Marathon Swim Project

 My favorite movie of all time is You've Got Mail.  I saw it at least 5 times in the theater.  Obviously if I had spent more time studying and less time at the movies I probably would have graduated with higher marks.  And the movie doesn't have anything to do with anything, other than when I sat down to write I was reminded of Kathleen Kelly's monologue... because it's exactly what I'm going to do... right now....

I like to start my notes to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation.  I pretend that we're oldest and dearest friends as opposed to what we actually are...

It's been a minute.  

Not quite as long as I thought... but long enough.  I've been writing all along.  But in an actual journal.  With paper and a pen.  And much more private thoughts and musings.  I love to write.  Even when it's in digital format, it's still just me putting thoughts on paper.  A diary more or less.  

Last time we spoke I was in the middle of my trail running season last fall.  I was trying to reconcile my  desire to WANT to be a trail runner with the fact that I wasn't enjoying any of it.  I had a miserable 50k.  I dropped out of my 100k.  And as a last ditch effort I signed up for (and finished) a 50 miler-- just not in a fast enough time to enter the 100 miler that I desperately didn't want to do anymore anyway but I said I wanted to so I had to try, right?  If ever there was a case for self-sabotage.  

I think I just lost steam after SCAR and TransRockies Run (TRR).  I think I just wasn't excited about the goal.  I realize now I never even wrote about TRR.  I think I came off of that week and was just in a different place in my life.  Happy.  For the first time in a long time I could look at where I was at and what I was doing and know that it was exactly the life that I wanted.  I was content.  And contentment breeds complacency.  

Or does it?

What if contentment is not a bad thing?  What if the thing I had been looking for finally landed in my lap?  Should I not run with it?  Every damn day for 2 years:  Inhale joy and contentment.  There it is.  Contentment.  I had been seeking it out.  Expanding it with my focus.  Of course it's going to show up in my life!

So I took a step back, backed off the trail running, quit my job, moved to the beach.

Yeah.  I did that.  I swear in a very calculated manner, and not in the midst of a mid-life crisis which I know is exactly what you're thinking.  Trust me, I have had that thought too, but I just needed a change.  Arizona was never meant to be my final resting place and it was time to go.  

So what now?  

Well... ironically, I went back to the trails- only this time as a thru-hiker, not a runner.  I spent the first week of July hiking the 171.4 mile Tahoe Rim Trail.  I feel this deserves an entire post dedicated to it, so I'll just leave you with the link to a podcast I did with YogiTriathlete until I have time to put those thoughts onto paper.  Er, or screen, rather.    

And being in the mountains surrounding the gorgeous blue waters of Lake Tahoe reignited my desire to do some more marathon swimming.  I had reached out to the Pacific Open Water Swim Company in January to express my interest in swimming across Lake Tahoe (they coordinate all official swims of the lake).  Dates for 2020 didn't work out because the only week they had left was the same week I was in Washington Island for the bff's big bike race.  I am focusing my energy on securing a date for 2021 and in my research I came across something that resonated.  

The California Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming.

1.  Lake Tahoe 21.3 miles

2.  Santa Barbara Channel, Anacapa to Mainland, 12.4 miles

3.  Catalina Channel, 20 miles

The minute I read about this challenge I knew I wanted in.  I felt excited about a training goal for the first time in a long time.  It made me want to jump into cold water and go for a swim.  All of these swims follow the basic guidelines for channel swimming.  No wetsuit.  No touching the support boat.  No drafting.  No artificial aids of any kind (cheater panties, pull buoys, etc).  It's just me and the water from start to finish.  

One cool thing about marathon swimming is that, similar to ultra running, I can have a support swimmer.  Generally after the first 3 hours or so, I can have a friend hop in and swim next to me for an hour at a time.  They are required to take breaks between support legs.  I remember how cool it was to swim side-by-side with Melody for about 9 miles out of our 17 mile day at SCAR last year.  I love idea of having a support swimmer-- someone who can swim close enough to my pace to stay warm, loves swimming, and doesn't mind spending 12 hours on a boat.  

There are a few logistics involved in arranging a marathon swim.  Hiring a boat.  Hiring a kayaker (for Santa Barbara and Catalina).  Applying for approval from the various swim associations.  Medical clearance.  Paying the fees to the boat captain, and the ratification fees to document the swims.  Not to mention training to swim in cold water at night.  With my experience at SCAR I feel confident that I can train to handle the distance.  And living on the ocean gives me the opportunity to train in open water.  

