Success Stories

At Trimarni, we are dedicated to helping athletes reach athletic excellence without compromising mental and physical health. We have over 15 years of experience in the field of endurance sports. But don’t just take our word for it. Read what athletes have to say about hiring a coach/dietitian/bike fitter to optimize performance for race day readiness.

Pat D. - First Time Ironman Finisher (IMAZ)

Getting nutrition and race preparation coaching from Marni Sumbal has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I believe she is one of the very best in the USA and the world! As a journalist with 30+ years’ experience, I don’t type those words lightly. I’ve dealt with tens of thousands of people and learned to separate those who really know what they’re talking about from those who do not. Marni really knows what she is talking about. Marni possesses a rare combination of academic training and professional experience as a dietician along with a deep understanding of what the human body requires during endurance sports because she has lived it. As a top endurance athlete herself, she knows exactly what it takes to fine tune the nutritional needs of her clients.
I’ve worked with Marni for six months in an effort to complete my first Ironman at the age of 59, a dream I’ve chased for seven years. Nutrition has always been the biggest stumbling block. It is hard to bike or run when you feel like you have the flu and would rather vomit. Marni helped me switch my nutrition to find what worked for my stomach. For the first time ever, I found myself in an event, an Ironman no less, without stomach issues. Because of her help I was able to realize my dream and finish Ironman Arizona.

Along the way, Marni quickly and patiently responded to my many questions and concerns, teaching me not only what to consume before and during endurance events but also why I should consume it. Marni also helped me tremendously with the mental aspects of approaching and completing an Ironman and shared lessons I will never forget. I could go on but you get the idea.

Working with Marni Sumbal will be one of the best choices you ever make in your nutritional journey. My advice is that you do not wait. The world will eventually find her. Get there before everyone else.

John D. - IM Maryland 6th AG (55-59)

"I am half and full distance triathlete who has struggled with fueling and hydration strategies for both training and racing over the years, especially in warm weather. In 2021, I decided to contact Marni to see if we could work together during my build for Ironman Maryland. During the build phase, Marni worked on a plan to ensure that my nutrition was solid for the training load I was putting in, that all of my long rides were properly fueled and hydrated and my post-workout nutrition was assisting in my recovery. As my "A" race got closer, I was very confident that I had both my daily nutrition and race nutrition and hydration in a perfect place. IM Maryland went very well; although it was a warm day, I did not have cramping or bonking issues. If you are looking to dial in pre-race and race-day nutrition, fueling, and hydration strategies, I highly recommend talking to Marni."

Sarah N. - First Ironman - Kona qualified

When I did my first sprint, I had no idea what I was doing! It was humbling but I had already signed up for an Ironman and couldn’t quit … a few months later I met a guy that told me about trimarni training plans. I went home and bought that training plan that night and it was the best decision I made for tri training!! It gave me structure, challenged me, and it had me 100% ready for my Ironman! Becoming a team member was a huge help, Marni and Karel are so responsive, knowledgeable, and amazing coaches. Whether this is your first race or 10th, you need a team and support, and the trimarni team is just that!

Marcus C - IM Cozumel and IM Lake Placid finisher

The medical tent, I couldn’t believe it, but here I was hooked up to an IV, downing nausea medicine, and barely able to sip Gatorade. Yes, this was me after a half Ironman, and I couldn’t believe I had a full Ironman in just 5 weeks. How could I possibly get through a full if a half had done this much damage. In assessing the situation, I realized my training had been on point for a year and I was trained for the full, yet, something had gone drastically wrong in the race - it had to have been my nutrition. I knew I had to get a much better nutrition strategy, and on the advice of a friend reached out to Marni. Over the course of the next couple of weeks she worked with me to get a plan in place that would work. What is great is that Marni is a triathlete herself so her advice is practical - she knows what works for athletes because she is one. This past weekend I completed my first full Ironman and felt strong throughout by following the nutrition plan Marni worked with me to develop. Her guidance and knowledge were instrumental in my race success and I highly recommend her for any triathlete looking to improve performance.

