HERE OR THERE

Could you would you ride a bike?
Yes, I could and would ride a bike.
Would you could you ride it here or there?
Yes, I could and would ride it here or there.
I would, I could ride it anywhere.

That is the great thing about a bike.  You can be near or far from home and as long as you have your bike with you or access to a bike, you can ride it here, there or anywhere!  If not your bike, your running shoes will do and perhaps a wetsuit too.

As of late, I have had to train here or there or anywhere.  For 2 months, I have woken up in different places from day to day and week to week, but I "tri" ed almost every day from San Francisco down to LA.  Anywhere included Northern, California with rides around the East Bay of San Francisco, San Jose, and Sonoma County for my Vineman race then down to Southern California at the beaches from Torrence to Santa Monica.  I was back home in Scottsdale for no more than one ride in the desert before heading up to Northern, AZ in Prescott and Flagstaff to prepare for my final long course race of the season at higher altitudes.  You can fold triathlon training up into a box and take it with you wherever you go.  It is much easier if you travel by car if you have room for your bike.    This is a simple life that I lead.  It takes only time and variable speed.

This week I had more scenic workouts in cooler temperatures surrounded by the trees I love, PINE!  I managed to complete an 80 mile ride on Lake Mary Road in Flagstaff and a swim in the chocolate Lake Mary.  Today I topped off another week with a beautiful 2.5 hour run on the Urban Trail in Flagstaff.  I got to share my workouts with other friends who were escaping the heat as well as enjoy a weekend of solitude before getting back on a schedule for work and school.

Well I have to say, I will miss "there" now that I am "here" and I look forward to the next time I am "there".  But, it is good to know that is does not really matter where you are because you can swim, bike and run and have all kinds of fun wherever you go and with whoever you know.

So just remember you too can do it here, there or anywhere!

There is No Place Like Home

There is no place like home and that is where we are on our way back to Scottsdale after six weeks away.  We pack our truck up, fill up our tank, and click our bike shoes together and close our eyes and say "There is No Place Like Home".  Unfortunately we won't get home as fast as Dorothy and Toto, but we will drive all day until we get there.  My son will be happy, my husband will just return to the rigors of work and I will get re-acclimated to training in the heat.  I am probably the one who is not looking forward to returning back to reality.

The fruits of our labor came together as we drove from Sonoma County to LA to follow our son on his music tour which was part of his camp at The Collective Sounds.  We were so thrilled to see what a great time he had this year and what a gift he was given to work with such a talented group of young musicians.  They named their band, Audio Picnic and they wrote and performed incredible music.  We got to enjoy 3 of the 4 stops on the tour and watch them grow stronger until the end.

My husband and I were a bit exhausted from the summer, almost too much to make the most out of our short days before navigating to the concerts.  We are not big fans of the traffic in LA.  We learned from last year to leave far in advance to get to wherever you want to go.

We did fit a bike tour along the beach trail for a 46 ish mile ride along the ocean weaving in and out and around curves and lots of people.  It was a nice way to try and cleanse the waste products out of my tired muscles.  The next 2 days I squeaked in a 50 minute run on the beach path and a 40 minute run with 3-2 min intervals and another shorter 24 mile bike ride on the path with less traffic.  I topped the week off with a 2 hour long run before we headed home.

The beach is alive between 6 am and 8 am on a Sunday morning and I was able to get one last run from Torrence to Manhattan Beach overlooking and along the ocean.  The beach is such a fascinating place.  I wonder why people like to stare at an endless body of water.  If I still had my choice, I would prefer to be surrounded by pine trees.  The water does has its own peacefulness as the sound of the waves crash onto the shore and I do love taking a nap by the sea with my feet buried in the warm sand.  As I squeezed in my last hurrah, I was both dazzled and disgusted.  All walks of life occupy the edge of the earth.  The richest folks monopolize the real estate along the strand with beautifully renovated ocean front property, but at the same time,  homeless and needy people with leathery skin from living outdoors rummage through the trash cans and urinate at the front doors of the wealthy.  The stench was horrendous and the boardwalk was sticky and I really wanted to jump into a soapy shower, however the allure of ocean attracts cyclists, runners, strollers, swimmers, surfers, scuba divers, stand up paddlers, and fishermen.  All walks of life congregate down by the sea.

As we arrived back in the Zone (Arizona), we were relieved that the Monsoon Gods are helping us ease back into the oven and spared us with a cooler transition then we were expecting.  Time to unpack and spend the next 3 weeks preparing for my final long course of the season up in Flagstaff and then it will be time to assess my training and my goals for the following year.