So that's what's happening here.  I'm hoping to document my training and planning as things develop.  I am hoping to do at least 2 swims next year-- but I'm dependent on the availability of a boat captain that can successfully guide a channel swim.  Either way, there will be a lot of open water swimming going on!  

 

High Vibe Retreat: BFF Edition

Last month I went to my second High Vibe Retreat in Carlsbad CA.  After my retreat in October I immediately thought it would be a perfect girls weekend for my tribe.  My #bffx2.  My #doubletrouble.  Basically, me and my girls would have an Australia reunion--- in California.  Bonding over plant based nutrition and yoga.  Digging deep into mindfulness and meditation.  Growing, stretching, encouraging, challenging, and supporting each other.  And I have to say my intuition on this paid off.

At first I was a little bit worried about what my bff might think about all this meditation stuff.  She's kind of a no-nonsense, East coast born and raised, no time for bullshit gal.  But she's also funny, and sweet, and introspective, and wants to believe in herself and make all those big dreams come true.  And what better way to encourage that than through mindfulness?

Girls weekend!!

We met up in Phoenix and made the 6 hour road trip to the California coast.  Talking, laughing, catching up.  Though we talk all. the. time, we haven't been together, the 4 of us, since Ultraman Australia last May!  We settled into our hotel room and got some dinner and shared a lot of laughs over a glass of wine.  We had worked with Jess ahead of time to set an itinerary that met all of our desires.  We wanted to focus on yoga and meditation, and incorporate some hard training sessions, but have them be the "breaks" from the real work.

The first morning of our retreat I was scheduled to do a 14 mile steady pace run.  Marsha got up early with me to run before we met with the group for our first mindfulness session.  2 weeks before the retreat I had spoken with Hillary about increasing my run mileage to try to help my run legs come around.  Until that point they had been sluggish and non-responsive in sessions.  So the plan was 2 part-  increase overall mileage to give my legs more base to work from, and work on making my "easy" pace a bit faster, and my "fast" pace a lot faster.  That run was one of our first tests of making my easy pace faster.  It was also my longest run since Ironman Arizona in November so I wasn't sure how it would go!  We headed out into hurricane force winds and ran from our hotel in Carlsbad through downtown and along the bike path into Oceanside.  We ended up on the San Luis Rey bike path heading inland for a few miles before it was time to turn around.  On our way back through Oceanside we ran along the 70.3 course before finishing our run along the Pacific Coast Highway.  I was thrilled to be able to run, conversationally, at a much faster pace than I would have believed possible 2 weeks before.

The meditation circle.

We dove right into the retreat with a meditation session and some discussion on mindfulness.  Already I could tell it was going to be an amazing weekend.  Two of us had been practicing meditation for several months, and were eager and ready to share this with our other halves.  After our morning session we hit the pool for swim session with BJ.  During the session we were challenged to observe our thoughts.  Did we start to put limitations on ourselves when things got tough?  Did we give ourselves an "out"?  Did we worry about how fast we were swimming compared to our lane mates?

Swimming in the sunshine!

After the swim we had a quick lunch at a local favorite, Choice Juicery, and then moved into our afternoon mindfulness sessions.  The bff and I met with BJ for a discussion on mindfulness in training and racing.  I think I can speak for both of us when I say we walked away with a better understanding of how to use our minds and thoughts as tools to enhance our training, rather than let our minds work against us.  That evening we met at Endurance House for yoga, followed by dinner and a discussion on plant based nutrition.

Coffee and mindfulness in racing and training discussion!

Day 2 of the HVR started early with a 5 am meditation session and breakfast followed by a 75 minute run with BJ along the PCH.  We did a handful of hill sprints followed immediately by 20 minutes of tempo work.  I wasn't nearly as fast as BJ and Marsha, but I felt strong and was happy with my tempo pace.  And when BJ asked us afterward what thoughts went through our heads during the hill sprints/ tempo set, I smiled inwardly as I remember thinking to myself as I chased the tall, thin figures of Marsha and BJ ahead of me... I never feel so strong as I do running hills.  I was definitely in my happy place.

