The Party's Over: Training Camp Ends

My three weeks in California are coming to an end. Training Camp was intensive, fast paced, yet relaxing as being away from home, you don't have the day to day chores and distractions like cooking, cleaning, scheduling, chauffeuring, and working. Being away from home was relaxing in every way except for the few extra hours we spent in traffic jams. It was actually nice to have someone else make my bed, wash the towels, and cook and clean for me and a GPS and iPad to get me where I needed to go. My only job was to complete my workouts and relax. I was able to complete all my workouts during week 2 of camp while my husband was working. I found the local pools and parks. California was definitely designed for fitness. On the weekends, we were able to sightsee while putting in long runs and bike rides in some amazing places. From ocean views to wineries, weekend 3 took us to Guerneville, CA in Sonoma County for some biking, swimming, and running and to watch my teammates race in the VINEMAN 70.3. My husband and I rode part of the course through small country roads through wine country. The roads were bumpy and rolling with the most spectacular views. I followed a 3 hr ride with a 30 minute run while my teammates went to pick up their race packets. Later we went to the Russian River where the swim would be held and I swam for about 40 minutes and then my husband and I took a canoe out for an hour so he could get a river view. We were staying in a rustic lodge right on the river. There was so much triathlete traffic through the town, we decided to walk a few miles along the river to the pre race party at the house my coach rented for a delicious homemade meal. The next morning, I headed to the start line to cheer my teammates on and tried to capture everyone before, during, and after the race on film and learn what I could about ironman from the outside. I alway find that spectating is often just as hard as racing from standing all day. It was nice to feel calm and not nervous and just take it all in. I was perfectly content being on the outside. I felt that I should have wanted to compete even more from watching, but I think all the traveling and work outs left my body satisfied and not begging for more. While we were waiting for our athletes to come out of the water, a boat pulled up to the shore and within a blink of an eye, a women in a wetsuit was lifted out of the water and CPR was being performed right as people were exiting the water. It was a shock and everyone around was full of worry and disbelief as we waited anxiously for our athletes to make it out of the water and praying she was not one of ours. It was baffling as we tried to figure out how this could happen. Our swimmers were finishing one by one and a name was finally called out and the athlete's daughter who was standing closeby screamed out "that is my mother". It was heart breaking to hear the girl cry out and I immediately thought of my son and how horrible it would be if it was me. I could not hold back my tears for the girl. Her mother was taken away by ambulance and we never learned the outcome, but it did not look good. We had to remain positive to support our triathletes as tragedy can strike at any time whether you are in a race, at home, or crossing the street and we cannot stop racing because of fear. We suspected the athlete suffered some type of medical problem vs an accident since much of the water was only several feet deep. I did not want to go without remembering this athlete and her daughter as they have been in my thoughts ever since. I tagged along with other family members who were watching the race that day and followed everyone during each transition and at the finish line. The next day, I did a scenic speed work out to a state park with beautiful redwood trees and then we joined my teammates for a day of wine tasting set up by our wine expert of a teammate who I have named Wineman. It was a really fun day full of laughter and an education about wines from how to hold the glass properly, swirl, sniff and savor, and let the wine roll down smoothly. My husband brought home a few bottles of wine to continue to enjoy. The next day it was time to head back to LA to follow my son's music tour. His camp performed at different venues during the week and we followed him from place to place. We were very impressed with the diversity of musicians and level of talent and what was accomplished in two weeks including writing their own music, recording a cd and music video and going on tour. All the kids formed great friendships and working relationships and hope to return next year. Music and Ironman have a few things in common...they are both expensive activities, you meet a lot of really neat people, and it can take you to some very amazing places. So even though I had the ocean a mile from our hotel in Marina Del Rey, I could not muster up the courage to try ocean swimming on my own, so I took a break from swimming as there was not enough time to find a pool and it was difficult getting around Los Angeles due to traffic. I did get some extra time in the saddle and had the opportunity to work on my technique and practice riding in wind and on lots of curves since we rode on the bike trails along the beach which covered over 20 miles from Redondo Beach past Santa Monica Pier. The last two days, we spent as a family watching my son body surf, napping on the beach, and walking from Venice Beach to Santa Monica viewing the many types of street performers and people from all walks of life. We saw musicians, skateboarders, dancers, acrobats, all types of bikes and wheeled vehicles, muscle beach, artists,along with marajuiana sales and lots of struggling people. I told my son to embrace diversity and then run for your life! Now that CA training camp is coming to an end, I will do the same...embrace diversity and run, bike and swim for my life! Only 119 days left to get my body in order. Let the triathlon season begin with races starting in August and time to build on the base.

