Finding Aloha: Easing into 2018

Somehow it's February.  "They say" that as you get older, time seems to go by faster because it's a shorter percentage of your life span.  When you're 5 years old a year is 20% of your lifetime, and it seems like forever for Christmas to arrive.  When you're 41... well, each year just seems to slip by. 

I (mistakenly) thought that by going part time I would have MORE time.  In reality I have the same amount of time and more space to become less efficient with my time.  Isn't it funny how the more stuff you have on your plate, the easier it is to cram it all in?  You are efficient with your time because you have to be.  *sigh*

I truly enjoyed my off season and took advantage of the extra time to spend with H and DB, and getting ahead of tax season at Cadence.  And by the time it was time to train again, I was chomping at the bit.  We started incorporating strength training right away which was definitely lacking from my schedule over the last year. 

I finished off 2017 with a long weekend in Sedona with the #bff.  We drank a lot of coffee, did a little hiking, talked about life and the book we're writing and plans for the future.  Despite my fear of heights H navigated me up the inconspicuous trail to the top of Cathedral Rock for sunrise.  She literally had to hold my hand on several occasions, not because I was going to fall, but because my mind convinced me I *could* fall.  Maybe this will be the next fear I work on in my mindfulness training...

Cathedral Rock:  worth the climb!

DB and I spent a quiet holiday season at home and for new year's eve, we joined a group of my Team HPB athletes for a 10k swim to finish out a 100k month that one of the girls was tackling in December.  She crushed it and we had a lot of fun on NYE, celebrating with a late lunch after our long swim.  

Colleen's 10k swim! #teamwork

January rolled in quickly and we found ourselves at Team HPB's first annual early season bike camp.  True to her word, Hillary had us ride easy over the 3 days racking up 300 miles and 20k ft of climbing, a good launching point to kick off training for the new race season.  Contrary to April training camp, where it's basically attack, attack, attack for 5 days... we eased into camp with a jog and a sprint swim, rolled up a new mountain each day, and by the end of the 4th day we found ourselves in better shape than when we arrived.  Feeling strong, refreshed and ready to train after the long off season.  We capped off the long weekend with a 10k swim, in true Team HPB fashion.  

Smash Dimond FTW!

Mt. Lemmon climb.

After camp I had a couple solid weeks of training then spend a few days at my favorite place:  The Grand Canyon.  Rach and I drove up on a Monday and after we checked in at the lodge, we stopped by the Phantom Ranch desk to see if there were any cancellations.  The attendant told us there were beds available in the women's dorm on Tuesday evening and we quickly signed up!  

Hitting the road to the GC!!

Our hiking plans changed to incorporate the overnight stay at Phantom (a GC must!!) and we stocked our backpacks in preparation for the next morning before having a quick bite to eat.  On Tuesday we got up early to be fed, caffeinated and on the trail shortly after sunrise.  

Plateau Point.  My heart is full.

We took Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden where the Plateau Point Trail branches off and travels, mostly flat, for 1.5 miles out to an overlook where we had a break and a snack.  We set our meditation timers and sat for 10 minutes.  It was the most difficult 10 minute meditation I've ever had as I could hear the Colorado River far below me and I struggled to keep my eyes closed against the beauty of the backdrop.  Refreshed and refueled, we made our way back to Indian Garden and continued down Bright Angel to Phantom Ranch.  

View from the Plateau Point

We got checked in and after claiming our beds in the women's dorm we headed to the Cantina to enjoy a beer and some snacks.  We played a few rounds of checkers and chatted with some fellow hikers who were spending the evening at Phantom.  I love the characters that you meet at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  These are my people.  Adventurous.  Dirty, smelly, hungry.  Full of life and stories to tell.  

Beers taste better after hiking!

The Cantina closed to get ready for the first round of diners and we took a hike back down to the river where we sat and waited for the sunset.  That deep in the canyon, you can't actually see the sunset as the canyon wall to the west blocks the view.  We also discovered that you can't see the moon from the river either-- that night was the super/ blood/ blue moon and we missed it.  A group of hikers we sat with at dinner planned to get up at 2 am to be above the Tonto Plateau in time to see it, but we opted to sleep in and enjoy breakfast before getting on the trail.

I woke up early on Wednesday morning.  The wake up call for the first breakfast is 5 am and I was already lying awake when they came by with a soft knock on the door.  I got dressed quietly, knowing my entire dorm was eating at the second breakfast and slipped out into the chilly morning.  I hiked down to the river and sat in darkness on the beach, just looking up at the stars.  We don't see a lot of stars in the city.  So to appreciate the Milky Way in all of its glory was amazing.  

