Instagram story viewer> @emmpilk> Posts

Emma Ferrara

@emmpilk

1.8K

followers

2637

following

📍Kiwi in SC 🇳🇿🇺🇸
Fun fitness all around the world 🌎
🏋️‍♀️🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♀️

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

The Run
🏃‍♀️ 13.1 miles / 21km
⏱️ 2:16:44 (10:25min/mile or 6:28min/km)

Plan was to start out slow and then try pick my pace up after half way. And this kinda went to plan. First 2 miles were a little quick and then I slowed down and found a rhythm. Focused on staying hydrated, putting water over my head at aid stations & stick to the 3 gels I had planned.

Mentally it was tough but I knew I just had to keep moving. I thought of breaking the whole race into 4x3miles and the last mile just doesn’t count 😂

After half way my stomach was on and off cramping because I needed to pee or my gels were starting to do me dirty. Every time I came by the portaloos I felt fine so I never stopped. With 3 miles to go and a steeper hill to get through my cramps came back in full force so I tried to walk and pee but that didn’t work. Being so close to finishing I decided to run through the pain, it did settle and then I tried to push my pace without going crazy to the finish line.

The last mile felt great & I was on the lookout for Joe & Elodie. I have thought about crossing that finish line so much and it felt so good to pull it off!!

I’ll never know if i had stopped to pee maybe I would have been able to run at a faster pace 🤷‍♀️ I remember saying after my 13mile training run that if I did it in 2:15 I’d be really happy. Looks like my body knew what to do!

My overall goal was somewhere around 6:30 so coming in under that is a huge feat and something I’m really proud of! Could not have asked for better conditions with cooler temperatures, no humidity and no wind. It was a great course with amazing volunteers & supporters. A first time friendly race & so grateful I got to experience it!!

70.3 done ✅ Now to rest up, get back into some CrossFit while maintaining swim/bike/run fitness and I think I’ll try slightly shorter triathlon races for a while 😂 by @emmpilk

59

18

2 days ago

The Bike
🚴‍♀️ 56 miles / 90km
⏱️ 3:19:02 (16.78mph / 27kmph)

After a quick wave to Joe & Elodie, I let my adrenaline take over and went out way too hot for the first 20 miles 🙄 I knew I was going too fast and just couldn’t help myself passing the boys on super expensive bikes 😂😂 It was a rookie mistake but with SO many people on the course at once while hitting inclines, it felt unsafe to ride slower 🤷‍♀️

All was going well until mile 23 I got a very weird upper ab cramp into my rib cage & felt like it was gripping at my diaphragm. It wasn’t dehydration or fueling issues, it was like I had done 1000 sit ups. The pain was so bad that I nearly stopped / kept telling myself that I needed to get to the aid station to talk to medical. I couldn’t go down into my aero position at all & had to keep my torso very still while trying to keep pedaling.

After about 5 miles it eased off but it really threw me. I was so scared it was going to come back!! After another 5 miles I managed to get back into aero but had to focus on relaxing my belly as much as possible and anytime I felt it might come on, I sat up tall and slowed down.

It was probably good that the second half of the ride was slower because it meant my legs recovered a bit. The second half of the bike was definitely the hardest part of the race for me. Overall, my average speed was the same as my training rides and this course was the most elevation I’ve done so can’t complain.

Staying positive, things that went well in the bike were:
- my bike handling was great & I constantly checked behind me
- I was vocal to other riders to keep us all safe
- I drank & ate all of my fluids & fuel
- I was confident on the downhills without unnecessary breaking

I wanted to get under 3:30 so I was happy with my time and also happy to just get off my bike because I was starting to get very uncomfortable. Only took me 3:39 for transition two & then I headed off for a little run… by @emmpilk

35

2

2 days ago

The Swim
🏊‍♀️ 2041 yards / 1.87km
⏱️ 31:14 (1:32sec/100y)

After setting up my transition area, I got the shuttle to swim start. With about 2500 athletes, it was a 2.5 hour wait until I got into the water 😅 I bought plenty of food & water so was well fueled & SO ready to jump in.

The first 500 was a bit chaotic as your swimming past those that did not self seed correctly (which happens every race I’m sure) and trying to find your space & spot the buoys. I moved to the outside of the group and tried to focus on my technique.

Had moments of finding my rhythm but would then run into someone or have to readjust my line closer to the buoys. Never got hit or grabbed which was great. Swam through a few weeds which I will take over an alligator 🐊 😂

The first half took forever but I kept reminding myself of all the sessions I did in the pool and how it’s prepared me. Then once I got half way it flew by.

Felt solid getting out, not dizzy or out of breath. Super happy with my time and I’ll thank the downriver current & wetsuit for that. For example, I self seeded in the 40-43min group and it only took me 31 minutes 🐟

T1 (8mins) was long because it was half a mile away (800m) and up a hill. Got everything ready & headed out for the bike feeling great 🥳 by @emmpilk

67

1

2 days ago

Can’t believe I have 2 weeks to go!! A great 40 mile ride into a 20 min run this morning after only 4 hours of sleep 😅 staying out late celebrating @joe__ferrara birthday was worth it but this girl needs to catch up on some 💤 if I’m going to attempt a long run tomorrow morning, plus do some open water swimming 😂😴 then the real race taper begins!! 💪🏼 by @emmpilk

40

0

18 days ago

What was meant to be my longest training run (21km/13miles) in my favorite beach town turned into me calling for a pick up at half way because my right quad decided to give me a lot of pain.

