Spring Training: Awakening from a Long Winter's Nap

Training camp.  *shudder*  Going into camp this year I felt less than prepared.  Running season meant I had been on my bike for recovery purposes only and even then, very few miles.  I expressed my concerns to Coach on multiple occasions and she always reassured me not to worry, this year's plan was different.  The idea was to use camp to get back into shape and kick off triathlon training with my goal race being in October and the World Championships.

I had a hard time envisioning how this was going to work and knew that I was going to struggle keeping up with the "sub-12 hour" ironman group.  I even suggested that maybe I should go to week 1 camp, the "over 12 hour" group.  Nevertheless, plans were made and we piled into my car last Thursday to head to Tucson for the long weekend.

Thursday

One of our teammates flew into Phoenix and drove with us, and we met up with some fellow campers upon arrival.  One thing I have learned from past years is that at camp, when you're not training or sleeping, you should be eating.  So we ate...

Pre camp fueling.

Thursday afternoon was low key.  The group met for a social hour run.  I got to catch up with Kelly during the run, my camp roommate from 2 years ago who is also qualified for Hawaii in October.  Afterwards we went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.

One of the best part about camp is that I get 10+ hours of sleep every night.  At home my routine is 8 pm- 4 am for dedicated sleep time.  I was so excited to be able to sleep in till 6 am or later every morning.  Friday morning I felt rested, and still was up in plenty of time to eat a good breakfast and get mentally prepared for the day's long ride.

Friday

Friday is our 95 mile ride to Madera Canyon.  It's a fun ride- lots of climbing in the first half, and a fast ride home after the 14 mile climb through the Canyon.  Coach Alyssa told me stay within myself and not to try to push it, let my fitness come to me.  It was very disheartening watching everyone ride away from me but I knew I would never survive the weekend if I tried to hammer this ride.

My gem.  I think she's happy to have me back.

Alyssa was the ride sweep and we rode together through the first half of the ride.  Just as we reached the false flat of Madera we started talking about my #bff and pretty soon I was laughing and telling stories as the miles flew by.  Amazing how my #bff can cheer me up from 200 miles away!  The climb gets steep the final 4 miles and I eventually passed a couple of people.  Alyssa hung back to continue her job as sweep and I was thrilled to sail up to the top of the climb with no problems.  The last two times I did this ride the climb did not end well... once with me falling over and once with me getting off to walk.

Made it to the top of Madera!

We regrouped at the top and Coach gave us our orders for the ride home.  After the descent we were going to practice pacelines.  We had about 12 people so each group of 2 riders took turns at the front for 3 minutes.  I felt good, and the pace tolerable, until we turned onto a 10k gradual climb.  Then the effort level got to be a bit much for me and every time I was second or third wheel I was falling farther and farther behind, unable to hang on.  Eventually we finished the pace work, rode through town and then split up again as we climbed the final 3-4 miles back to home base.

Back in the condo I immediately set to work making rice, tamari sauce and avocado.  I kept eating and drinking until it was time to leave for the pool and our evening sprint session, the beloved forever set.  Somehow I ended up leading a lane - even though the 2 girls I was racing were beating me by a full body length on the 25s.  It was still good practice and nice to have someone pushing me on this set.

First swim group finishing up the forever set with Coach Alyssa looking on.

Saturday

Saturday morning started with 100 x 100 yds in the pool.  Alyssa had told me on Friday that there were too many fast swimmers this year so I wouldn't be in the coaches lane (ie: the fast lane).  So when Hillary announced my name in the fast lane I did a double take.  On one hand, now I was terrified, having flashbacks of last year and my 3k time trial to start the swim.  On the other hand, I appreciated the vote of confidence and wanted to show that I belonged there.