After a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit and coffee we headed for the South Kaibab Trail and the South Rim.  I LOVE the South Kaibab Trail.  There is something so beautiful in the raw, rugged, exposed terrain.  It is by far my favorite trail and I love to hike it from river to rim.  On rested legs and full bellies, the climb is much easier than at the end of a double crossing.  And it's easier to stop along the way and appreciate the beauty.  

No filter needed.  South Kaibab and the Colorado River.

After about 4 hours of hiking and sight seeing, we reached the South Rim and hopped on a shuttle back to the Grand Canyon Village.  We stopped and had lunch on our way back to the cabin, opting for food over showers.  The hot showers felt great after refueling and we relaxed in our cabin for a few hours before dinner.  Pizza and beers were on the menu for that night at the Maswik Pizza Pub with a sunset walk back to the cabin to help our dinner digest.  

On Thursday morning we were the only 2 hikers on the early shuttle back to the South Kaibab trailhead.  We hopped off the bus and started down the trail just as the sun was beginning to threaten it's arrival.  We secured our spot at Ooh Aah Point where we sat for an hour and watched the sunrise.  The sky went from dark with a thin line of red and orange, to pink and lavender, to full blue all the while casting amazing colors across the canyon walls.  The red-orange of the rocks never looks more beautiful than at sunrise.  

The terrain of the South Kaibab Trail.

By the time we finished watching the sunrise, and got up to hike out others were beginning to make their way down the trail.  But that first hour and the show put on by the canyon at sunrise was all for us.  We grabbed a quick bite and a cup of coffee back at the visitor center before hitting the road and I dropped Rachel in Sedona to spend some time with the #bff on my way back to the valley... and back to work.  

That afternoon wasn't all a let down though... I submitted my application for the Ultraman World Championships in November!  Invitations don't go out until mid-March so I have a few more weeks to wait but I could not be more excited about the prospect.  Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow I'm "racing" a half marathon.  First official race since Ironman in November.  It might not be pretty, but it will be fun.  I look forward to blowing off the cobwebs from the run legs, and kicking off a block of training where we'll be increasing my run mileage.  Bike camp isn't exactly over yet, I hope, but we need to start thinking about April because racing season is rapidly approaching!   

Happy Training!

Grand Canyon Expedition

About 2 years ago, my mom (SE) expressed interest in hiking the Grand Canyon.  Having never seen the GC other than in a flight over from Vegas many years ago, she wanted to experience it first hand.  I agreed to organize the trip and sent out a message to our entire extended family to see who else was interested in going.  We had one taker, my mom's brother (RA). 

So the three of us looked at our schedules and picked out a couple of options.  Since they were coming from out of town, we needed to make our reservations 12 months in advance.  On September 1, 2010, I called the reservation hotline at around 9 am.  Phantom Ranch was sold out.  Entire month of September 2011.  I made a mental note to try again on October 1, only I set my alarm to be on the phone by 6 am when they opened.

On October 1, 2010 I made our reservations.  2 night at Phantom Ranch.  We would start our hike on the North Rim, hike down the North Kaibab to Phantom Ranch, and then hike out on the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim.  We had one year to prepare.  Mom got busy training.  In preparation for our trip she hiked Haleakala on Maui, Mt. Elbert in Colorado, and in the mountains of Tahoe.  She came prepared with proper hiking boots (which she had broken in and used on all her previous hiking trips), hiking poles, and gear.  And most importantly, she showed up with a positive attitude. 

Fast forward one year.  Everyone convenes in Phoenix.  We have an early wake up call, toss our gear in the back of the Xterra and hit the road.  After a quick stop in Paradise Valley to pick up RA, we are on the road headed toward the South Rim. 

We walked along the rim a little, bought some souvenirs, and had lunch.  We had a 1:30 shuttle to take us to the North Rim where we would spend the night before beginning our trek.  After a long drive through the desert, we arrived at the lodge just as the sun was setting. 

We enjoyed a fabulous dinner, complete with pie for dessert, and hit the racks.  We were meeting the shuttle driver at 5:15 am for a ride to the trail head. 

The air was chilly at 5:30 am.  With headlamps on, we hit the North Kaibab Trail.  My mom had never used a headlamp and it was a little slow going for the first 45 minutes until the sun was up.  But we were loving the crisp air, and the sound of the breeze through the trees.  When the sun rose in the sky the colors in the canyon were amazing!

We switchbacked down the trail for about 7-8 miles.  Once you reach the bottom, it's another 6-7 miles to Phantom Ranch on mostly flat ground through a side canyon.  The sky was overcast which was nice, it was plenty warm without the sun beating down on us.  We even got a little rain shower when we neared our destination.  We stopped several times along the way to eat, rest and soak our feet in the chilly waters. 