For now, I will cuddle up in my own comfy bed and be thankful that there really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Vineman

Beth Kozura, “You are a Vineman!”. A new title to add to my list. I am a Deuceman, an Ironman, A Leadman and now a Vineman. I don't take offense to being a “man” as long as it has a catchy prefix attached to it.

Race 2 in my summer triathlon series was a success. Being away from home for the month prior to Vineman had its advantages and disadvantages. I had to be more adaptable with my schedule to work around our travels and other activities, but yet I had more flexibility to fit workouts in throughout the day. I so enjoyed living GREEN in California. I was able to get around by foot or bike during the day while my husband used our car to get into his office (which if he really wanted to, he also could have used the city trails and commuted himself). I got to train in a range of weather and terrain. I met some local triathletes along the way. Northern California is saturated with strong swimmers, runners, and cyclists and I think if I lived in these conditions I could only improve as an adaptation to the conditions.

I had a neutral feeling going into my race feeling a little under trained as I had not reached the distances on my bike that I usually do prior to a long course or as much high intensity work to improve my speed as I hoped, but I did put the hours in and had the opportunity to work on climbing on my bike and some short bursts of speed during my runs. I had been focusing mostly on technique in the pool taking in all the feedback I had received and trying to “feel” the water. My goal had changed a little bit since I was planning on completing 3 long courses this summer from pulling out a PR to making respectable finishes in all three and peaking on the last race. So I think I am on my way to completing the series.

When my husband and I arrived in Guerneville on Friday afternoon, we checked into the West Sonoma Inn and Spa and got our bikes out and went for a spin. He kept riding to the coast while I did an easy 40 minute spin and 20 minute run to loosen up. We got settled into our room and then found some dinner and walked around the town and checked out the river. The next day my husband took another ride through the forest and out to the coast to take advantage of the beautiful location we were in while I just rested my legs. We headed out to the expo for the 11:30 am athlete's meeting and between packet pick up, shopping at the expo, and setting up T2, we did not get back to our room until about 4 pm. At that point, we decided to forego our planned swim in the river. We hung out and enjoyed the vineyard views at our Inn and then headed to dinner.

The forecast was for THE PERFECT DAY and it was pretty much what weather.com had promised!

Everything came together on race day. I guess if adequate preparation is made and you have your health, you can always start your day with a positive outlook. The week prior had been very hot and the water temperature in the Russian River had reached 80 degrees. Luckily a cool front had moved in and the temperatures dropped. The race ended up being wetsuit legal and the temperatures started in the 50s with a chill in the air before getting into the water with nice mist and cloud coverage that lasted through the bike ride. The run was more in the open air, but a nice breeze helped make it tolerable.

We were staying a few minutes away from the start of the race, so there was no big rush to get out the door except that all my friends had different start times and I wanted to be there for morning greetings, so we slowly headed down to T1 with our bikes around 6:30 am. I set up my bike, talked to my rackmates, got body marked, and greeted my AZ friends. I had plenty of time to visit the potty, watch a few swim waves, and get my wetsuit on. Race Ready I was, there was nothing else to do besides wait.

The Vineman swim has to be one of the most beautiful on the Ironman circuit in the Russian River. It is a narrow river nestled between pine trees and other lush green foliage. We even had the treat of a bald eagle nesting high up in a tree right at the start. I always look forward to getting started as once the gun goes off, you can just relax! The swim goes off in age group waves every 6 minutes due to the very narrow river course. It is nice to avoid the trampling of athletes in water, but the start happened over a 2 hour period and I had the final women's wave only with 2 men's waves ages 30-35 following! There were 105 athletes in my group. I got an orange cap to add to my collection which goes nicely with my ONE Multisport wardrobe. “10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1....and the horn sounds” and off we go. It is a most scenic swim and I make a point of breathing both ways so I don't miss anything. This swim is also known for athletes standing and walking in the water as it gets shallow in certain spots and sure enough before we even approached the turn around, I saw a tribe of yellow caps (the wave in front of us) walking in the water. I was “not” going to walk if I did not have to as I can swim in pretty shallow waters (one of the advantages of short limbs and being a turtle!). I was not too turtle like on my swim as someone shouted out “10^th out of the water” and I knew that meant in my age group, but it made me smile. Sometimes I am 1 or 2 out of the water in AZ in my AG, but I thought that was pretty great in California after getting a taste of these athletes.