Fast lane!  Photo credit:  Hillary Biscay

The other lanes are given a workout to follow, and someone to generally lead the lane.  Our lane's workout is made up as we go along.  The 10k (yards) looked like this:

10 x 100 swim on 1:30
10 x 100 as 75 free/ 25 back on 1:30
18 x 100 band only, descending from 1:35- 1:30- 1:25
2 x 100 social kick
10 x 100 as 25 fly/ 75 free on 1:30
40 x 100 PBB descending 4 @ 1:25, 3 @ 1:20, 2 @ 1:15, 1 @ 1:10 (4 times through)
6 x 100 as 25 fast/ 25 easy on 1:30, changing lead each 100.
4 x 100 as 50 kick/ 50 free on 10 seconds rest.

I had to skip the backstroke and fly because I am not skilled enough at these strokes to make the time interval, but otherwise I had no trouble making any of the intervals.  A huge improvement over last year and a big confidence boost!

We survived 10k!!  DB is stronger and faster than last year.

After a quick lunch and a shopping session at the Smash warehouse, we met up for a social ride over Gates Pass and the McCain Loop.  It is one of the most beautiful rides in Tucson.  Hard, hard work but at the pace we were riding it was definitely a recovery ride.

Selfie with Dimond Van!  #DimondsAreAGirlsBestFriend

As on Friday, I was quickly and repeatedly dropped from the group.  It was a little frustrating trying to keep up with people who were not even riding hard, but I just kept within myself.  The final climb is a lung buster and I was seriously afraid I wouldn't make it up if I killed myself trying to stay with the group.

Working up the final climb.

One of my Team HPB teammates, who happens to be a Tucson local, did a good job of keeping an eye on everyone.  When he saw me fall behind before the final climb he stopped and waited for me, shepherding me to the top safely.  I was thankful for this gesture as I was not entirely having fun riding solo.

We love our bikes!  #BrilliantUnderPressure

 Sunday:  a.k.a:  Home free!

Sunday dawned with an unexpected sprint swim.  For most campers, Sunday's swim is a technique session.  The 3 of us who swam fast lane with the coaches earned a 3k sprint session instead.  By the time I finished I was exhausted and ready to cry, knowing I still had to make it up Mt. Lemmon.  My husband (who finished his technique session in about 15 minutes) had everything ready to go when I got back to the casita.  He had bikes loaded, breakfast made.  All I had to do was change into my cycling kit, take a deep breath and switch mindsets.  Did I mention how much I adore him?  He totally knew that having less than 15 minutes to go from pool to car was going to stress me out and he was so on top of it.  We are a match made in paradise.

He drove while I ate and collected my thoughts.  For Mt. Lemmon, we were divided into 4 groups starting at 20 minute intervals.  I was supposed to be in group 2, but things were a little behind and when we rolled into the parking lot at 9:10 am, group 1 was just getting ready to head out.  Coach Emily told me that it was fine if I rolled with them, that I was just supposed to ride steady for the climb.  I was nervous about holding people up at the top and knew it was going to take me a long time to make it up, so I rolled out with group 1.

Immediately after making the right hand turn onto the Highway.... I got dropped.  I was like, seriously??!!  On a flattish road, riding warm up, I couldn't keep up.  This was going to be a long day.  By the time we hit the start of the climb 4 miles later, the group was no where in sight.  *sigh*

Mt. Lemmon is a 20.5 mile gradual climb.  Literally no break for 20.5 miles.  You just grind. it. out.  It's not particularly difficult as far as climbs go, but it can be a total mind fuck some days.  And other days it flies by.  Today was somewhere in between.

I didn't feel great, and my power numbers were low, but I just wanted to ride steady.  I had worn my Smash Aloha bra under my Irock kit to remind myself that once, not so long ago, I was in phenomenal shape.   Good enough shape to go 10:09 at Ironman and qualify for Kona.  Even though I felt out of shape and slow, I knew that there was potential to get that back.

Around mile 10 one of the girls from group 2 passed me and I thought, ok, here we go.  I kept waiting for more people and none ever came.  Windy Point, at mile 14 of the climb, is my mental "you're almost there" point.  A mile or so above Windy Point the terrain changes from desert to alpine.  The air is lighter, cooler, and the sun is not beating down on you so much.

