Elizabeth Simi - Check in #4 The Triathletes Journey - Athletes in Motion Podcast

Narrator: 0:10

Welcome to the athletes in motion podcast from race to recovery. With your hosts, Tom regal and Kenny Bailey.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 0:29

Hey, Tom, how are you?

Tom Regal: 0:30

I'm fantastic. Kenny, how are you?

Kenny Bailey<br>: 0:33

I'm doing fantastic. We want to thank Elizabeth returning into our try journey series. Welcome back. We're excited to talk to you about the update on what's been going on. I know this new things happening. I little birdie told me some stuff. But before we get started, and before we get down the road, we want to make sure everyone hits that like and subscribe button. It's really important for our algorithm really important to make sure that we continue to be able to provide you these shows. So somewhere, I'm going to put somewhere down here it'll be like and subscribe button. So make sure you hit that. So Lizabeth. Welcome back. How you feeling? Great. You look great, by the way. Thank you. I understand you have a new horse in a stable I

Elizabeth Simi: 1:15

do. I got a new bike and I probably should have known all the details like what brand it is or any of that kind of stuff. But you know, I got a new bike. That's good. It has just brakes so nice. Okay, different for me.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 1:35

Is it a is it a tri bike or is it a road bike?

Elizabeth Simi: 1:38

It's a road bike. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'm not going to try bike. That's too complicated for me. Yeah, no need for that. Yeah. But yeah, it's faster, which is cool. And it's actually being worked on right now because it was making some weird noises. It's getting broken, Kara. Yeah. Well, it's funny because I contacted rich, who's the, you know, person that I deal with? With my bike and I'm on my bikes, making some noises. I don't know if that's normal, because I've never had this nice new bike. And he's like, No, it shouldn't be making noise. You know? But, yeah, it's really, it's amazing how fast it is. And I think it's a good thing. It's a good investment. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 2:37

yeah, cuz I understand it, you know, Tim's a friend of mine. So that's why I know what's going on. So I understand also, you did much faster on the time trial. So Tim hosts these time trials, and he said, I think four minutes faster. Yeah, yeah. For that short distance is pretty significant.

Elizabeth Simi: 2:52

Yes. Yeah. So it should help me if as long as we don't have 5000 mile an hour winds. California. Yeah. But yeah, it's uh, it is. It's made a significant difference. I actually did a sprint distance. Try. I guess. I don't when was that in August, I guess. It was one of the last ones that TBF put on, and it's over and Folsom Lake and I've done that route before. And the bike was crazy how fast it was going for me. Going uphill, was not a fight. And I was afraid going downhill. I was like,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 3:37

just breaks. Yeah. And I know, I know, a lot of people like to say, you know, it's not the equipment that makes a difference. It's, you know, the training and everything else. But actually, you know, the equipment does make a difference at some point in your life. Yeah, like you said, Yeah, I mean, you're I think your bike was was fairly old. I mean, it's not like you bought one three years

Elizabeth Simi: 3:55

ago, right? No, it was 15 years old. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 3:59

from that technology alone, you're gonna just get better power transfer, it's gonna be lighter. It's gonna be it's gonna be better. It's which is great. Because I know the the worry for you was the bike. Are you feeling? So how are you feeling on the training program? Like, where are you at as far as your program? And how are you feeling towards California right now?

Elizabeth Simi: 4:16

Um, mathematically, California is a long shot that I'm gonna finish. I feel great. And I feel like I've got to do it. So as long as you know, my heart and my brain, I'm gonna see that finish line. But I do do the math a lot and go or that's not looking so good. But, you know, you never know what's gonna happen that day either. So I could end up something great happening. I mean, mathematically, I think swimming bike should get done that is just powering through

Kenny Bailey<br>: 4:55

through the random walk. Yeah, well, it's gonna be a walk right? Because you're gonna Yeah, yeah, exact

Elizabeth Simi: 5:00

claim which, which, you know, drives me insane because I'm just like, I want to go, let's go.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 5:08

It's a flat walk course. Right? Yeah, it's not as if you're having to, you know, have have up hills, right. It's just a matter of like setup pace because I, I walked a majority that damn race to last year. So it's, it's, you know it's set a pace, you know head down and you know, grab some, you know chicken broth and coke every once in a while and hope for the best.

Elizabeth Simi: 5:27

Yeah, and the great thing is that with it being a flat course is the hills are what really sets my knee through the roof. So I know I won't have I shouldn't have as much pain on the course as I would if it was a hilly course.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 5:46

Have they announced the Run course? Is that is that?