I ran my bike up the short hill that starts directly at the bottom of T1 as the majority of athletes were including the pros. And off we go for a scenic bike ride in the Vineyards. It takes a good 5-10 miles to

work out the swim effects on my body and get into a groove and miles 5-10 on this course are bumpy and hilly. My bike felt wobbly and I even stopped to check for a flat but it was just the terrain as far as I could tell and I just prayed I would not have to deal with a bike issue so I could just enjoy my ride. Of course after a while, you are in “the zone” and you are focused mostly on the road in front of you. I had to remind myself to look up and enjoy the view. The course continued to go up and down with several climbs. The most famous one that I was warned about was known as “Chalk Hill” which lasts for about a mile. Although CH had one steep section before the summit, I found a few of the other sections more challenging. At the top of CH was a fun long descent which I was comfortable going full speed on meaning it was steep, but not too steep! The course description claimed the ride was down hill for the last 10 miles and that is how it felt as I found myself passing people to T2. I had no idea what speed I was averaging because my clock on my bike failed and my Garmin was not accurate, so I had only “feel” to go on and I had sustained my efforts throughout the ride and had done the best I could on that given day.

I was so happy to arrive at T2 to see some familiar faces and to get off my bike. It was a bit of a run into the transition area, but the good news was I was in the second row. And then I was off to run the final leg of the race. I took it slow to try and get things stretched out and get everything all situated (salt and water in one hand and jelly beans in side pocket). The first 2 miles were gentle and the mile markers were approaching faster than I expected. But before I knew it, I looked up and the course was going up! More rolling hills...but I was happy to be climbing them on my feet and not my bike at that stage. Many people were walking the hills, but for me, if I walk, my run is over, so I do everything it takes to keep running. I use the same principles as I am learning on my bike, to slow up the hill and shorten my stride to conserve energy. I met an amputee who had completed 2 Ironmen and talked to him for a few minutes while I was getting in my groove (he was a dose of inspiration for me). I was feeling good and I had hopes of possibly being able to pick up my pace on the second half so I held back a little. The runners headed in the opposite direction had that look of despair so I took that as a clue of what was ahead. I was happy to reach the turn into the Winery for a 1 mile jog around the vines. We reached the half way mark in the fields and that was nice to know there were only 6.5 miles left. My legs were starting to tighten up but I was beginning to pass people slowly but surely. It was a progressive tightening of the legs and then right around mile 9 my left quad was fighting for the full blown cramp as I past others who were grabbing their cramping muscles trying to ward off the evil spirits. I was no more deserving then any other athlete, or maybe I was since I had worked really hard to stay hydrated and maintain a good level of electrolytes all day. My secret formula got me to mile 9 and the hills had taken their toll. I have secret weapons to ward the evil spirits away and though I had to stop for a split second while my quad squeezed itself into a knot, I shortened my stride and slowed down and somehow dragged my legs through the remainder of the miles. Right before mile 11, there was a sign posted stating “LOST CALF” which I thought was funny since a lot of triathletes left their calf muscles out there on the course, but since we were in the middle of property with livestock and the sign had a phone number to call, maybe it was referring to a baby cow. At the aide station at mile 11, they had run out of water, but still had gatorade, so that had to do. Soon a gal on a bike called out “only 1.5 miles to go, you are almost home!”. That gives hope that relief is on its way. My pace slowed a bit and on this day, I did not look down at my watch once as I decided it was more important to listen to my body than to try and push too hard to break a record and end up walking to the end. A half a mile from the finish, I saw my other ONE Multisport friends who screamed and energized me for a moment almost causing another major spasm, but I was once again able to ward off the evil spirits. The last group of volunteers screamed only ¼ mile to the finish line. I saw my husband and my friends a few hundred yards from the finish. I also had the opportunity to have a banner held up for me to run through at the end though the cameras missed that special moment (when will I ever have a banner to run through again). I looked down at my watch and was happy to learn that I broke 6.5 hours with a finishing time of 6:28:45. Another title in the bank....I am rich!

I concluded that in some ways it does not matter where you put your miles in during a race as your focus becomes intense and it is truly a challenge to enjoy the view the whole way through, but I would not trade the vines in for anything as this race is a must do for any hearty triathlete with an appetite for green trees, rolling hills, fine wine, and friendly people. You won't want to go home. And if 70.3 is not enough time in the vineyards, Vineman offers a race with a full distance Ironman, Aquabike and marathon later in July.

To top off the experience, post race celebration and wine tasting are a must. I enjoyed exchanging triathlete tales about the race and learning how everyone's day turned out. One thing, every one went to bed happy that night. The next day was spent wine tasting in style on the WINE O BAY GO tour in a luxury van that chauffeured us around to taste the treasures of the earth. It was a great way to see the country and taste the fruits of the crops. We left with stronger friendships, a renewed peace, and a few more bottles of wine. Vineman was ONE grape time!