Pretty frustrating and hard not to get nervous about it but it’s already feeling much better after a days rest. Will lay off running for a few days and hope it recovers. That’s really the only priority leading into the race is to stay injury free now.

Enjoyed a beautiful beach day with family anyway & will get back into some swimming & biking later this week.

Not how I wanted my biggest training week to end but sometimes your body is telling you it’s had enough and I’m old & wise enough to listen now 😅 after @joe__ferrara giving me a lecture on the phone to just walk until he meets me 😂😂😂 taken in Folly Beach, South Carolina by @emmpilk

23

0

23 days ago

A steady double bridge run this morning to make up my 11 miles! Knees, hips and feet were pretty sore from this weeks training, the first 2 and last 2 miles were a bit of a grind but the middle felt great.

I have one more week building in volume before tapering off. 4 weeks out & starting to get excited!! Also deciding to ignore the panic around the alligator attack in the river I’ll be swimming in for the race 😂😂😂😅😅😅🐊 the guy is fine (lucky it let his arm go) & even he is still doing Augusta 70.3 💪🏼 by @emmpilk

46

1

a month ago

Sprint Triathlon ✅ in prep for my half Ironman in 9 weeks time!

Overall time: 1:16:46
🏊‍♀️ 600yard Swim: 10:38 (watch says 486y though)
🚴‍♀️ 12mile Bike: 37:54
🏃‍♀️ 5km Run: 25:32

T1: 1:49
T2: 0:51

65th out of 185 participants
13th out of the female participants
2nd in my age group

And @wol_charleston team had the most athletes!! 🏆

Really happy with how I felt in each discipline. Although these distances aren’t even a quarter of what I will be doing in Augusta 😅😂 confidence is building & I’m having fun out there too! What a way to use my fitness on a beautiful Sunday morning 🥰 by @emmpilk

36

6

2 months ago

My own little training camp while on summer holiday with the fam at Lake Hartwell in SC/GA! Happy to get some open water swimming in (under the watchful eye of my sister in law) and some hills on the bike and run because my race has a few of them 😅🥵 Even did a mini triathlon one morning so that I didn’t have to train later in the day & could enjoy some bevies on the boat! 🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♀️🍺 Back in Charleston & into my normal routine with only 9 weeks until race day. Some days I feel ready, other days I don’t so that just means I have more work to do 💪🏼 taken in Lake Hartwell by @emmpilk

21

3

2 months ago

Half Ironman Training Update ⤵️

Starting my 7th week of training with 12 weeks to go until Ironman 70.3 Augusta!!

Approx 11 sessions per week consisting of 2 swims, 3 runs, 4 rides & 2 strength. Can only fit it all in thanks to support of @joe__ferrara 🥰 and doing my indoor bike sessions while Elodie naps.

Volume & distance is slowly progressing in all disciplines. Each swim feels like a huge achievement and my ass is slowly getting used to the multiple hours on a bike seat 😅 Running feels a little boring because I have done the half marathon distance multiple times but this morning was so nice mixing up scenery & getting my hill repeats done on the bridge while the sun rises ☺️

Food intake and hydration have been a big priority too because training in the heat & humidity here is no joke. Fingers crossed it cools down by end of September 🥵 still getting my weekly margarita in though because balance is key! 🍹

Focus is to just keep chipping away each day & week until it’s race day 🧱 by @emmpilk

35

6

3 months ago

To the girls 🩷 for coming up with the idea to do this event, for signing up last minute with a little or a lot of peer pressure, for doing it only 3 months post partum, for doing it together, for doing it in a relay, for keeping it fun! Proud of you all 😘 by @emmpilk

46

3

4 months ago

First triathlon ✅ lucky I had a great time as I’ve already signed up for Augusta Ironman 70.3 in September 😂 let the training begin!! 🥵

@wol_charleston
@shetrissprint by @emmpilk

50

5

4 months ago

Race Day Recap!!

⏰ Somehow missed my two alarms and overslept by an hour… still made it in time so told myself that extra sleep needs to be worth it!

🏃‍♀️ Was really unsure of what pace to start at. I prefer to get progressively faster over longer distances but @joe__ferrara kept telling me to “go for broke” …

🫠 Big regrets at 8km / 5 miles and 13km / 8 miles as I really thought I’d gone out too fast

🏁 BUT I DID IT!! The last 1km was fucking brutal, the legs were so close to cramping but if nearly a year ago I could endure 40 hours of labor then today I was going to run a sub 2 hour half marathon!!

🥳 21.1km / 13.1 miles in an unofficial time of 1:58:38

I can do hard things 🥰 and my baby girl got to see me do it! by @emmpilk

153

32

10 months ago