Who can argue with Mother Nature, a force not to be reckoned with? What will be, will be, but it is frustrating for an athlete that has spent many months, sometimes years preparing to peak at an event that will take place on ONE given day. There are always risks in signing up for a race in advanced such as the health of our body, family drama, and other circumstances beyond our control. There is no way of knowing when natural disaster will strike and we all sign disclosures agreeing that the race company has the authority to cancel our race and keep our money, yet we all check the box as we don't want to believe that fate would be so cruel. We calculate our risk (check average temperatures, humidity, wind, and precipitation for that time of year, the terrain, altitude, elevation, etc. etc.) and then we sign on the dotted line. Today, most races even offer race insurance to recoup your fees if such an event happen for another 7 bucks.
Well in Arizona, weather is always a fair topic for discussion. It is not very exciting to talk about because it is mostly the same, but people enjoy saying how hot it is for 9 months of the year and then how cold and dark it is for the other 3 (while others are buried in snow and below freezing temps around the globe). Rarely the subject of rain comes up, however, there are a few times a year when we might consider its impact such as monsoon season or the watering of the desert before the spring bloom. When it does rain, we get flooding in certain areas and AZ had to implement the STUPID MOTORIST LAW to stop people from needing rescued from their vehicles because they decided to try to cross a flooded wash and apparently their cars did not float and they were not good swimmers. Amongst Phoenix triathletes, rain is a threat to our local triathlon events in Tempe Town Lake where E. Coli likes to fester and rain the day before an event can be cause for cancellation and unhappy triathletes.
So after 70 days without a drop, the forecast called for rain this weekend and the buzz around AZ was the main thing pouring down. There was so much excitement over impending rain that makes AZ look pretty old fashioned once again. How could one day of rain create such a frenzy? How do the people in the Northwest survive each day? Rain is like snow in AZ. The roads get slippery, visibility is poor and some washes and roads flood. There was some whining and moaning about conditions, but those who truly embrace their surroundings were thankful for the rare opportunity to run, bike or swim with the wind,clouds and the rain.
This is when your adaptation skills are tested. Of course safety always comes first, but while everyone was waiting for the rain, my friend and I calculated the risks and managed to find a 3 hour window without torrential downpour to ride and run in. The desert is most beautiful when the mountains are covered in layers of clouds and the rain deepens the colors on the mountainside. The spring flowers are blooming and line the roads and the rain brings out the scent of the flora. Cyclists in the mist: so refreshing to have spray from the road cooling you off as you ride through the wind. Training in the rain in AZ is so refreshing and is something that should not be missed. For others, a well needed rest on the couch might be what was needed, but those brave enough to weather the storm were in for a treat.
Later that day and night, we did get larger downpours and the Desert Classic Duathlon which I was set to volunteer at with friends and then go on a trail run was cancelled. Many triathletes were disappointed, but most people found a comparable plan B as Sunday woke up with clouds but turned out to be a Beautiful Day! Triathletes should always have alternate strategies and plans for when things don't go their way. Weather is one of those things that we don't have control of, but we do have weather.com and it is great experience to train in a variety of conditions as you never know what you are going to get on race day.
I have hit the 30 week mark before my Ironman Race. In 15 weeks, I have a 70.3 and in 30 weeks a 140.6 race. My base is coming along SLOWLY. I am using Training Peaks to set up my plan and document progress which has been a helpful tool to keep me on track. I am getting all my workouts done, but would like to be feeling stronger at this point. It feels good to be on another adventure, although I sometimes want to turn to the last page of the book and see how this story is going to end, I look forward to moving on to the next chapter. I continue to meet new triathlon friends to share the ride with. Every day is an adventure. You can look a forecast and try to predict the future, but sometimes you just don't know what you are going to get. So thank you Mother Nature for giving us something to talk about this week.
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