ONE CYCLIST'S DREAM CAN BE ANOTHER CYCLIST'S NIGHTMARE!

Two cyclists pedaling through a storybook forest with all that mother nature has to offer and the pavement that man has layed down through it.  One cyclist thrives as the other one struggles on the very same road.  The first flies up the hills singing "The Hills are Alive" while the second is crying inside so nobody hears his pain.

The riders of Northern California cannot be 100% human!  It blows me away that my husband came here and a week later climbed up the 10 most challenging ascents around the Bay.  I did not really fully understand this until experiencing some popular Bay rides myself and especially today while we drove parts of the  Best of the Bay Ride.

Northern, California is saturated with cyclists.  Everywhere you go, they are out on all types of bikes and no road or trail is off limits.  They do not fear motorized vehicles, steep ascents, fast descents, hairpin turns or traffic.  They come out in drones.  If you are sight seeing on any scenic drive, you have to share the roads with the thousands of cyclists.  It is one thing, maneuvering on narrow, curvy roads, but to find the strength and endurance to maintain a bicycle on both wheels during a steep climb, boggles my mind and questions everything about my being on a bike!  Our bodies are amazing machines and adapt to the environment they are in, but I have questioned "how" let alone "why"? Why do some people have it and others do not?  How much is effort and how much is talent and how much can we change our skills be putting in more effort?  Have these athletes just adapted to this environment because this is all they know.  Then explain how my husband can come here and climb 10,000 feet like there is no tomorrow and I am left behind in the dust, walking my bike with my head down in defeat.

I know that it can't be as bad as it seems and there is a bright side to this story.  For the mere mortal rider, it takes time and technique to master the terrain.  Hopefully, even though I feel a bit broken down after this week and the past month, hopefully I will go home with a higher level of fitness then I started with.  I also have been reminded that if I am going to sign up for an Ironman with PINE TREES on the course, this was a sign of what level of training is going to be required to succeed.  I will have my work cut out for me and finishing a more challenging IM, will be sweeter than the first.  So time to brush off the dirt, swallow my pride and get to work!

As hard as this week was, it was the most beautiful week of all.  I swam in beautiful Del Valle Lake with a local triathlete who graciously picked me up and drove to the lake as we shared triathlon stories.  My husband and I skipped the big local 4th of July parade and opted for sighting seeing by bike, so we headed down toward San Jose and reunited with another tri friend who just moved to that area to ride a loop around Big Basin State Park near Saratoga Springs.  It was a beautiful ride through redwood forests and included my first challenging California ascent.  It was rated 4 out of 5 in difficulty and I questioned my husband's judgment about putting me in this cycling scenario.  The beauty of the redwoods and the surrounding terrain along with the good company made the 4 hour struggle worth the effort.  My husband and friend were proud of my efforts even though I felt like a dog with my tale between my legs, I motored through it because I had no choice.  Two days later, I needed a medium distance ride and I was concerned about going out too hard with a group or too far and I thought my husband had an easy alternative.  He took me to the first loop from the Best of the Bay starting in Orinda, CA around the San Pablos Reservoir.  We were flying down the hills and then onto a rolling country road through farmlands and then he took me on this back road through Lafayette and Orinda and the fatigue in my legs got the best of my body and mind.  The short steep climbs were too much.  This time, my cries were out loud.  My husband apologized as he did not remember the ride being challenging (which relative to the rest of Best of the Bay, it was a baby ride).  Somehow I survived and made my way home to swim while my husband road a few more hours.  I spent most of the remainder of the day stretched out in bed.  Finally, I ended the week with my my final long run on the prettiest part of the Ironhorse Trail through Danville and Alamo. 

We are in awe of the beauty of Northern, California.   We are reminded daily what is missing in Phoenix and that is TREES.  This week we traveled through hills, pine trees, redwoods, cliffs over looking the bay, views of the city, and the pacific coast.  Words or pictures cannot capture the beauty.  Every time we look, we see something different, a new landscape, a new view, and a new perspective.  We continue to discuss what we love about the area and what people here have to endure daily to live here.

I have a new RESPECT for this territory and the cyclists and triathletes that thrive here.  We are thankful for the time we have had here.  This week, I am going to rest my weary body and try to go into my race refreshed and ready to enjoy the scenery in wine country at the Vineman 70.3 race.

Let's hope that with more training, my cycling nightmare soon turns into my favorite dream!