Prize at the top

Something happened around mile 15 of the climb.  It was like a light switch was flipped.  I went from struggling at an easy pace to suddenly being able to push my normal Mt. Lemmon watts with no added difficulty.  In the final 5 miles I passed everyone in group one and the girl who passed me earlier from group 2.  I lapped out at the top of the climb and with a huge grin on my face sailed downhill toward Summerhaven.  When Coach Hillary got to the Cookie Cabin she confirmed my suspicion... my bike legs were back!  It only took 150 miles and 15,000 ft of climbing to get them.  I was a happy camper!!

I (heart) Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin!!

After a brief rendezvous at the Cookie Cabin we headed back down the mountain and out for a quick 4 mile progression run.  I paced my transition run with a perfect progression from 8 minutes to 7 minutes and high fived my teammates along the way.

Smiling!  Home free, baby!

At this point we were home free.  We had a group dinner that night and a trail run the following day, but all the things I had worried about before camp had been tackled.  I was no longer feeling embarrassed about showing up for Oceanside in 3 short weeks.  I felt ready.

Monday

Camp ends with a group trail run on some gnarly terrain.  Tucson trails (at least what I've seen!) are rocky and technical.  I'm used to smoother, more run-able terrain but the pace was relaxed and social.  We ran for 3 hours, stopped for pictures a few times, and in general tried not to get lost in the desert.

Gates Pass Trail

Photo op at the stone house.

Group 2 runners!  Only one fall and one cactus in 3 hours.  

After camp ended we did a little recovery swim, went for lunch and beers and then met the group at the JW Marriott for drinks and dinner.  Every night they do a toast and everyone involved gets a free shot of tequila to share in the festivities.  Tonight's tequila was infused with vanilla and orange.  Smooth as butter.

Toasting to god-knows-what... but we got free tequila.

Since I do most of my training solo, I begged coach to give us a group workout before we drove home on Tuesday.  Much to my teammates' dismay, they had to crawl out of bed for an 8 am swim after partaking in a few too many margaritas.  And since it's rare that we get to swim as a team, it wasn't just any swim... but another sprint swim.  Feeling a bit dehydrated, it was slow and not at all pretty, but it was fun and a great way to end the weekend.

Team HPB swim sesh

So here's the deal.  Camp is always a learning experience.  Every year has presented different challenges and opportunities for growth.  As disappointed as I was to show up slow and unprepared and be dropped by the group at every turn, it reinforced my faith in Hillary as everything she's been telling me for the last 3 months proved true.  My fitness was not gone forever.  My run is faster than ever.  And now heading into this year's triathlon season we can rebuild my bike fitness and capitalize on my run.  My swim is as good as it ever was, and we are even seeing glimpses of improvement here too.

I think the hardest part about camp this year was realizing that I'm not in competition with my fellow campers at camp.  (Yes, if I meet you on a race course, you better believe I will try to beat you.)  But I'm here to work on myself, and I will encourage you as you work on yourself.  I watched some of my teammates be pitted against each other for workouts.  It's fun and it's an added challenge, and I hope that maybe next year at camp I will be fit enough to partake in the games.  But this year for me was about getting my fitness back after a long winter's nap.

I've spent a lot of the last three months doubting myself, doubting that I belong in Kona, and generally feeling out of shape.  My race season kicks off in 2 weeks and I know how quickly the weeks are going to tick by once we break that seal.  I really, really want to soak up every single opportunity to get stronger and faster.  And to prepare mentally for my ultimate race in October.  The most important thing for me is to show up in Kona healthy and confident.  To face the day, unafraid, knowing that I am strong.  Prepared.  Ready.  For me, training and finding success in the every day is where I get that confidence.  I am so ready to start this season.

Summer Smashfests

July 15.  According to the calendar summer is half over.  Despite the fact that my schedule really doesn't change, we still seem to travel a lot more during the summer.  Shortly after my Grand Canyon trip with the #bff, the hubs and I met up with my parents for a long weekend in South Lake Tahoe to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.  We joked that the whole family was invited but my sisters both have kids (read: obligations) whereas we are free as birds.  Trip to Tahoe?  We're in!!  I love that about my life.