After the run we walked into Carlsbad for yoga at Yoga Bound, one of the studios where Jess is a regular instructor.  She is an amazing yoga teacher, one of the most intuitive and best yoga instructors I've taken class from.  I know I'm not a regular yogi right now, but I used to take classes 3 times a week minimum, so I feel like I've had my share of styles for comparison.

YogiTriathlete studio.

After class we indulged in coffee at Steady State Roasting and then brunch prepared by Jess and BJ in their studio apartment.  After brunch I had my one-on-one mindfulness session with Jess while Marsha and Laura met with BJ to discuss mindfulness in training and racing.  We caught up on what I had been doing in meditation since my last HVR, and where I wanted to go in the future.  I was reminded again how intuitive Jess is as she mentioned things that I had noticed but maybe not put a lot of thought into.  And we set goals on how I was going to use my meditation practice in the coming race season.

I swapped out with my bff for her solo session and I headed out on an easy 30 minute afternoon jog to flush the legs.  Then we went back to E-House for my favorite session of the weekend-- the Yoga Roll class.  You guys.  This class was AMAZING.  Honestly, if I lived nearby it would be on my weekly calendar.  Every week.  It was SO good.  We used the Trigger Point Grid to work every muscle group in the body.  And I'm not talking 10 minutes rolling around in front of the television at night which is my usual.  I'm talking 60 minutes.... ONE HOUR... on the TP roller working out all the kinks.  When I ran the next morning, my legs felt the best they've felt in months.

Yoga Roll!!  New favorite class.

The final day of our HVR I ran early with the bff and we shared thoughts on the weekend and the impact we felt it was going to have on our training and racing.  We are both super excited about incorporating this into life, and I was thrilled that she proved all my fears about the weekend unfounded.  We gathered the other bffs and went to Jess and BJ's for a very early meditation session and then drove to Oceanside for one last yoga session.  This class, led by Jess, was more of a yin style, which was exactly what we all needed after the last few days of travel and hard work-- both on and off the meditation cushion.  We sank deep into some restorative poses and just let gravity work on loosening things up.

Restorative yoga at E-House.

After yoga, we entered silence which lasted through breakfast which was back at Jess and BJ's studio.  We shared a final meditation during which, as we sat in our circle, we had to stare into the person's eyes across from us.  First of all, have you ever tried to do this?  Stare into someone's eyes and not shy away from the intensity?  Resist that urge to turn your head or shift your eyes?  Not laugh or make faces to distract them from the discomfort?  I challenge you to do this with someone you trust.  It's very powerful.

As I stared into the eyes across the circle from me, I fell through the black hole of the pupil into the vast darkness behind the iris.  And I felt as though I was looking at myself.  I could see everything that I like and don't like about myself only there was no judgment.  I could see fear and unworthiness, but they weren't negative- they were just there, right beside the joy, and contentment, and passion for life.  And the joy radiated so brightly that even though I was lost in the blackness- it was just space, and not darkness.  And this is how it is inside each of us.  We have all of these things together in one beautiful package, and yet only by removing the judgment can we let our true light shine, unhindered by fear or self doubt.  As Jess brought us out of our "staring contest" I had to fight back tears.  Not of sadness, but of relief.  As though I had let go of all of the baggage that I had been carrying around with me over the last few months that I didn't even realize I had.

I wasn't ready to leave the California coast just yet, but we had a deadline with flights and shuttles out of Phoenix so we hit the road.  We had good discussions and a quiet ride home as we all processed things we learned and where we wanted to go.  We each committed to furthering our meditation practice, whether it was a commitment to take 5 conscious breaths per day, or to sit for longer periods of time without background noise. 

My two HVR experiences have been very different.  With 4 people, it did feel a little more "busy" as we had so many sessions that we wanted to incorporate and different needs that needed to be met.  Everything ran smoothly, but there was not a lot of time to just breathe.  When I came to the first retreat with Rachel, I had more time-- mostly because there were a few hours of time on the bike just cruising and talking and processing.  There is definitely some benefit to both experiences, and I can say that they were each what I needed in that moment.  If I were to do it again I think the itinerary would be different yet again, and a blend of the two experiences.  If you're not ready for an immersion, but want to learn more about meditation, join the M21 Revolution-- a Facebook community committed to living the awake and ready lifestyle through mindfulness and meditation.

