Mission Multisport is Racing! Q&A with Holly Benner

A few days after we launched Mission Multisport I received a Facebook message from local professional triathlete, Holly Benner. Holly expressed interested in helping us get the club off the ground, expand our coaching platform and help grow the sport in our area. Little did I know that Holly lives about one mile away from myself and my fiance which leads to intense Strava battles between the three of us! This Saturday Holly is racing (YES actually racing) in a professional field in Idaho so we took this opportunity to talk about how this season has been different from normal seasons, her goals for the weekend and more!

Ben: When was the last time you had the chance to race? 

Holly: My last race was Dec. 8th 2019. Indian Wells 70.3. A long 9 months ago!

Ben: How and why did you make the decision to race this weekend?

Holly: Over the past month or so, several races have been able to kick off abroad. The Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) was generously willing to support a race for the US based professionals, should a race director feel they are able to host an event under the required public health guidelines for COVID. As such, this race - The Bear Lake Brawl - was upcoming and the race director was confident in his ability to host the race with social distancing, etc... The PTO offered up a $20,000 prize purse for professionals to enjoy along with free event registration. I had only learned of the opportunity about 2.5 weeks ago (it was short notice for everyone) and after discussing it with my coach, Julie Dibbens, we decided it'd be a fun low-pressure opportunity to just get out and have some fun racing! It did take me about a week to decide if this was something I wanted to do - getting on a plane and flying in a pandemic, all of a sudden contemplating a race...but I weighed the options and decided to go for it.

Ben: How has Covid changed your training and race preparation?

Holly: I'm very fortunate to say that the only way COVID impacted my training was during April, when so much was unknown and pools closed. However, I always felt safe to train outdoors, and focused on biking and running for a solid few weeks. Once the summer started, I was able to join a local outdoor pool and swim nearly everyday. In meters! I actually ended up swimming quite a lot (22,000-30,000m a week). I really enjoyed starting my days in the water. So, my training wasn't impacted much at all. If anything I'm stronger (faster?) now than ever before. Race prep is race prep...and I've done a lot of races. With such a big base of fitness, it only takes a few weeks to sharpen up and get ready. 

Ben: How did you mentally find the strength to keep pushing in training without any races on the calendar?  

Holly: Although I felt a high degree of uncertainty regarding COVID and the future of...everything, my training never fell off. Training serves a purpose for me outside of racing. Training has been something unconditional in my life; good days and bad. I'm thankful I had such a positive coping behavior to utilize as we all watched 2020 turn into a dumpster fire. I did have an exciting year of racing planned and was looking forward to testing my ability against others, but simply had to let that idea go. Choosing radical acceptance of what was going on really helped me cope and overcome. Embracing a more flexible mindset allowed me to manage the uncertainty of each day. That's not to say it was easy - it was anything but easy - just as radical acceptance is a very intentional, conscious choice.  

Ben: Is it exciting to race a pro only race?  Without age group athletes interfering with the dynamics?

Holly: There will be age groupers at this race. However, due to the course layout we shouldn't have any interference. It's never fun when age groupers become a part of your race. 

Ben: What are your goals for this race? Or your expectations?

Holly: My goals are: Have fun. Race well. Showcase the work I've put into my swim and bike. Remember I'm 6,000 ft above sea level. Be good. My expectations are kinda ambiguous. I know I'm super fit. I know my ability is the best it's ever been. As long as I'm able to race to the best of my ability on the day, I'll be happy.

Ben. What advice would give the average athlete who is having trouble finding the motivation to train right now?

“Holly: Remember your why”

Holly: Remember your why: Why you started on a journey of self development. Why you matter. Why health is important to you. Once you have that crystallized, realize that motivation shouldn't be the reason you train. Motivation is an emotional state. Emotions change all-the-time. To really get after a self development goal, you need discipline. Everyday is an opportunity to try and improve some aspect of yourself. The day will pass whether you utilize it or not. If you've been burned out on certain aspects of training (i.e., no structure or too much structure) switch things up to get some freshness and novelty back. Put the emphasis on feeling over other metrics like pace or speed. Train your brain to enjoy doing what you can, when you can, where you can. 

Best of luck Holly! If you want to more about Holly or are interested in being coached by her and our Mission Multisport team click here!