A toast to life well lived.  45 years and counting.

The weekend was so relaxing.  Equal parts resting, eating, and exploring my favorite trail... the Tahoe Rim Trail.  My parents love to hike so I mapped out a 10 mile route for them, out and back on the Marlette Trail, while I started with them and circumnavigated 18 miles to end up back at the starting location.  There is something peaceful and magical about spending hours alone running on a beautiful trail and I savored every second of it.  The hubs is recovering beautifully from his Achilles' procedure last fall, but is not yet allowed to explore the trails.  The uneven surface puts a lot of strain on the tendon and we are not ready to push the envelope just yet.  So he enjoyed a little elevation training on the bike path from South Lake to Emerald Bay.

Selfie on the way to Snow Valley Peak

Marlette Lake in the foreground, Lake Tahoe in the background.

Happy Anniversary, mom and dad!!

After Tahoe it was back to work and time to get back into training mode again.  Not that my training ever stopped but with the GC and Tahoe I had a bit of a mental break.  Contrary to popular belief I was not burned out after Texas, but I think my body took more of a hit than I even realized.  It took me 7 weeks to feel normal again.  I had been missing goals on nearly every workout.  I just felt sluggish and not like myself.  Not even in a way I could really describe.  Then one day (July 3rd to be exact) I woke up, did my workout and felt completely awesome.  Normal.  Myself.  I messaged the boss and told her that it was like someone flipped a light switch.  I have no idea why, but my body was back in the game.  

Best I can think of:

1) it didn't get hot in Arizona until June and it took me that long to adapt to the heat.  Normally this adaptation would be done slowly in April/ May as the temps gradually increased.  This year it stayed nice and cool and then *BAM* it was hot and humid all at once.   

2) it took me longer to recovery from Texas because of the heat illness and dehydration experienced during the race. 

3) I restarted my multivitamin supplement and was probably getting some minerals that my body was lacking. 

Either way, I am so thankful that my body has caught up with what my mind would like it to do.  I've had a ton of fun training with my Team HPB teammates this summer.  Several weeks ago we bribed my friends' kid to SAG for us on our long ride to Sunflower.  It was a learning experience... teaching a 16 year old what it means to "leapfrog" and then when my ride was over, hopping in the truck beside the 16 year old driver while the boys finished up.  Now I know how my parents must have felt when they turned over the keys to me as a teenager!

Long ride to Sunflower.  #fastcats

   

Over 4th of July weekend we all headed down to Tucson, aka The Dirty T, for a long weekend of training.  Another teammate rents a house every summer to train in Tucson so we booked rooms at a nearby resort with access to our very own lap pool!  No one goes to a resort for the lap pool... everyone else could be found at the swim up bar and lazy river.  

Mt. Lemmon... ready, GO!

We arrived on Friday evening and met the gang for drinks and dinner.  On Saturday morning we got an early start and headed out from Le Buzz to climb Mt. Lemmon.  Summerhaven hosts an annual 4th of July parade and fireworks celebration so it made for very light traffic on the descent.  We each had our marching orders and agreed to meet up at the top before turning around.  

I held my watts as planned on the climb and though I started out in the back, I picked off teammates at mile 5, mile 9, and then caught Kona Dawn at Windy Point and stayed with her through the top of the climb.  We rendezvoused at the visitor's center at the top, drinking cokes and watching traffic filter into town for the parade before turning around and heading back down the mountain.  I've really been working on my descending skills and having a nice, steady wind (as opposed to the gusty winds and cross winds that can sometimes occur) and minimal traffic helped me have my best descent yet on Mt. Lemmon!  It was a PR for the climb, a PR for the descent and my first time under 4 hours total for the ride.  Very happy girl!  

Dawn and I goofing off, attempting to be "serious".

We nailed a quick transition run and then had lunch at Le Buzz before heading back to the resort for a few recovery laps in the pool and an early dinner.  