Inner badass tapped.  #awakeandready

 

High Vibe Retreat: Immersion

I sat in the meditation circle listening to Jess talk.  She speaks from a place of knowledge and passion.  She talks about yoga and it's 8 limbs, and how mindfulness and meditation fit into the yogi lifestyle.  She talks about different gurus and their philosophies.  My mind starts to wander and I think, if Dan was hearing this right now I can only imagine what he would say.  I can almost hear him complaining about the new age this and that and just as I'm about to slip down the rabbit hole Jess says something and my mind makes an instant connection to my experience with EMDR 2 years ago.  And in that moment I take a deep breath, and relax, and dive fully into the deep blue waters that are offered 

before me.  I immerse.  

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Yoga for athletes!

2 years ago I enrolled myself in therapy.  I was not suicidal but I wanted to hurt myself to make the emotional pain I was experiencing stop.  I didn't want to feel this way and I didn't want to take drugs to numb myself.  As fate would have it I was referred to the best possible match for me at the time and my therapist recommended a type of therapy called EMDR.  Prior to starting EMDR, my therapist took a thorough history and identified multiple events/ times in my life when I felt ashamed... worthless... humiliated.... (all things that I associated with my previous husband and our subsequent divorce which I had not dealt with since our relationship dissolved in 2004).  During the physical process of EMDR, I would follow the movement of lights on a board with my eyes while focusing my thoughts on one particular memory.  After a few moments, she would stop the movement and I would say whatever came to my mind.  Sometimes my thoughts made sense.  Other times my thoughts were completely random and seemingly unrelated to what I was supposed to be focusing on.  It was very, very simple.  Over time, it was almost like watching a movie of my life in reverse.

In the process of this very simple exercise I was able to remove the emotional attachment to the memories that I had, and store them differently in my subconscious.  You don't turn bad memories into good memories, but I don't have to be haunted by them for the rest of my life.  And this is in essence what meditation allows you to do.  Instead of following lights on a board, you sit in stillness with your eyes closed, but by focusing on your breathing or a simple mantra, you are able to clear your mind, remove attachment to various experiences, and CHOOSE how you want to respond to those thoughts.   This is a very simple example but I tend to have a very reactive personality.  If someone cuts me off in traffic or pulls out in front of me I get pissed off and start yelling.  Through the process of meditation and mindfulness, you start to gain awareness, you start to realize that when these events happen it's not about ME, I can pause, take a breath and choose how I want to feel.  If I want to feel angry and scream, then fine.  But if I want to let it go, because it's really NOT about me, then I can do that too.  Crazy, right?

It's not about being fearless, it's about changing your relationship with fear.  

The other thing that my therapist had me do (prior to starting EMDR) was to create a "happy place".  I was to pick a place that I loved.  I chose the top of Snow Valley Peak overlooking Lake Tahoe.  With my eyes closed I could smell the crispness of a mountain summer and scent of trees in the air.  I could feel the chill of the wind whipping against my skin.  I could hear the wind, the only sound in the engulfing silence so high above civilization.  I could see the crystal blue waters of Lake Tahoe over my right shoulder as I stood looking down the trail in front of me.  I could taste the water from my hydration pack as the icy water slid down the back of my throat.

This is the perfect example of mindfulness.  Being fully aware of something, fully present in a moment.  In every day life, being mindful might mean that in a moment of fear, anger, hurt, or even joy- you take a step back, take in all that is going on including your reaction, and see that experience without judgement.  By removing the desire to judge how you're feeling or responding to something, you can assess what is truly happening and choose how you want to feel/ respond.  I assure you this is not always easy, but it's very simple. 

Yoga on the beach.

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Jess:  What are you bringing here this weekend?  

Me:  Well, I'm fine now, because, well, I'm training again and everyone is qualifying for Kona and so I'm, like, super pumped and motivated but, well, after Kona and Australia, I just couldn't connect with a goal.  When I contacted you in June I was feeling a little lost and well, ....

J:  What do you mean lost?  What were you feeling when you were training for Ultraman that you are no longer feeling?  

Me:  Well.... I guess I got to this point in April where I felt so strong.  Like invincible.  And I was so tired, but I could do anything.  And I had this amazing support system that came to Australia and I had to learn to be vulnerable, and rely on them for basically everything.  And it was this amazing experience.  And I guess when I came back from that and jumped back into normal life, only with not a lot of training, and no real goal in mind... I just...

