahead and whether or not there will be races as we know it.  I thought I would share my thoughts at this point in time.  While I don't claim to have all the answers, this can help to keep you staying positive in these uncertain times:

Obviously, none of us know if there will be races in 2020, or if races will be postponed to late summer and fall.  I suggest planning out a couple of scenarios in your head, so you are mentally prepared for anything!

Scenario #1) Races are cancelled for 2020. 

Prepare yourself mentally for this to happen and make a "what if" plan. Everyone is going to be different here!  Some people will look toward 2021, some will need a break, some will work on weaknesses, some will continue as normal...

For me, I have been working on bringing back some speed in the run and working on strength on the bike.  I have personal goals that I have in mind that I will continue to work on.  In the meantime, I will continue to race the Iron Fit Endurance Virtual races that I have set up for my athletes.  I also plan on hopping into other virtual races (like Rev 3) from time to time.  I feel like this will give me an opportunity to test myself. 

I encourage my athletes to do the same!  For example, our Iron Fit Endurance April Virtual Duathlon was a huge success!  Iron fit Endurance athletes really stepped up to the plate and pushed themselves!  We have an IFE Strava group set up so we can see what everyone is doing and encourage one another.  There was a real "race feel" to this event and I will be making up new events monthly for my athletes to test themselves and encourage one another!    

I personally feel great satisfaction in working hard and pushing myself, so I will continue to do so even if races are cancelled for 2020...What will your 2020 look like if there are no "official races?" 

Scenario #2) There are late summer races and races in the fall: 

Perhaps races do end up happening in the late summer and fall...what is your plan then?  Do you still plan on training for your big "A" race?  Do you keep yourself in good enough shape to make that decision at a later date?  Do you just hold off on focused training for another year?  Do you keep up with training but race in 2021 instead? 

Again, this will be different for everyone!

Having a PLAN helps to keep us focused and on track no matter what the outcome is! 

2020 may not be what you had originally hoped for but being flexible and readjusting goals and plans will help to keep you in a positive mindset!

Happy Training and racing and Stay Safe!

Dee :-)

I have so much to catch up on in my blog, including a season recap of Iron Fit Endurance athletes’ accomplishments.  This year marked the 5^th year of Iron Fit Endurance Coaching and it was an incredible year filled with first time Ironman and 70.3 finishes, epic races, the 3^rd annual IFE World Championships, transition clinics, and so much more!  First, I’d like to give my recap of Kona as so many people have been asking me about the race.

After taking a 5-year hiatus from Ironman I decided that I wanted to try to get another slot to Kona as a 40-year old.  That was 2016 and I did so in Ironman Florida.  It wasn’t meant to be as I had to forfeit my slot to Kona in 2017 due to injury.  In 2018 I competed in Ironman Maryland to earn my sot to Kona 2019.  My good friend Bob Spina also qualified in Maryland, so it just seemed meant to be. 

Imagine finding someone with whom you are almost perfectly matched in the swim, bike and run.  Someone who had the same amount of experience as you, someone with whom you plan every week with and laugh with at every workout.  Some days they push you and some days you push them.  That’s Bobby to me.  2019 was the most fulfilling and exciting in all my 22 years of racing.  We trained harder than ever and enjoyed every minute.  In our last long run I was feeling particularly tired and when we finished that 20 miles, I felt that Bob had literally carried me the entire way.  Going into Kona it was number 18 Ironman and number 6 Kona for both of us!  Like I said, this was a special year.  I urge everyone I coach to find SOMEONE to train with, in fact I’ve made training groups for that purpose.  It changes the game.  It elevates your training in every way.  I honestly don’t think I could do it any other way at this point. 

In addition to Bobby I had Jose to do 2x20’s with as well as to drop in on any long ride, Leah who stepped up to another level this year and qualified for Kona along the way!  Gabi who turned into a triathlete this year and showed us what true talent looks like while always bringing positivity to the workouts.  Shayne who was there for us to chase as well as to accompany me in the dark on the track.  Derek who jumped in on long workouts and even brought us catered food at the end of one particularly long one!  All these experiences make a singular goal something so much greater and I want to thank each and everyone who was part of my journey this year!

It had been 12 years since I was last in Kona and it felt like the first time again.  My family was there to support me including my parents, George who took time from work to be there, as well as my good friend Erin.  Of course, Craig Longobardi showed up for the festivities on the Big island as well.  As race day approached, I felt great!  Bob and I took advantage of all the pre-race festivities they offered.  Friday, the day before the race, I woke with a sore throat!  I tried to remain positive.  I texted my good friend Nadine and she put me at ease, still this was certainly not ideal.  Race day arrived and my throat was killing me.  I knew I wasn’t 100%, which was disappointing, but again, I tried to remain positive.  Being at the World Championships is truly incredible.  In every aspect of the race you feel like a rock star and I really tried to take it all in and enjoy it!