Ocean Front View

Training with a view makes Ironman training something even a normal person might want to do. This IM training camp is just what the doctor ordered. I managed to find my way around the tri valley area with the help of our friendly ipad and gps. OK, so I am starting to accept technology into my life. I swam in two different city aquatic centers and a man made lake, found a few running paths at local parks, and am slowly learning some of the nice bike routes. We took a drive up Mt. Diablo where die hard cyclists go to climb. We also took BART into the city for the 4th of July and had to buy sweatshirts and blankets to stay warm. We indulged in clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl and some ghiardelli hot chocolate. I salivated as I watched other swimmers in their wetsuits in famous Aquatic Park in the San Francisco Bay since I did not bring my wetsuit with me. Then we snuggled close together with 10,000 other people and watched a spectacular fireworks display over the water. After a nice relaxing week training in the cool temperatures in the East Bay area of San Francisco, reading some of my triathlon books, and seeing a few movies while my husband worked, we packed up our hotel room, and headed south to Monterey, CA. We found our hotel, packed our muscles with some glycogen via pizza, and got our gear ready for the next morning. My brother Greg, the ultra cyclist included us on his cycling route and arrived to join us and serve as our cycling Sherpa the next morning since he was familiar with the coastal route. I woke everyone up against their wills at 4:30am to get an early start and beat the traffic. We took the route on highway 1 from Monterey to Big Sur, CA and back. I had run a section of this route back in 1997 during the Big Sur Marathon, but due to a mudslide, the course was changed to an out and back from Carmel, so reaching Big Sur was a first for me. I had trouble sleeping the night before because this route was described for experts which I do not consider myself to be in that category. It was highly recommended to go early as a lot of tourists and large motor homes travel on this section. We started through a lush green forest in the fog and after a few miles appears the ocean. The views continue to get bigger and better just like the jagged rock formations above and below along with the climbs. My breathe was taken away more from the views than from the hard climbs. Much of the view was covered in mist and fog, but it did not take away from the beauty. I was singing GOD BLESS AMERICA to myself as we transitioned down into rural farmlands. Did you ever imagine cows on the beach or even pine trees and redwoods because that is what came next. We made it to Big Sur State Park and my brother had to get a roast beef sandwich at 8:30am. We were taking the sights in and then I realized I was supposed to be doing a training ride, so I encouraged the boys to get back in the saddle as I also wanted to beat the traffic. Climbing out of Big Sur was a little tougher, but the entire experience was surreal...California Dreaming! I felt strong until the last 4 miles out! According to my statistician, we rode 63.5 miles with a ride time of 4:30 something. The climb back took longer. I was holding on for dear life and did not follow my heart rate closely, but every time I checked, I was in my long zone. My brother took off and left us behind in the fog on the trek back and then he left for his next climb. Dennis and I did not get enough of the view so we drove the route, stopping for lunch at a hidden restaurant that we found on the bike ride with spectacular ocean views and then onto Big Sur and a walk to a beach. You have to hike at least a mile to get to the few beaches with public access. We decided to take the drive known as 17 mile drive to determine if that would be a good place for my ride and run the next day. We did not realize it was a private route in Pebble Beach and you had to pay to take the drive. It was not really bike friendly, so we deccided to find a different route. Finally headed back to our hotel and replenished our glycogen stores with some Paella del Mar and went to bed. We headed to Carmel the next morning and decided to park there and ride toward Carmel Valley which is a rural paradise filled with beautiful green countryside, farms, and wineries. I went out for 30 minutes and turned around while Dennis kept going and found some more awesome climbing while I returned to the car, transitioned into my running gear, and headed back out onto the marathon course to get my 10 mile run in. One thing I discovered today was that I seem to do better if I take jelly beans or chewies every mile after going for an hour...this may be part of the solution to maintaining an even energy level without the nausea. It was amazing taking in the views one more time by foot. You get a different perspective on foot, 2 wheels or by 4 wheels. I enjoyed them all and hope to come back to do them again. We checked out of our hotel and headed to Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row. We took a trolley ride around Pacific Grove. We saw lots of Harbor Seals and a few even visited us while we were dining on the water. What's not to love about this place. Well...as I write, my husband is driving us through the California Traffic. He makes sure I get to where I need to go whether it is on my bike or in the car. We love the scenery and the active lifestyle and the weather in California....but not the traffic. Does a perfect place really exist? Well, I think we were pretty close to heaven this weekend and with an Ocean View...who can ask for more than that.