Recovery swim!!

Sunday proved to be a very long day.  We met at the boss's house in the morning to start our ride.  Instructions were to ride the Shoot-out loop with Madera Canyon climb, and then on the way back, add on the McCain Loop and a trip up and over Gates Pass.  118 miles total with over 7000 feet of climbing.  My legs were still tired from Mt. Lemmon on Saturday and I struggled to keep up with the group from the start.  Rube's lovely wife was our SAG driver and kept eyes on all of us so I didn't worry too much about falling off the back.  

Sunday Smashfest!

The climb through Madera is about 13 miles of false-flats and one steep pitch upwards at the end.  There were moments when I was certain I was going to repeat the camp episode and fall off my bike.  It was SO steep.  We stopped to refuel in the parking lot at the top but kept it brief because it was actually chilly up there, and starting to rain.  We warmed up again when we hit the flat roads back to Tucson.  After about 70 miles my legs started to come around and I felt a little bit better.  As long as my hubby wasn't pulling on the front I could keep up with the group.  

All day long I fretted about the Gates Pass climb.  It is a short but steep and if you're already tired it kicks your ass.  I climbed it back to back at camp and the first time was no big deal.  The second time I was seeing stars at the top and my heart was going to jump out of my chest.  We stopped for our last refuel with 10 miles to go, just before starting the climb.  

Since I was the "slow one" I headed out just ahead of the group.  Dawn agreed to come with me.  I stayed behind her and just focused on keeping a quick cadence.  Turns out, that climb was nothing compared to Madera!  I was freaking out for nothing, as usual.  We crested the top and I pumped my arms like a Tour de France stage winner before we rolled into a fast descent on the other side.  

118 done... and done!!

Our ride was over, and the women's soccer team was just starting the finals in the World Cup.  We had our sights set on a little bar across from the resort.  With lightening across the sky and rain pouring down we decided that our recovery swim was cancelled.  We showered quickly and fell into a booth with some cold beers and tacos.  The team nominated me to tell Coach that the pools were closed for lightening.  She responded quickly with, "don't worry, it won't last too long".  Suddenly our visions of having our feet up for the rest of the night faded.  

We did enjoy watching the women destroy the World Cup finals, and our beers numbed our aching legs.  Slowly we began to wrap our heads around getting in the pool.  (Turns out, coach was right... storms never last long in the desert.)  We had the pool to ourselves and enjoyed as many laughs as laps before finally hitting the pillow for some well deserved sleep.  

Getting ready for our sunset swim.

Monday morning we had one last task... the forever swim set.  The forever set is a team favorite.  It involves creating massive fatigue in the upper body while racing each other, band only, 25 yards at a time for about 10 minutes, and then sprinting 200's for time.  Over and over and over and over.  By the end your arms are literally falling off and you can't clear your fingers on the recovery.  My body was so tired from the previous two days that my 200's were about 10 seconds slower than normal.  It was almost comical.  

We started as the sun was rising and finished with just enough time to shower, load the car and drive back to the Valley to be at the shop by 10 am.  I love long weekends like this.  Having never played sports growing up, I totally love the team atmosphere and cherish any opportunity to train with friends.  We have as much fun smashing each other as we do laughing and chatting afterwards.  And it's great to have strong, talented teammates who challenge me to work hard and chase my goals.

And last but not least... #selfiewithmoo is half over!!  It started with a photo I took... a selfie with my cat, Moo.  It was not January 1, but it was early in the year- maybe mid to late January.  The next day I took another one.  And then it became a thing.  My 2015 thing.  Since I don't do resolutions, I try to pick one thing per year to focus on... still a self improvement type of activity.  Two years ago I took up flossing.  The habit stuck and I still floss daily.  (I can't believe I didn't floss daily before!!!)  Last year I taught myself how to do flip turns in the pool.  I decided if I was going to hire a coach who happens to be a phenomenal swimmer- I needed to start doing flip turns.  Now, I can't believe I refused to learn for so long!!  2015... well it's the year of #selfiewithmoo.  (He can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  He's becoming quite famous.  At least in my mind.). 

