Jill expected somewhere between 10:40 and 11:40 at Kona this year. She finished in 13:14. In this episode she treats herself like any athlete she coaches, going back through the data to separate the conditions, the mistakes and the residual effects of an August 8 crash that totaled her bike and left her with a concussion.

In this episode:

• The August crash: a tubeless tire coming off a hookless rim at nearly 50 mph, the injuries, and a compressed return to training
• Why she pulled out of the 70.3 World Championship in Nice to focus on Kona
• Race morning: the corral water bottle that ended up in the checked bag
• The swim: mixed men's and women's start waves, the five sections of the course, and 6–12 foot swells
• T1: a crowded shared tent, a missing face shield and three minutes lost to calf sleeves that wouldn't go over wet feet
• The bike: power in high zone 3 and low zone 4 while heart rate stayed in zone 2, and why that gap isn't sustainable
• Mile 70: putting her feet down and the pitcher of ice that changed the next ten miles
• Mile 90: flagging down a course marshal for an ice-cold bottle of water
• Wind on the Queen K and to Hawi, and the "slowness penalty" for later bike starters
• Heat strain vs. hyponatremia vs. too many electrolytes, and what her sweat testing says
• What to watch for on a hot race: sweat on your forearms, whether you're peeing on the bike, and signs of confusion
• The run: humidity on Ali'i Drive, the Palani climb, the Queen K "air conditioning," the Energy Lab after sunset and a surprise sprint at the finish line
• Racing after a concussion: what she expected, what she didn't account for, and giving yourself grace

Jill is a certified USAT, USCA and ESCI coach, not a doctor. Nothing in this episode is medical advice.

Next up: runDisney Wine & Dine and IRONMAN Florida.

Be Fierce Multisport is opening a 4,300 sq ft training space in Exton, PA around Thanksgiving, with a gym for triathletes, cyclists and marathoners, a bike shop and a bike fitting studio.

Links:

• Coaching and bike fit consultations: fierce.li/coffeechat
• Be Fierce Multisport: befiercemultisport.com
• Instagram: @thetrimom, @befiercemultisport, Be Fierce & Tri Podcast

If you are training for a Triathlon or Run event of any distance from your first 10k to your first full IRONMAN and beyond, connect with Jill to talk about how to take your performance to the next level! Jill is the Head Coach and owner of Be Fierce Multisport is a full time, professional coach and works with athletes of all skill levels.

We also specialize in training for runDisney race, as Jill is an avid runDisney fan with 7 Dopey finishes and nearly 100 Disney races under her legs - she knows the courses and how to train for them!

Click here to schedule a consultation

Tired of cycling in your basement alone? Peloton and Zwift has gotten old? Try live online group cycling with Be Fierce Multisport - now in Beta and accepting founding members!

Join our virtual group cycling beta at 👉 https://fierce.li/cycling

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro: The results say fourth
• 0:48 Meet Carolyn
• 8:11 The swim
• 16:37 The bike
• 21:15 "The grass is green, the sky is blue"
• 24:40 The run and the mile 22 cramps
• 32:57 Fueling and cooling on hot courses
• 36:48 The accident on the bike course
• 37:41 Road safety for triathletes
• 40:54 Everyone's on a hero's journey
• 42:57 Advice for new long-course athletes
• 46:10 Race kit shadow boxes and wrap-up

If you are training for a Triathlon or Run event of any distance from your first 10k to your first full IRONMAN and beyond, connect with Jill to talk about how to take your performance to the next level! Jill is the Head Coach and owner of Be Fierce Multisport is a full time, professional coach and works with athletes of all skill levels.

We also specialize in training for runDisney race, as Jill is an avid runDisney fan with 7 Dopey finishes and nearly 100 Disney races under her legs - she knows the courses and how to train for them!

Click here to schedule a consultation

Tired of cycling in your basement alone? Peloton and Zwift has gotten old? Try live online group cycling with Be Fierce Multisport - now in Beta and accepting founding members!

Join our virtual group cycling beta at 👉 https://fierce.li/cycling

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

• The plane crash that left Scott with less than a 3% chance of survival
• The fisherman and former Special Forces medic who helped save his life
• Losing his best friend, Captain Owen “Wynn” Duke
• The three promises Scott made during his recovery
• How triathlon helped rebuild his identity and physical strength
• The tough-love conversation that changed the course of his rehabilitation
• Riding across the country to promote blood and tissue donation
• Returning to racing only 13 months after the crash
• Finishing the Marine Corps Marathon and carrying the medal to Arlington
• Meeting and building a life with his wife, Amy
• Amy’s battle with glioblastoma and the lessons she left behind
• Becoming an IRONMAN Foundation athlete
• Why Kona represents far more than a finish line

00:00 Introduction
00:50 Meet Scott Christmas
02:51 Finding triathlon after a life-changing injury
06:30 The flight with Captain Owen “Wynn” Duke
07:29 The plane stalls and crashes
12:00 Trapped underwater and rescued
15:49 Three promises made in the hospital
19:00 Why endurance sports attract people who have experienced trauma
25:31 The tough-love conversation that changed Scott’s recovery
32:50 Meeting Larry Frederick and discovering a new purpose
35:33 Being asked to lead a cross-country ride
37:43 Scott’s first race after the crash
40:17 Keeping the first promise
44:32 Training for the Marine Corps Marathon
49:32 Leaving a finishers medal at Arlington
50:50 Meeting Amy
55:54 The first signs that something was wrong
59:02 Amy’s brain-tumor diagnosis
64:20 Amy crosses her final finish line
67:27 The third promise
69:18 The call that led Scott back to Kona
71:36 Why this race is bigger than Scott
73:26 Closing and IRONMAN Foundation support

Scotts fundraising link:

https://ironmanfoundation.donordrive.com/participant/4123

If you are training for a Triathlon or Run event of any distance from your first 10k to your first full IRONMAN and beyond, connect with Jill to talk about how to take your performance to the next level! Jill is the Head Coach and owner of Be Fierce Multisport is a full time, professional coach and works with athletes of all skill levels.

We also specialize in training for runDisney race, as Jill is an avid runDisney fan with 7 Dopey finishes and nearly 100 Disney races under her legs - she knows the courses and how to train for them!

Click here to schedule a consultation

Tired of cycling in your basement alone? Peloton and Zwift has gotten old? Try live online group cycling with Be Fierce Multisport - now in Beta and accepting founding members!

Join our virtual group cycling beta at 👉 https://fierce.li/cycling

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.