Summer Vacation aka Ironman training camp...let the fun begin!

Most people seek out a nice warm place to retreat from the daily grind in the summer time, but if you are a desert turtle from Arizona, you might consider a little cooler climate to escape to. This summer we decided to spend a few weeks in California after dropping my son off at a 3 week music camp. I decided that I deserved a 3 week summer camp too....so I have officially started my own 3 week ironman training camp to break up the regular routine. I packed up my bike, wetsuit, and running shoes along with all the necessary gear and plenty of reading material including nutrition books, yoga and strength training for triathletes and most importantly mental training for peak performance. So, for the next three weeks the theme will be about the turtle tri-ing California, a long state which has an abundance of bike routes, water, and trails along with triathletes to ride, swim, and run them! First stop: Annaheim Hills to train with teammate Luis who I like to refer to as Wineman (cause he is training for Vineman and Ironman and he knows a lot about wine and is planning wine tasting outing for our team). We arrived with a truck full of triathlon gear and music gear for our camps and headed directly to the beach. Luis took us to Long Beach to swim in the bay while my family walked across the street to frolick at the beach. We donned our Zoot suits and dunked right in. As we were getting our feet wet, Luis had to share with me that he saw a baby stingray in the water the day before to get my adrenaline going! There was actually a swim lane roped off to follow and the temperature was perfect. We swam side by side for a while and then got into school formation. We were aiming for "the bridge" which Luis had gestimated the mileage based on that of the road that parallels the shore (not sure if that is an accurate way to measure, but who am I to judge). We then proceeded under the bridge which was kind of creepy as the water was very high and I felt like I was in the sewer like in the movie flushed away and might bump into some river rats....could not be any worse than Tempe town lake....on the other side, we swam along the line of boats and enjoyed the taste of salty gasoline. It did not matter too much because I was swimming in cool water at the beach in Cali! I was happy as a Sea Turtle and it is always nice to have a companion for when your imagination runs wild as to what you are swimming with. When we finished, I requested to feel what the ocean water was like to swim in. It is just another fear to overcome. After a few minutes, I realized it is a totally justifiable fear, but one I would like to face and that it is a totally different sport. Now I am beginning to feel like I am made out of aluminum and not iron! We capped the swim off with a walk through the beach town and a yummy Mexican meal. By the time we got settled in for the night, my alarm clock was ringing before I knew it at 4:30 am and the pre-bike ride rituals began. Luis decided to take us on an urban path that many cyclists ride to the beach since we had a brick workout that morning. The weather was perfect and it was a nice change to ride a fairly flat course with short curves and hills to maneuver from section to section. I had to remind myself to look up at the shore once we arrived at the beach. The surfer dudes were gathering and lots of groups of runners and cyclists were all around. We passed the arenas where the Ducks and the Angels play. I even got to change another flat tire despite it being a very clean, glass free route. My tire managed to pick up a thorn from a plant or possibly one of the wooden bridge crossings. Tire changing time is getting faster and I finally successfully used a co2 cartridge! With short breaks due to needing a photo and the unplanned tire change, Luis and I made the quick change to our running shoes and got our 3 miles in. It was nice to feel comfortable for the whole time without feeling sick or cramping...the feeling I hope to have on ironman day which is now officially 20 weeks away. I love my aero bars and seem to have made the transition to them with ease thanks to my wonderful bike fitter. Finished with good food and friendship the part I love most that keeps the turtle tales going. We dropped my son off at his camp and headed north to Pleasanton, CA. Our drive was much tougher than our bike ride as we were stopped in California road construction at its finest adding a few extra unwanted hours to our trip....much more enjoyable to save those for the bike. I wonder which one of us will be having more fun at their summer camp, me or my son. Stay tuned for More CA adventure to follow.