 

Kissing my little Moo.

My gorgeous baby with his green eyes, freckles, and little pink nose!!

I'm not entirely sure what I'll do after the year is over.  Do I continue?  Wouldn't it be amazing to have a chronicle of his entire life?  I started when he was about 8 months of age... what will he look like when he is 8?  Or 18?  The thing I love most about this project is every night when I come home from work I call out, "Moo!  It's time for your selfie!" And Moo comes running and jumps into my lap.  All he knows is that he's getting attention, and he loves it.  All my boys are friendly and LOVE people, but #selfiewithmoo has created an even stronger human-animal bond.  If I am sitting down, he is in my lap, purring, giving me kisses.  

Anyway, that's all I have to catch up from the last few weeks.  We're in a good place with training, and life, and we look forward to the next challenge that heads our way.   

         

CAMP: A Four Letter Word

****Disclaimer:  I am not an emotional person.  In fact, I am probably the least emotional female that I know.  I am a type A.  I am a get-shit-done type.  I am a pick-myself-up-by-my-bootstraps girl.  There is no crying in baseball.  I don't wallow in self pity and I don't have a lot of patience for those who do.  When there's a problem, I solve it.  I don't think about it, I just do.  However... when I am exhausted- either physically or emotionally (ie: stressed) my impulse is to cry.  Sometimes when I'm so mentally drained after four 12 hour shifts, I cannot think coherent thoughts and all I want to do is burst into tears.  Not because I'm sad or upset about something, it's just my body's reaction to that level of stress.  So please keep this in mind as you read on....****

On Wednesday afternoon we loaded up the car, made plans to meet our teammate to grab some food on our way to Tucson for the annual Team HPB Training Camp.  Camp is open to anyone, and approximately half of the athletes were members of Team HPB.  I was super excited to test out my progress over the last year and to meet some new teammates...

Bikes loaded, Beav and I are ready to roll on down to the Dirty T.

We got settled in our casita at Star Pass and made plans to meet another teammate Ben who had flown in from my home state (Go Hawkeyes!) for camp.  We were tired and hungry and rather than drive around all night looking for food, we headed up to the Marriott Star Pass resort for some pizza.  We had fun chatting and laughing and getting excited for the days ahead.  

Day 1:  Social Run

Thursday morning we slept in.  Actually this was the nice thing about camp- I had zero responsibility besides training, eating and sleeping- so I got a ton of sleep over the 5 days.  I was wonderfully rested.  We went for a nice easy ride over Gates Pass with some friends and hung out waiting for our official camp kick off that afternoon.

At 4 pm campers gathered near the Star Pass pool.  After a few brief introductions, we were off on our hour long social run.  Following the run, we met for a group dinner at La Cocina for further bonding.  Then it was off to bed before the first big workout of the week.

Day 2:  Madera Canyon Ride/ Forever Swim Set

I was pretty excited about the long bike ride on day two.  Last year heading out for the ride someone crashed in front of me and that ended up being the separation between group A and B.  I was comfortable in group B.  A long ride is a long ride, but it was social and easy going. 

This year -- a different story.  Coach told me to be in the "first third" of the group.  So with roughly 25 athletes, this means I need to be in the top 8ish.  Fortunately or unfortunately, this was our first bike ride so she had no idea of the level of athletes that had shown up.  Let's just say, I was sitting in about 16th place, holding higher than sprint-distance watts for 10 miles before I finally got dropped.  

The route we were taking is pretty straightforward.  Once I got dropped I figured I would just hold a hard effort as long as I could, keeping the A group in sight, and if I lost track of them I'd stop and wait for the B group.  The wind was ridiculous.  The whole thing was completely demoralizing.  At one point a truck went by me a little too close for my comfort and I immediately burst into tears.  Totally in pity party mode, I wanted to be in the group, not riding alone.  I was working my ass off... for what?  Part of me wanted to stop and wait for the B group... the other part of me knew that I had already failed my assignment and I better do my best to get a good workout out of this.... so onward I went.