Elizabeth Simi: 5:49

Yes. I kept checking my email, checking my email checking Facebook, you know, but yeah, they did. And there, it's gonna be a loop course. But they, I think it's gonna be really good. It's got a lot of U turns, but they're sticking on. I know that everybody knows, you know, the course or anything, but they're sticking on the west side of the river for a big portion of it. And then coming over onto the east side where the you'll go up into Discovery Park, but not as far into Discovery Park, and then loop back around and then some a bunch of weird stuff to get over to the Capitol. But it's, I think it's gonna be a good course, I'm still trying to figure out exactly where those U turns are. So I'm gonna go out there and see if I can figure it out.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 6:41

Yeah, well, like you said, no matter what, in that area, because you're in a ballet, it's gonna be a flat, it's gonna be a flat course, I think it was better logistics to try to get, you know, because I think they had a challenge last year when it was on a trail. And once once the runners are on there, you can't exactly get additional supplies because the trails goes down. So whatever you brought as far as the aid stations is what you have. And if you run out, you run out if you don't good stuff, too. So hopefully they'll help with that. So

Elizabeth Simi: 7:07

yeah, and I think with it being shorter into Discovery Park as far as it goes up, it's not that far into Discovery Park this time. They're not going as far down into Miller Park as they did last time. So you know, the I think they really listened. And it's really, they've made a lot of improvements. I mean, I didn't actually do the course. But I knew what the course was. So you know, from living here. I I'm like I think I think they did a good job. But we'll find out for sure. Yeah, I mean, on race day. Yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 7:40

And so far, so your swim like you had no issue? Swim. It's always been that's always been just a cool thing. Right? Yeah, I know, the bike for you was getting the new bike. So the fact that you're going faster, and you're available to do that, I think it sounds like there's a lot more confidence that you know, while 99 is going to come and go and you're going to be okay with that. So now now the math like you said, now it's just a matter of, you know, just heads down and start walking in. And, you know, hoping that midnight doesn't doesn't come up to you. That's kind of the is that the

Elizabeth Simi: 8:16

Yeah, exactly. I mean, in Miami.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 8:18

Damn, that's right. For all those math people,

Elizabeth Simi: 8:21

mathematically, I'm like, Okay, I'm shooting for that. Midnight. I know that they went till I think one last year because of the late start of some people. But in my head, my math is you gotta be there before midnight. You know, so. And with the swim course, I know the course now I know to start sooner than I did last year. So that'll give me time there. And then with the transition being closer, that should be back. You know, add some, add some pets, and I am faster at my swim this year. So Oh, great. You know that that should help. Also even though you know it's down river and we're going to do a practice swim on Saturday, and Tim's got a boat and we're going to start at the top and swim down and so I'll have a good sense of what the waters like after that.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:18

Here. He's got a blender on the boat. So I understand that that's gonna be sipping margaritas while you guys like swim

Tom Regal: 9:24

and yelling for the bullhorn. Exactly.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:27

Yeah. So yeah, he

Elizabeth Simi: 9:29

loves the margarita part off. Oops,

Tom Regal: 9:34

that's a surprise. Sorry. Yeah, sorry, my bad. So how many weeks so as you're getting closer at this point,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:40

yeah, you're how many weeks are we now? What are we looking at? No, anymore. It's October 22. So I think we're about four weeks, five weeks.

Tom Regal: 9:48

We stopped paying attention it was before we were recording. This is four weeks out just just under technically, okay.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:57

Did you want to stop for a second to breathe? It's just like Thanks, Tom, you're

Elizabeth Simi: 10:03

looking at that. As far as my head I'm, I'm like, I know on I think it's Friday, it's exactly a month from the date. So that's,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 10:15

that's okay. So when it comes to so when it comes to equipment, like because you're a few weeks out, so it sounds like you're kind of you got the wetsuit all down. Have you? Have you picked out your kit? For those, you know, it's a kid that's on an outfit.

Elizabeth Simi: 10:30

Wearing my same outfit I wore.

Tom Regal: 10:34

Nice, they go.

Elizabeth Simi: 10:36

I've had the same, you know, I've always wear suit. So you know, plugs, but I always wear their stuff, because it's fits me it's comfortable. And I've had the same try suit for quite a while now. I mean, I wear you know, two pieces, because that's more comfortable. In my brain. It's more comfortable. Because what if you have to go potty? Yeah.

Tom Regal: 11:01

It's a legitimate concern.

Elizabeth Simi: 11:04

Yeah. I don't know how those people do that with the whole thing. Oh, no.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 11:08

I don't think we want to not pretty Yeah. So you feel like the transition like you have the T one and the T two sort of set up? You feel comfortable with that? Is that fair?