J:  What did you feel?  

Me:  Restless.  Like, everyone is doing stuff because it's summer and everyone is out training and racing and I'm just sitting at home running, like, 10 miles a week, and biking maybe a hundred.  And I get it, I have to let the body heal, blah blah blah, but....

J:  And what's the opposite of restless?

Me:  Contentment.

J:  Mmmmm.  (smiling)  And what else?

Me:  Well, I talked to BJ this morning on our bike ride, but I feel like all my self doubt stems from fear.  Fear of being hit by a car on the bike.  Fear of failure.  Fear that I'm not good enough.

J:  And what's the opposite of fear? 

Me:  Joy.

J:  Mmmmm.  (smiling again)  

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Mindfulness session with Jess.

This is not an exact quotation of how our conversation went, but my first mindfulness session with Jess at my High Vibe Retreat was revealing.  Jess guided the conversation, educated me on what it meant to live mindfully and ultimately challenged me to replace fear and restlessness with joy and contentment when I saw them in my thoughts.  

When I entered the High Vibe Retreat (HVR) I had zero experience with meditation, and limited experience with mindfulness.  I had practiced the physical part of yoga, but not the spiritual or mental aspects of yoga.  I tried to go in with an open mind, prepared to be uncomfortable and challenged.  And I was.  On such a deeper level than I expected.  

Between conversations with Jess, often while preparing meals or sitting in our meditation circle, I rode my bike for 4 1/2 hours with BJ and we swam in the local, sun-drenched pool which was heaven and ran along the coastline.  BJ was a good sounding board because it was during our physical activity that my brain would be free of distractions and start to process the things that Jess was teaching.  I would ask him questions and in a safe space was able to explore my issues with fear and restlessness.  The "aha!" moments often occurred hours or sometimes days after information was initially presented.

Heading out to ride bikes!

When we arrived at our hotel at the start of the week, there was a care package waiting for us from BJ and Jess.  We each got a journal and began writing in it that weekend.  One of the activities that we were assigned was something called "Judge Thy Neighbor".  We were supposed to set a timer for 10 minutes and choose one person that we had a beef with and just let it all go in the journal.  Hold nothing back.  We did this exercise one evening before bed.  When we finished, Rachel and I both had this feeling of, well, yuckiness.  Like we didn't want to go to sleep with all that negativity.  We speculated that this was a way for us to get something off our minds without actually confronting that person.

The next day, we were given a second assignment.  To randomly choose 3 statements from our "Judge Thy Neighbor" rant and to answer the questions:  1.  Is this statement true?  2.  How do I feel when I think this?  3.  Who would I be without this thought?  In doing the second part of this exercise you start to realize that often your judgments are unfounded, and based out of fear, jealousy, or hurt.  This lifted a little burden and you begin to see that you really CAN let go of things and it will be for the better.  What IF I didn't feel this way about so-and-so?  Well, it would be pretty darn amazing, actually.

Later we were given part 3 of the assignment.  Turn the statements back around at YOU.  This is where the exercise becomes mind-blowing.  All 3 of the statements, with my name in place of the girl I was judging exposed all of MY fears, self doubts, feelings of unworthiness about myself.  My mouth literally gaped in disbelief as I made this realization.  I didn't have to go on disliking this person because it had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with me.

So what do you do with this information?  Well, if you're me, you start to lean into that discomfort zone a little and explore your doubts and fears a little more.  Because by doing so you can process what is real, what is imagined, and what you want to reframe in your subconscious.  Negative is not going to magically become positive, but by removing my attachment I can remain neutral.  Calm, in other words.                

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I don't know if this makes you more or less confused about what actually went on at the High Vibe Retreat.  If you're not willing to get uncomfortable and explore your thoughts and feelings, this probably isn't for you (even though it might be exactly what you need!).  But if you're ready to push that boundary I highly recommend it.  

We spent our time learning to sit quietly in meditation, practicing yoga on the beach (or in a studio), biking, swimming, running, preparing meals together, all the while exploring our thoughts, feelings, reactions, emotions.  It was intense, and relaxing, and unhurried, and challenging.  BJ and Jess are living their purpose and their excitement is contagious.  I'm already planning my next High Vibe Retreat. 

