Our Sports Marketing Manager Takes on the Nautica Malibu Triathlon

Triathlons are no joke. It’s hard enough to swim or bike or run, but to do them one after the other after the other is a feat reserved for the athletically daring. And speaking of, our brave (and fabulous!) Sports Marketing Manager Kalena Nordgaarden tackled the  Nautica Malibu Triathlon  head-on this last weekend and we are here to bring you the deets! Take a glimpse at the thoughts of a true athletic warrior.  

Tell us about your fundraising efforts for the triathlon and who the funds benefit:

They say that the hardest part about fundraising is asking people for their support, and this being my first attempt at fundraising for an incredible cause, that sentiment proved true. I was a bit nervous and unsure how I would raise the funds necessary to compete, but I listened to the simple and most effective suggestion for fundraising: simply ask for support. It was amazing to see how quickly and how many people donated to  Children's Hospital Los Angeles  on my behalf.  

Thoughts the night before the triathlon:

I tried to stick to a normal training routine before the big event, eat a good meal (sushi, yum!) and get a lot of sleep. The nerves were a little more prevalent than I expected so falling asleep was harder than usual. I ran through a mental checklist of all the things that I would need for race day and just tried to relax and enjoy the time leading up to the race.  

Breakfast the morning of:

When I woke up in the morning I knew I wouldn't be able to eat anything because my stomach was full of butterflies. So I grabbed a couple of gel packets and brought those along for the ride to the event, and by the time we got down to the event site I was definitely hungry. I threw back some electrolytes and energy bites and was ready to go!

Thoughts at the start line:

I went to a swim clinic the day before the race and the clinic leader suggested getting in the water about 20 minutes before your swim to get used to the feeling, get some salt water in your face, get the wetsuit and body temperature regulated and then do a few laps and duck dives. That was the best thing I could have done as it made me so fired up for the tri. At the start line I was all smiles, excited, dancing around, hooting and hollering.  

How’d you feel after the swim?

I was definitely tired after the swim—the cardio was tough—so I made sure to pace myself running up the hill on the beach to the bike transition area.  

How were the transitions from one portion to another?

When transitioning from the swim to the bike course, I kept it top of mind to pace myself and not sprint to the bike area to conserve energy. The bike to run transition was a whole different story. My booty and legs kept tightening up during the bike course so once I got off the bike I had to stretch it out before I could even think about running. That was definitely the hardest part!

How’d you feel after the bike?

I felt pretty tight in my hips, but was really happy with my ride considering this was the first time I had ever ridden an actual triathlon bike.  

Were you wishing that you had done anything differently while training?

I definitely should have practiced long bike rides and then immediately going into a run because the transition from the bike ride to the run was the hardest part.  

What would have been your theme song for the last part of the race, the run?

As much as I would have loved to have worn headphones and listened to music during this event, headphones weren't allowed on course which actually worked out better because I was able to enjoy my surroundings and the people competing alongside me.  

Did you ever see that movie Finding Nemo? The phrase that I kept singing to myself throughout the entire triathlon was "just keep swimming, just keep swimming." That little phrase always does the trick whenever I am feeling sluggish or struggling on course!

First thought when you crossed the finish line:

That was so much fun! I cannot wait to do my next triathlon!  

We are super proud of Kalena and also proud to sponsor such an elite athletic event. For more news about the event,  click  here.