We arrived at Phantom Ranch at 3:30 pm.  10 hours on our feet.  We checked into our dormitory, showered and lined up for dinner at 5 pm.  We ate as if we'd never seen food before.  Steak, salad, corn bread, veggies, baked potatoes, and chocolate cake.  Well fed, we fell into a deep sleep at 6:30 pm. 

On Sunday morning, we hiked down to the river after breakfast for a little sight seeing.  We hiked across the bridge to the start of the South Kaibab Trail.  We took some photos and checked out the map.  We watched rafters float by down the river.  It was a relaxing morning, followed by even more relaxation. 

After noon, SE and RA decided to take a nap.  That was my opportunity to explore a little bit.  I found a trail head just outside of Phantom Ranch for the Clear Creek Trail.  I headed up the side of the canyon for about 45 minutes.  Several points along the way I could look back and see Phantom Ranch far below me.  Finally, I began to wrap around the canyon wall I was climbing and had stunning views in both directions.  The trail narrowed significantly and I found myself on a very narrow dirt path which slanted ever so slightly toward the drop off.  I began to panic a little bit (I have a fear of heights) and after assessing the situation (the trail didn't widen again any time soon) I decided that this would be my turn around point. 

I very slowly turned with my back to the cliff, trying not to look down.  When I was faced outward, I glanced down ever so slightly and gasped at the most amazing view of the canyon I had ever seen.  I sat down on a rock and just took it all in for about 15-20 minutes.  To my right, way down in the canyon was the bridge we had crossed early that day.  Straight across from me was the South Kaibab Trail switchbacking up the canyon wall.  And the craggy cliffs lining the carved out canyon reminded me of the Napali Coastline on Kauai.  Stunning. 

I hesitated to post photos because they absolutely do not do it justice.  The sun was bright and my camera doesn't handle the bright sunlight well.  The photos are too washed out.  But you can at least get a sense of the terrain. 

After enjoying the view and solitude, I hiked back down to Phantom Ranch.  I woke my mom up from her nap and we walked back down to the river to soak our legs in the cold water.  We followed our "ice bath" with some cold beers in the cantina before dinner.  Once again we were in bed early with a 3:45 am wake up call. 

On Monday morning, we hit the Bright Angel Trail at 4:30 am.  We had a long hike out of the canyon and we wanted to get an early start to avoid any potential heat.  The first several miles of the hike wind along the river on relatively flat ground.  By the time we began the real climb, the sun was up and once again we were amazed with one incredible view after another.  Every turn in the trail was another opportunity to enjoy our amazing environment. 

We reached the half way point at 3 1/2 hours into the hike.  Indian Garden provided a nice rest area and we paused to eat, drink and relax.  From there, we had stops every 1 1/2 miles until the top.  There were water stops at 3 miles to go, 1 1/2 miles to go.  My mom was doing great and my uncle was sticking with her every step of the way, so I chose to hike at a more aggressive pace and stopped to wait for them at the rest areas.  By the time I reached 1 1/2 miles to go the clouds were rolling in and I was getting chilly.  I was somewhere above 6000 ft at this point.  I changed into a long sleeve top and told them I'd meet them at the trail head on the rim.  I hauled butt out of the canyon, arriving at the rim minutes before a storm broke out. 

I found some cover under a tree and changed into warmer clothes.  I waited until the rain stopped and then made my way to the overlook so I could watch for them on the last few switchbacks.  When I saw them nearing the top, I hiked back down the trail to meet them.  We took a few last photos and celebrated our accomplishment.  We reached the rim at about 1:15 pm. 

It was a long drive back to the valley.  We stopped for lunch of pizza and beer and chatted about what an amazing thing the Grand Canyon is and how lucky we are to have explored it.  Very few people who visit the Grand Canyon actually visit Phantom Ranch.  We can say that we made it to the bottom and back out. 

My mom did an amazing job.  Hiking the Grand Canyon is rigorous and not something that can be entered into lightly.  Every year people die in the canyon, and even more are rescued.  Preparation is key, and attitude is everything.  My mom smiled the entire way.  She never uttered one negative word.  Didn't complain about anything, and at 63 years of age, I'm sure she had aches and pains that warranted complaint.  She was happy to be there and was up for anything. 

I think she got to experience a little taste of what any endurance athlete faces.  When the adventure is over, you are left with an empty feeling.  What's next?  You spend so much time and energy getting to the adventure, that when it's over, it is anticlimactic.  No one will really understand what you've been through, except those that were there with you.  You have to go back to your real life.  You share photos and stories, but it's hard for those in the outside world to really comprehend. 

To that note, I would say, Mom, I'm with you.  I remember.  And I'm ready to go again.  Just say the word.  I'm sure she's already planning her next adventure.  I just hope I get to go with her.