At the race start I saw Bobby… “I have a sore throat!” I told him.  He looked at me and took it in.  Then we talked a bit and he gave me a hug ready to line up for the start. “No excuses.  Do the best you can today!” he told me.  That snapped me out of it.  “OK, no excuses”, I thought.  The swim started and I went for it.  I tried to ignore the burning in my throat and just swam hard.  After the turn around I instantly felt sick and threw up in the water!  “OK Danielle, just keep swimming”, so I did, and I felt better.  As I was in sight of the finish, I got sick again…this time I basically emptied my stomach in the water.  I was treading water getting sick and as I looked at the finish, I wondered how I would even get there!  I weakly swam to the finish and continued on autopilot through T1.  As I saw George and Erin, I yelled to them what happened.  Then I saw my parents and did the same… “OK Danielle, enough of the complaining and the excuses…get it together!”.  I saw George one more time and he gave me a look, like “are you OK”?  “yes!  I feel better now!” I yelled. 

Onto the Queen K my power wasn’t where it should have been (it was about 20 watts lower!), but I went with it.  I tried to take in a lot of fluids, but I was just nauseous, so it was tough.  I would gag as I shoved GU’s down my throat, but I knew I had to try and get them in!  I saw my family around Mile 40 and stopped my bike.  “I’m not feeling good” I complained… “you’re still doing well on the tracker!”, they cheered.  “OK”, I thought, “keep going Danielle”, and I did.  I suffered on the way up to Hawi.   The heat and the crosswinds along with the fact that I felt sick to my stomach was a struggle.  As I rounded the turnaround, I began to sob.  I was also trying to choke down half of a PB &J at the time!  Finally, around mile 80 I saw George again.  He was running up the hill next to me and he looked concerned.  “Danielle, you are covered in salt, you have to drink!”  “I’m trying my best; I just feel sick”.  Then I saw my parents and I weakly pedaled past them.  Little did I know that I looked bad enough that my mother, stepped aside and cried for fear of how and I looked.  George told them he wanted to pull me off the course.  He was afraid I’d hurt myself, but I was already on the Queen K back into town.

At the next aid station, I stopped.  I was resting on my handlebars when a volunteer came along to check on me.  “Can I get you something?” he asked.  I was not exactly making a whole lot of sense, so he suggested I get off my bike.  He pulled up a chair for me under a tent and took off my helmet.  I sat there sipping a Gatorade that he gave me.  After 5 or 10 minutes he asked me if he could call over a medic to check me out and I said sure.  The medic checked me, and I was starting to be more “with it”.  He told me I could continue but being sick I really had to pay attention to drinking and taking in salt.  After 10 or 15 min I continued on, weakly (THANK YOU volunteer!).  I ended up hold 109 watts for the last 3 hours of my ride.  That’s about 50-60 watts lower than expected!  As I approached town George appeared in the middle of the road stopping me.  “Danielle, you don’t have to finish this race” he said.  I started crying…  “I have to finish!” I told him.  “I coach so many people who want to finish.  How can I not”?! “Also, there’s a mom out there towing her daughter out on the course, and there’s a double amputee out there!  They are doing something greater than me.  I have to finish!”. 

I took my time in T2 and thankfully the nausea went away for the run!  I was able to shuffle.  The switch from compete to finish was nothing I was prepared for.  That marathon seemed daunting, but I knew I was going to do it.  I kept looking for Bobby.  I heard that he had cramping issues and when I finally saw him on the Queen K (as I was headed toward the Energy Lab and he back into town) we slapped hands and he said, “what a struggle”.  I knew he wasn’t having the day he had trained for and that made me sad.  I reflected on our training together and I felt happy again…  “what an incredible experience” I thought.  As the sun went down in the Energy lab, I look at the ocean and sobbed again, but not for being sad, just for the experience. I put one glow stick on my head and one on my race belt and couldn’t believe it.  Here I was, running in the energy lab in the pitch dark.  I felt a bond with those around me like I’ve never experienced before.  We were out there, in silence, in the dark running towards a finish line.  I’ll never forget it.

As I finally reached the downhill on Palani road (around mile 25) I saw my parents. My mother was crying and gave me a hug.  “I’ve never been prouder of you”.  “this is your finest hour”.  I was of course crying as well.  Running down Alli Drive towards the finish was amazing as I reflected on how I had envisioned my finish would look like during my training, running towards an age group placing.  This time I ran for a finish.  I saw Erin and George just before the finish and gave them high fives.  They were amazing all day long and I thought how much I love them as I ran by.  At the finish Bob was there to put my beads on a give me a hug, again I was sobbing…the emotion from the whole day, the whole build up, got me.  It was a perfect finish.

Thank you, mom and dad, thank you George, thank you Erin, thank you to all my athletes who provide so much inspiration to me, thank you Bobby for making this so special.

Happy training and racing!

Dee