Elizabeth Simi: 11:16

Yeah, that's fair. And for me transitions because of doing so many Sprint's in the past, and the Olympics transition is just part of the whole game, I guess. And I really, no, this year not to have a party in transition, to talk to people and waste time there.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 11:41

So it's tough, right? Because you're on the water. You're excited, right?

Elizabeth Simi: 11:44

I know. You run into people, you know, in the tent, and everybody starts talking and just like it's cold, and you're like, oh, I'll just talk to them for Well, that's not happening. I'm going to be like, good to see a bot.

Tom Regal: 11:59

Don't even acknowledge them. Just snarl at them. And

Kenny Bailey<br>: 12:04

so it sounds like there's a lot more focus for this year. Right? It sounds like you know, it was sort of craziness last year, and this year, feels like you've you know, you've been there done that. So now it's okay. Focus on the transition focus on getting the bike focus. How's your nutrition feeling? Do you feel good about that? Do you have a plan for that? Or is it just now Okay, guys, you got to figure it out. What areas is causing the issue we're working on? Yeah.

Elizabeth Simi: 12:31

Being smart. Yes. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I know what I like and what works for me, it's just putting that into my body. And making sure that I'm staying. We talked about last time the hydration thing and

Kenny Bailey<br>: 12:47

just do you feel like you made strides on that?

Elizabeth Simi: 12:49

Um, yes, I am hydrating, better. I just good. Don't like really eating it. I mean, I love eating, personally eating. But when it comes to the whole exercise, maybe four and all that I just I'm like, I just don't feel like it. So that's, that's going to be the struggle. Because I know, if I get too hungry or don't have enough stuff in my body, that's when you end up in trouble. So and I think with me being in better shape this year, and going faster, I need to make sure I'm fueling where last year, I'm going slower, and I wasn't as in good shape. So fueling was just, it didn't really, I don't want to say it didn't matter. But it didn't seem as important because my body just was like, Okay, let's just go do this. Where this year I maybe have more muscle. I don't know.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 13:49

You look, by the way, you look better since our last time we talked to you, you look leaner, you look like like, you look like you're you're starting to get into that race mode, like you look different in a good way. Yeah, I mean, you can tell that you're, you're kind of you've leaned out, you're ready to go. It looks like you're, you're kind of lean into this. So

Tom Regal: 14:08

you're at that point as training where yeah, that's that. Yeah. Thanks.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 14:11

So it's paying off. So it's,

Elizabeth Simi: 14:13

it's kind of weird, because training wise, you know, I've been doing what I'm supposed to be doing sometimes, you know, that, but I am starting to see my body is starting to change more. And I was like, when did that what happened all of a sudden, you know, so it's, it's actually kind of cool. So you know, but

Kenny Bailey<br>: 14:34

good. Good. So, so it sounds like the the the fuel is going to be sort of the thing to try to keep it on and and again last year for those that you know, I know we keep talking about it, but for last year, because the wind was so heavy. It was it made for a different situation because you can't just normally sort of pull up and drink and do what you do what your plan was going to be because yeah, Be busy just trying to survive. Yeah, so it became a more difficult equation. So knock on wood will get a better, a better sort of weather outcome. I think it would be better if it actually rained than it would be wind. If you asked me the difference. Like if you say, Hey, do you want rain or wind? I'll be like, I'll take rain all day. Right?

Elizabeth Simi: 15:15

Yeah. So. So yeah. The tough part with that wind last year was I mean, I know a lot of people have their hydration right there with the straw and I don't have that I have the bottles. And you're when you're wanting to reach down for a bottle, but you're afraid because the winds blowing? It's like, exactly. I don't know what to do right now.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 15:35

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, cuz I'll pull up, I pulled up to eat. And I would normally I would just eat while I'm writing. And it made for a challenging, you know, when you got to headwind plus a crosswind and you got people to kind of, you know, you just sort of try to find a spot that's not as nasty and hope you can get the fuel when you can. So your, your plan sort of gets up ended. So you know, again, knock on wood, your plan will be able to execute on what you think. And then when you get to the run, the good news is, you know, aid station every mile or so. So you're able to, you know, throw food in and do that.