Soon we hit some rollers and the A group slowed significantly, allowing me to catch back up.  I stayed with them through our first SAG stop, and through town until we started the climb through Madera Canyon.  After a mile or so of the climb I got dropped, and the group in general splintered a little.  I couldn't even see the front group.  Every once in a while I'd catch a glimpse of another rider in front of me.

The second crying...

Madera is a slow climb over about 10 miles.  It actually looks flat, and you don't even realize how much you climbed until you descend the same stretch later in the day.  After the slow false flat, you climb through a camp ground area and hit a couple of 12-14% grades.  At the top there is a circular drive with a parking lot-- this is where we regrouped last year.  This year, they were doing road construction and so we regrouped as far up the climb as we could go which happened to be on the 12% grade.

So I'm in my granniest gear, barely turning the pedals over.  My teammate (who I love and adore) finished the climb and stopped in the middle of the road.  I am shouting at him not to stop in the middle of the road (ie: where am I supposed to go?)... but it's too late.  I can't get unclipped in time and fall over.  Uninjured of course as I was moving at less than 3 mph.  Then, since I had gone from climbing in zone 5 to stopped, I proceed to have an exercise-induced asthma attack.  Yes, the image you have of me is correct.  Just fell off my bike and now I'm lying in a heap on the ground struggling to breathe.  I am a hot mess.  

I am familiar with this type of asthma attack, and the remedy is to move.  To keep moving until my heart rate comes down on it's own.  I'm shaking and crying and struggling to get my foot unclipped while lying on my side on the asphalt.  Finally, I get up and on this 12% grade I am walking back and forth across the 5 foot section of road, and into the woods to try to get my heart rate calmed down while gasping for air.  I am praying my teammates (the ones who legit belong in the A group) can't see me crying as I am totally humiliated at this point.  Oh, I didn't even mention the construction workers who had stopped working to stare at me very confusedly during all this commotion.  Yep.  That happened.  

Top of Madera, post trauma.

Finally my breathing is restored and I just want off the top of this mountain ASAP.  I pick my bike back up throw a leg over and start down the descent.  At the bottom we stop for the second SAG of the trip to refuel/ swap out water bottles.  I am cramming calories down my throat and dreading the second half of the ride home in the wind.  

The third watershed....

Since there were only 3 distinct groups and 4 coaches on the road by this time, Coach Alyssa was assigned to bring up the rear of the "first group", which basically meant that she biked behind me on the way home and we occasionally swept up another athlete that had been dropped by the A group.  The winds had picked up throughout the day and I was being blown all over the road in the cross winds.  I gave myself tendonitis because I was gripping my handlebars so tightly that afternoon.  I was bordering on hysterical at times and was choking back the tears that trickled from under my eyelids.

One of the reasons that for 5 years after starting triathlon I never had any desire to race in Kona was because I've biked the world championship course, and I know how brutal those cross winds are.  Wind is my kryptonite.  Alyssa was so patient and gave me some pointers which helped me relax a little and just go with the flow.  I KNOW that when I get the chance to race in Kona, I will hear her tips in the back of my mind and I will be safer because of it.  If I gained nothing else from this ride, I learned some valuable tricks.  

After an eternity, we were back at the casitas and making plans for our afternoon swim at 3 pm.  Less than 2 hours later.  Already in survival mode, I immediately went into the condo and mixed up a huge plate of rice and avocado (thank god for rice cookers with a timer!).  Last year I cramped in the swim so I knew that refueling/ hydrating was going to be key.  I kept drinking Osmo Hydration and put my legs into the Recovery Boots.  I didn't fall asleep, but I tried to relax as much as possible.  

The Forever Set is a three times through band only sprinting set followed by a 200 sprint PBB (paddles/ buoy/ band).  After a brief warm-up the coaches divided us into lanes so that we could race the people in adjacent lanes.  I led my lane and raced 2 professional triathletes and another swimmer-dude.  I swim in a meter pool during the winter so I wasn't sure how my sprint 200 times stacked up to my normal, but Coach seemed pretty happy with the first couple.  I did fade badly, and by the 3rd 200 Alyssa (who was in the lane next to me) beat me to the wall.  

