MINI FEATURE | Chelsea Hollingsworth-Barnhill after her Ironman 70.3 win
Chelsea Hollingsworth-Barnhill is a physical therapist training in Palm City, Florida. She had a marathon PR of 2:41 and ran at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Team Trials.
With a strong background in swimming, having spent hours on the bike crosstraining through injuries throughout her running career and her family’s encouragement, Chelsea decided to give the 70.3 Ironman triathlon distance a try.
In May, she won her first go at the distance at the Visit Panama City Beach Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast.
How did you get into running?
I first found running through year-round swimming. Most days of swim practice, we completed what is termed “dryland” before ever getting in the pool to swim. This included a variety of activities with one of them being running. I have no idea how far or how long we would run but I just remember trying to run as fast as I could the whole time and I loved that sense of pushing myself. After a number of injuries throughout my middle school years (from basketball), I steered away from sports altogether until high school where I took up cross-country in the fall, swimming during the winter, and track during the spring (with summers being a mix of swimming, running, and bike rides).
The last time we talked, you were about to run at the Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020, after earning your OTQ and running a PR of 2:41 at the California International Marathon, in 2019. What has your training been like since then?
My body took a beating on that course (haha) but the challenge and experience was worth every minute. After the trials, Matt kept me on a steady running schedule to continue to work on my fitness (not to the volume I had been doing but enough of a stimulus to continue my progression). In October, I was out on a run and took a bad fall (spraining the same knee that I had already torn twice at age 12 and 21). I couldn’t run and was back on the bike. I felt the injury was God telling me that now was time to go after some of my triathlon goals. January was the official start to my triathlon training with my weeks now being a mix of swimming, biking, and running. I do 3-4 double days each week (swim and run; swim and bike; bike and run, etc.). I complete strength training twice a week (I gotta keep my body durable!). Weekends are when I complete the higher volume. Most importantly, I take a day off every week!
How do you find balance between work and training for big events like the Olympic Trials and Half Ironmans?
Kurt (my husband) keeps me grounded- he reminds me that we do this for fun and competing is a gift. I try to reframe my perspective in keeping what’s most important in life at the forefront. On the scheduling end, it’s a lot of 4/4:30AM wake-up calls to get most of the training in before work. I have also learned to listen to my body a lot better- if I’ve had a stressful day or week, it’s okay to do only one session or take an extra day off. Loving what you do will take you a long way; being too hard on yourself is more likely to hinder your performance.
What inspired you to move from running to the triathlon?
Kurt, my family, and my college running coach. Kurt has been doing triathlons for many years and has completed several successful Ironmans. My family has been there since my early days as a swimmer, watched me struggle through my injuries, and has told me to chase after my goals anyway. My oldest sister has completed an Ironman as well so I had first heard of the distance through her. As for my college coach, I remember having a conversation with him after I had finished running collegiately. He had seen my swimming ability and saw me spend countless hours on the bike because of the number of times I had been injured. He mentioned to me that he could see a lot of potential in me with triathlon if I decided to give the sport a try one day. That conversation has stuck with me over the years and I have finally decided to give it a try.
What did Matt (Hensley) say when you told him you wanted to train for a triathlon?
Matt was ecstatic and all in!! He was thrilled this goal came from me and if I find joy in going after these goals, that’s what matters. He was also willing to collaborate with Kurt for the bike and swim portion with Matt coming up with my run workouts and distances to create a training plan that would work for me- a teamwork mentality to create the best opportunity for me to complete the race successfully.
You just won your first Half Ironman race, the Visit Panama City Beach Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast. It’s a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile. What did that win feel like?
Pure shock. I had no idea I had won when I crossed the finish line because it was a staggered start race (Covid precautions to keep everyone spaced). I didn’t even start until 10 minutes after they had already started the race so the whole time, no one knew what place they were in. At the finish line, Kurt found me and after we had found some shade to sit down, some reporters came over to me asking for an interview which I was confused about. They then told me I won and I was just totally shocked.
What was going through your mind as you came out of the water and as you came off the bike?
As I came out of the water, my first thought was that it was chaotic and hard (the waves are pushing you one way, sometimes you’re swimming over swimmers (on accident), banging into other swimmers, trying to sight the buoys) but I think I had a good swim- now it was time to calmly get to my bike and head out on the course. After dismounting my bike, my first thought was “I made it! Now it’s time for the run-this is what I know how to do”.
What does it feel like to start a half marathon after biking 56 miles?
My legs felt shaky and heavy. For about the first quarter-mile to half-mile, I was very aware of each step I was taking and how I was taking it because it feels like one wrong step would make my leg buckle. After about a mile, the shakiness goes away but the heaviness stays for the entire run.
How did transitioning from just running to swimming, biking and then running go?
From a training perspective, my body has felt strong with the variety of training. I have loved getting back into swimming. Running is still my favorite, but swimming brings me great joy as well, especially when we swim open water in Jupiter where the water is clear blue and you can see starfish and other sea life. The bike has been a huge learning curve- I am still working on my handling skills but each time I ride, I get more comfortable with the position and control.
From a racing perspective, there is so much to think about in triathlon and so much can go wrong. You can’t think too far ahead because it’s a long way to go. With all the logistics during the race, it's definitely important to stay in the moment and remain calm (especially in the transition zone).
What did your training look like going into the 70.3?
Monday’s were an easy run
Tuesday’s were AM swim intervals and drills followed by an easy run and PM strength training
Wednesday’s were an AM mid-to-long bike ride
Thursday’s were AM swim drills and intervals followed by a hard interval/tempo run session and PM strength training
Friday’s were OFF
Saturday’s were an open water swim followed by a long bike ride followed by a short run at race pace off the bike
Sunday’s were an easy long run
What were your biggest challenges during the training blocks?
Putting in the right amount of volume and intensity to perform well at all three disciplines of triathlon as well as the proper amount of sleep and recovery. Getting enough nutrition for the volume of training and optimizing my fuel during the race so I did not bonk on the run (thank you, Kelsey!!).
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from this triathlon training block?
Find the fun. This was also one of my mantras during the race. Sometimes we can get so competitive with ourselves that we forget to find the fun in the process. After qualifying for the Olympic Trials, I put all these high expectations on myself and it started sucking the joy out of what I was doing. But the reason I made it to the Olympic Trials in the first place is because I had so much fun with the process of getting there. Completing this Half-Ironman was a reminder of that. I had so much fun with the training and the race. I hope to carry that in my future races- both in triathlon and when I decide to tackle the marathon again.
What was your favorite part?
The challenge of it all—the whole build and how hard it was. I love finding and pushing my own limits.
What’s next for you?
World’s 70.3 in St. George, Utah on September 17, 2021
Ironman Florida on November 6, 2021 (this is the ultimate goal of 2021)
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I could not have accomplished this Half-Ironman in the way that I did without the support that surrounded me. Kurt keeps the fun in the sport and makes sure I am not getting too serious. Matt adapted my training plan and was so supportive of me going after a goal that brought me excitement. Kelsey has been a gamechanger with my daily nutrition and race-day fueling. My friends and family have always been along for my athletic journey. I am truly grateful.
You can follow Chelsea’s running and Ironman journey on her Instagram @chelsnholling17.