This is the 3rd summer in a
row that I have been able to take my training on the road. My son
attends a 3 week music camp and we drop him off in Orange County and
go north for 2 weeks and then return to Southern California to follow
his tour. When you are preparing for an Ironman, everything is
planned around your training schedule or else you plug in workouts
whenever you can during your travels.
I took a little time out to SAG for my
husband's training weekend in Bishop, CA to help him get ready for
his big event called THE EVEREST CHALLENGE which is the same weekend
as IRONMAN CHATTANOOGA. He was humbled as he attempted and completed
4 of the 6 climbs and questioned his readiness and his ability to
come back in 10 weeks and conquer the beast (30,000 feet of climbing,
thus the height of Everest which the event is named after). This is
outside of most Ironman triathlete's comfort zones, but it was nice
to see him experience the trials and tribulations of pushing the
limits. He actually made it look easy, but he would tell you it was
anything but! My brother Greg was his guide as he has completed the
Challenge several times.
I was able to fit a few shorter rides
and run in during our time in the Sierra Nevadas on lower lands on
beautiful small country rodes with a few hills sprinkled in before
heading south. The last night in Bishop, I had to make a decision
about registering for the Oceanside 70.3, one of the perks of being
part of a big tri club in the Ironman Tri Club competition is early
entries to certain races. I just decided I did not have it in me to
sign up for another half Ironman distance race before I completed my
2014 race calendar. General registration opened up the next day and
as we were making the drive to SoCal, my facebook page was lighting
up with announcements of teammates getting into Oceanside. After a
few hours on the road, I could not take the feeling of the
possibility of being left out and I signed up. (my husband just shook
his head as he had to listen to my rationalization of not signing up
and then witness me push the button on active.com after I made a
public declaration to forego the race).
After surviving the traffic, we checked
into our hotel at Newport Beach and ate a delicious pasta dinner.
The next morning, I decided to do my long run and would stay along
the beach. First I headed south passed 2 piers and to a peninsula
until I ran out of road or boardwalk. On my way back, I ran to the
end of Balboa Pier and Newport Beach Pier and then I continued past
our hotel and continued north toward Huntington Beach Pier. I wanted
to reach that pier but they always seem closer then they really are,
but I made it to the end of the pier knowing I might have to walk
back to the hotel. I ended up running 18 miles which was a few miles
longer then I was planning, but I felt pretty good running in cool
cloudy humidity with an ocean breeze. I did slow a little bit each
hour and especially during the last 3 miles. I was ready to be done,
but an elderly women who was walking started running and passed me
for a minute and that kind of inspired me to keep going.
We spent the rest of the day hanging
out in Santa Monica until my son's concert at a cool little club in
Venice called WITZEND. Walking was a good way to prevent my muscles
from tightening up.
We were leary about where we would do
our long ride the next morning as our options were California Highway
1 or one of the bike trails along a canal. Highway 1 is packed with
traffic and some sections through different beach towns were too
congested for our comfort level, so we opted for a ride recommended
by a local that was on a protected bike path from Dana Point to
Oceanside through Camp Pendleton. It was an interesting ride taking
us on different paths, local streets with a lot of hills and stop
signs and through a military base which was a nice preview for
Oceanside 70.3. The way home provided better views of the Pacific
Coast and made the irregular ride worth it. It took an extra long
time to complete 55 miles, so I still got over 4 hours of riding time
in between hills, turns, stop signs, military checkpoints, and wind.
Thank goodness there was water on the route as riding in the open
sun and humidity took a toll on me that particular day. The other
lesson I have learned was to not attempt a long ride the day after a
long run which has not worked well for me despite it being
recommended by some coaches vs doing bike then run. We were
determined to get the bulk of our workouts in during the week so we
could spend a nice family weekend together at the end of the Tour.
We got a little beach time in before
heading to my son's final concert. The performances were spectacular
as usual. It is always difficult for us to say good bye to
California and for my son to say good bye to the other students and
mentors from camp. It is his “triathlon” and his extended family
who speak the same language just as most triathletes have instant
connection with one and other. We are so greatful that he has his
music family.
We decided to take a quick mountain
retreat and skip the beach scene although Jeremy took an interest in
learning to surf during camp and got to try it out the last 2 days of
camp. Our family prefers the cool pines and although we were all
very tired from our tours, we headed to Big Bear Lake, California for
one last hurrah! We got a few final workouts in with cooler
temperatures including a beautiful bike ride around Big Bear and its
sister lake, Baldwin, who was dry, a few runs in the pines, and a
swim in the lake. We also tried Stand Up Paddle Boarding for 2 hours
which was a blast and hopefully we will add one of those to our toy
collection soon!
Now we are heading back home to AZ
which I refer to as “the oven” during the summer. I will miss
the cooler morning temperatures for the final 10 weeks of Ironman
Training. I am sure more trips up north will happen but most days
will be spent waking up early trying to beat 100 degree temps.
Summer Training Camp was sweet! We put
in some good miles with beautiful scenery from rolling hills in the
country to switch backed mountains, redwood forests, lakes, and along
beautiful coastal scenes. I am a fortunate triathlete and so very
blessed at this moment to have had this opportunity to “tri on
tour”. We found more places that we can dream of returning to
again.
I am also fortunate that I can go home
and focus for ten more weeks on preparation to hop on the train to
Chattanooga and be a part of an inauguaral Ironman event. There is
still more work to be done, but I return home a little stronger, a
little leaner, and more relaxed and refreshed. If there were
professional turtle triathletes, I would apply for that job right
away. No amount of cash could compensate for all the happiness
triathlon brings to my world. Even the hardest day at this job,
leaves you with a smile on your face. Keep tri-ing!
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