Liv D. - IM 70.3 World Championship Finisher

I began working with Marni in July 2021 to get some help with my overall nutrition and race nutrition.  I sought out Marni specifically after I had significant nutrition challenges at two 70.3 races in early 2021.  My next big race was 70.3 World Championships in St. George and I wanted to feel as solid as I could going into that race, and not constantly obsess about what I would do for nutrition leading up to the race.  Through working with Marni, I was able to achieve those goals and surpass any expectation I had for myself.  

Marni helped me with how to effectively fuel myself during long weeks of training, while also helping me with my thinking around food.  I constantly struggled with feeling tired, but with a few adjustments to my fuel intake during non-training hours, I got to the point where I felt like I had energy. After changing up my daily nutrition, I could almost immediately feel a difference in my ability to push harder on hard efforts and I did not feel as fatigued during everyday aerobic rides and runs.  After a few weeks of making the daily changes, Marni worked with me on adding fuel into my medium to long workouts.  Doing that made a massive difference in my ability to train again later in the day, have energy during the day, and go into my workouts the next day strong.  In just a month, I went from feeling constantly tired to feeling more confident in myself.  While this helped my training, it also helped me with life in general because I was able to feel more present during the day. 

As far as racing nutrition, I struggled with what to take in on the bike a bit, but mostly, I faded every single time I got around mile 6 of the run and I struggled to finish strong.  Marni was able to tweak my bike nutrition and completely revamp my run nutrition, and it was a massive game changer for me.  Instead of fading on the run, I felt stronger and was able to push myself until the finish.  Marni really explained why we were doing what we were doing for the race nutrition, and that helped me to understand and go with the process. 

I went into worlds feeling more race ready and stronger than I had ever felt before a race.  There were quite a few things that happened that race that were chaotic and out of my control but knowing I could nail my nutrition helped me stay focused and confident.  I was extremely happy with my race performance, especially my run, and it was the first race where I felt strong the entire race.  Working with Marni on all aspects of my nutrition has made me a better, more competitive athlete and I am very grateful for that!

Liz D - Philly Marathon Finisher

I reached out to Marni initially for daily nutrition advice to develop a sustainable, routine way of eating that does justice to all the time I spend training and race planning each season. Marni responded very promptly and suggested a few different ways to meet, which I really appreciated. Based on our initial meeting, she developed a baseline nutrition plan that was customized to my training routine. Both our conversation and the meal plan focused on ensuring I was consuming enough healthy sources of energy, which made me feel secure about the long-term workability of my daily plan and confident that I will be getting the nutrients I need to support my workouts. Marni encouraged me to follow up in the short term via email with questions and clarifications and got right back to me when I did. We also worked on a race-day fueling plan for my upcoming marathon, which didn't involve revamping my plan, but rather shifting to more liquid calories to avoid taste fatigue and ensure my body could actually use the fuel I was taking in. Marni ensured I connected with her about this in time to practice my nutrition before race day. Because of this, on race day I felt confident that I had controlled the variables that were in my power to control. The race itself went great and in particular I had plenty of energy through the end of the race (no hitting the 'wall'). I plan to continue working with Marni on nutrition strategies and am considering future athletic coaching as well because I'm impressed by her accessibility, professional demeanor, and depth of knowledge. I highly recommend working with Marni for nutrition services: her flexibility in scheduling meetings and responsiveness makes me feel connected and supported in this important but also very personal aspect of training and racing.

Claire G - IM Lake Placid and IM 70.3 World Championship

This year was one of the most challenging and fulfilling seasons I’ve experienced. After having not raced for almost 2 years, training for my first Ironman seemed like a daunting but exciting endeavor. And then to qualify for worlds at Chattanooga was incredible. I was pushed to new limits and reached potential that I didn’t think I had thanks to constant support from coaches, teammates, and the desire to reach my goals of completing my first Ironman. I learned so much confidence, new skills, and ability to endure through camp that really prepared me for Lake Placid. I’m excited to see what next season holds!

Submit your testimonial

We would love to hear from you! If you’ve worked with Trimarni for nutrition, coaching or a bike fit, or you’ve attended a group or private training camp, it would mean a lot to us if you’d share your experience with us. Thank you for letting us share your journey with you!