Namaste.

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If you're interested in exploring meditation and mindfulness further but aren't sure how to get started, check out the YogiTriathlete website HERE.  Even if you're not ready for a retreat of your own, you can start with one-on-one virtual sessions with Jess.  It's not easy, but it's very simple.   

Finding Kona: Staying the Course

I have been noticeably absent from writing this summer and I think it's combination time is escaping me and I was struggling with the lack of sunshine and rainbows.  Over the last few months I've had multiple conversations/ reminders from Hillary that what I'm feeling is normal and not to lose sight of reality.  So here's the reality check:

1.  I remember nailing my 12 mile run the day after spring camp ends, when everyone else was sleeping in and enjoying a little recovery swim.  What I forget is that when I found out I had a 12 mile progression run after 5 days of destroying myself I threw the biggest pity party known to man.  Complete with tears.  #notsunshineandrainbows

2.  I remember the feeling of pride after completing the Mt. Lemmon double.  I felt invincible.  I forget crying on the side of the road at Palisades 3 hours into the ride because I was sure there was no way I could finish the double.  And if I hadn't seen Hillary and her group heading up as I descended the mountain I likely would have gone back to my car, tucked my tail between my legs, and driven home defeated.  #notsunshineandrainbows

3.  I remember being so so tired in April, but so fucking strong.  No matter what she threw at me, the hardest part of my day was getting out of bed.  I did not nail every single workout.  But I finished every single thing she asked me to do and I believe that I was rewarded with my (tired + strong) happy place because of it.

The other thing that I've struggled with is the connection with my goal.  The spiritual connection.  The "it" factor.  That one little piece of the puzzle that drives you, keeps you engaged.  Pursuing Kona for so long, and then finally being able to make that dream a reality, and then rolling straight into Ultraman, which is like #findingkona on steroids... you can imagine the difficulty coming down from that high.  I have struggled since May to connect with a "normal" goal.  To feel satisfied in doing normal things.  I didn't realize how much I was getting on an emotional and spiritual level chasing these goals for the last 4 years.  I imagine it's like summiting Everest and then getting back to base camp wondering, what's next?  There are no higher mountains left to climb.

Thankfully that's not exactly true with triathlon, there's always another goal.  Another race.  A faster time.  Higher watts.  A faster swim.  But taking a step back from Ultraman has been, well... disappointing.  I crave that strong + tired feeling from 5 months ago.  I crave that little bit of fear of the unknown.  Prior to Ultraman I told Hillary that if I was going to race UM, and then be too burnt out to race another Ironman I didn't want to do it.  What I didn't realize at the time is that while I would feel physically fine after Ultraman, mentally it would be more challenging to toe the line in something LESS that Ultraman.  And thus far I've avoided doing so.  I joined my sister for a 3 day half marathon series.  I raced the inaugural Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon.  But it's nearly October and right now I'm not even close to obtaining All World Athlete status for next year.

But knowing that I DO want to go back to Kona again, I had to do something to change this mindset.  I reached out to a friend of mine, Jess the YogiTriathlete, and asked her if I could come live in her world for a few days.  Jess and her husband, BJ, incorporate yoga, meditation and mindfulness into their daily triathlon and running training.  They coach athletes and Jess does online meditation instruction as part of this, but I hoped that by leaving my world behind for a few days, and immersing myself in their culture that I could learn to connect with my goals in a new way.  Bring some fresh vision and life to my dreams.  Be all in for those few days so that I can be all in when I line up to race my first Ironman of the year in 6 weeks.

So next week I will embark on my High Vibe Retreat.  Aside from swim, bike and run training with BJ, I will have daily meditation sessions and yoga on the beach with Jess.  In addition we will prepare most meals together in their plant based kitchen.  My good friend, Rachel, is flying in from Iowa to join me for this most amazing journey.  I have watched her embrace life's ups and downs over the last year and I thought, who better to join me on this adventure?  It would be my dream to one day take my whole tribe for a High Vibe Retreat weekend, but for now, the one on one attention that Rachel and I will receive is what's needed.

We're heading out a few days early so I can do some training with my fellow Team HPB mate and my coach.  And we'll soak up some salty sea air and sunshine while we're at it.  I'm sure there will be plenty of updates on Instagram and I'll be back to recap after the retreat!  Happy training!