Elizabeth Simi: 16:07

And I'm excited about that part. I've been good. Because it's one I haven't been there. And two, I've been given so much advice on how it all works. And then you know, just watching, like the Ironman last year, the one in Hawaii watching the the woman who won who was like, she'd run and she wants to every Yeah, and I was just, I was like, That's brilliant. You know, it? Yeah,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 16:36

I think it was you walk through the

Tom Regal: 16:38

stations yawn for Dana was the one that made a bathroom break in the middle of winning the race. And Hawaii, I think it was, there was one of them that that went down there actually had a bathroom emergency jumps into a porta Potti came back out, it's still in the lead and took off and won the race. So it's, you know,

Elizabeth Simi: 16:57

it's amazing, but you can do it. And I know, Kenny talked about walking through, you know, the fuel areas, too, which is, I mean, it's really smart. I mean, obviously, I'll be walking anyway. But I'll be slowed down our walking slow down a little bit for that part and then come back to you, which I think in this sport, which I'm kind of finding is when you slow up a little bit, take it easy for a minute, and then you can hit hard again, you can actually go faster by doing that little you know, play instead of, you know, 100% the whole time or Hey, here I am, you know, so

Kenny Bailey<br>: 17:38

yeah, there's two schools of thought, right? You go 100% then you crash and then you drag yourself with the last, you know, you know, the last bit of it, or you kind of pace yourself smartly and try to do a negative split. Unfortunately, I'm the former, I will go to the end. Like it'd be 19 Really cool miles and then last seven will be garbage right? Which is the worst thing to do. But absolutely the worst thing you don't recommend

Elizabeth Simi: 18:04

you should really learn from

Kenny Bailey<br>: 18:08

this point. Great. So four weeks left, how excited so what's what's left on the agenda? Just sort of finish up the long stuff and then taper

Elizabeth Simi: 18:19

Yeah, I think so. So this week is this week's awesome that's probably why I'm in a good mood. But

Tom Regal: 18:25

it's obviously didn't train today because she's mood and she's got

Elizabeth Simi: 18:33

1000 yards today. But this is our my week where he asked me doing like the time trial stuff. So like yesterday, I rode 30 minutes hard. And that was it, you know, and today it was 1000 yards. And that was it. And tomorrow will be run for 30 minutes, I think you know, so it's like, it's a good week. And then this weekend, we hit hard to get on Saturday,

Tom Regal: 18:59

next week is kind of suck.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 19:03

But you get you get a taper.

Tom Regal: 19:04

And then you get to a one last hard week.

Elizabeth Simi: 19:08

So it's all it's all good. And I mean, Saturday is kind of a race rehearsal thing with the long swim and then out on the bike for four hours, and then a two hour run. And I'll be all down on the course at that point. So that's going to be nice to practice on the course also. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 19:25

and you have such an advantage on that. I mean, 90% of people showing up aren't going to have that advantage. And that's fantastic. So

Elizabeth Simi: 19:33

I really do appreciate it and that me that's part of the reason that I decided that I would try Ironman because it wasn't my backyard. I don't have to worry about taking my bike out to another state or you know all the logistic things that you have to deal with for all those people who are coming to California which yay for them.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 19:56

Thank you for tourist dollars.

Tom Regal: 19:59

That's right Kenny, Kenny's gonna do check Michigan next year because it's right. Yeah. So

Elizabeth Simi: 20:04

oh yeah, your backyard.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 20:07

I stopped my protests. They just announced by the way they just announced Half Ironman, Louisville, Kentucky today. Oh,

Elizabeth Simi: 20:14

no.

Tom Regal: 20:16

Fool is going away and 70.3 is coming to

Kenny Bailey<br>: 20:18

34 Three. Yeah, it's only three hours drive from. So

Elizabeth Simi: 20:21

Oh, see, um, we'll

Kenny Bailey<br>: 20:22

talk later. That's so Elizabeth, we're excited for you. You. Like I said, You look great. It looks like you're getting ready. You're you're ready to go. We obviously we want to do one more conversation with you right before race day to watch you just absolutely implode and on nerves. Because that makes for good television. Kitty. So we're excited for I theme is math be damned. Don't care about math. We're gonna go more for the soft sciences on psychology and sociology. Look at the hard sciences. Nobody likes those people. They're very dry.

Elizabeth Simi: 21:01

I'll try to stop doing math in my head. Exactly.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 21:05

Exactly. No more math. Does that add up? Does it

Tom Regal: 21:10

keep pedaling, just keep going for like a constant, constant forward progress. So cool. So well. We'll catch up with you in a couple weeks. Enjoy the training. And everybody thanks for all your feedback and comments and following along. We really appreciate it. Keep the thumbs up five stars, all that good stuff. And don't forget to subscribe. We'll tell you that again. Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. And yeah, yeah, check that box. And we look forward to it. Best of luck, Elizabeth. We will talk again soon. All right. And for everyone, we'll catch you on the next one.