ST: Eric, 3 seconds is cutting it close. Were you aware where you were in terms of race position?
Eric: I had a terrible swim, so throughout the whole bike I thought I was way out of Kona contention. Off the bike, I was told I was 6th in my AG and that 4th place was about 5 minutes up the road. I ran well for the first half of the race, but couldn’t tell if I had made up any ground. By the third loop of the run there were so many people on the course I had no idea where I was at. With about 3 miles to go, I passed a guy and later found out to be Travis Rose - 5th place AG, and he had a 32 on his calf. It was a rolling start, so you never know where a guy is in relation to you. After I made the pass, my legs starting to lock up a bit. I put a gap on him but was afraid of cramping up before the finish line. As soon as I could see the finish line, I gave it all I had, sprinting down the chute. After the dust settled, it was good enough for a 3 second edge.
ST: On average how much do you train in a week?
Jacki: Before the van I was training almost 20 hours a week. Since living in a van, it has been closer to 10 hours a week.
Eric: Average is a funny word these days. Every week is a completely new adventure in a new city. My typical training week is about 12-15 hours. I try to race whenever possible to help make up for some of the missed training time.
ST: Where do you swim and how do you arrange it?
Eric: Swimming has been the toughest of the 3 disciplines to maintain consistency. We have been doing a lot of 1-week free trials and gyms and health clubs or use our LA Fitness membership when we can. After reading your
interview with Sam Gyde, I’ve been looking to the Vasa Trainer as a possible solution.
Jacki: Same here.
ST: The two of you went from barely knowing each other about a year ago to know being stuck together 24/7 and away from other friends and family. How has that played out?
Eric: Yes, a lot has changed in the past year. There’s definitely been a big learning curve going from living 2 hours away to now living 2 feet away from one another. We haven’t killed each other yet, which is a good sign! Fortunately, we got to spend some time with her family this past week and we head home next month for a couple weeks of R&R for the 4th of July holiday.
Jacki: I actually love living in a van. I was able to sell my car and apartment, so living with less has been great. I’m actually already making plans to design and build a tiny home to live in after this.