For as bad as I felt during the bike ride, I felt equally good in the swim session and considered it a successful day overall.  We finished up and went for salads and pizza with Ben, Marc, and Maggie.  

Day 3:  The 10k Swim/ Gates Pass Ride

Last year I fell apart during the 10k swim.  Cried actual tears inside my goggles.  (Are you picking up on a camp theme here??)  Coming to camp this year, I had the most anxiety about the 10k swim.  After the bike ride on Friday, I figured things couldn't get any worse and no matter what happened in the swim, I was NOT going to cry.

I woke up and began my morning routine.  I turned on my phone to check messages and share my daily #selfiewithmoo on social media.  I flipped to Facebook and saw this comment on a photo from Friday:  "Hope MK's arms are in the Recovery Pump cause someone is swimming in the fast lane tomorrow!"  Coach had posted this at 9:30 pm- thankfully I was sleeping because I probably would have been too stressed out after reading it to fall asleep.  

Immediately I was wide awake and filled with dread.  WHAT???!!!???  NO!!  This is a mistake.  I do not belong in the fast lane.  May day!  May day!!  *waving white flag*  I could barely choke down my breakfast.

Swim orders:  100 x 100 FAST LANE

We caravan'd to the University of Arizona rec center for the 10k swim.  Each swimmer was given a lane assignment and a specific workout to follow.  My instructions simply said:  FAST LANE 100 x 100!  Coach was going to make it up as we went along.  

We started out with a 10 x 100 swim on 1:30.  And followed that up with 10 x 100 as 75 free/ 25 back also on 1:30.  And then 10 x 100 25 fly/ 75 back... still on 1:30.  I was toast.  It felt like I swam a 3000 straight faster than race pace time trial.  I attempted 3 backstrokes, and one fly, but I fell too far behind and was afraid to get lapped and completely dusted so I just swam freestyle as hard as I could.  We paused for a quick water/ fuel break and then it was on to 10 x 100 band only on 1:40, and 10 x 100 buoy/ band on 1:30.  This was a bit more comfortable pace-wise and I was able to get at least a couple seconds on the wall between each 100.  

Then we jumped into a 32 x 100 PBB as 2 @1:30, 2 @ 1:25, 2 @ 1:20, and 2 @ 1:15 (4 times through obviously).  The first two sets I was fine until we hit the sub 1:20, then it became a straight swim until we were back at the 1:30.  I was thrilled to be feeling a little bit better (took me long enough to warm up!) and actually hit all the targets on the final two sets.  

Beav recovering with a social kick in his 10k swim lane.

We recovered with a 3 x 100 social kick.  And ended with 8 x 100 with roving 25 yard sprint on 1:30 followed by 7 x 100 alternating 25 breast / 75 free and 100 kick on 10 seconds rest.  When I got out of the pool I was a) very tired and hungry b) so proud of myself.  Though I can't say I had much fun, especially in the first half of the swim, I stayed focused and got the job done without any drama.  This was a huge improvement over last year, and by far the fastest 10k I've swum.  

Lane 2:  My peeps from last year's 10k swim.

We had a couple of hours to kill and get food before we met for the afternoon social ride over Gates Pass and McCain Loop.  We met at 3 for the afternoon ride.  We had a good time and the scenery is gorgeous on this ride.  I hung mostly with Maggie and Dawn, but when we started the climb it was every man for himself.  Thankfully it's not long, but the climb is steep and on tired legs I was at threshhold when we hit the top.  Maggie and I rolled over the top and down the other side before stopping to wait on the rest of the group.  

Maggie snapped this photo of me preparing for the climb up Gates.  You can see the switchback in the distance.  

Back at the casita we were given instructions for Sunday morning meet up and instructed to get a good meal in tonight for the climb up Mt. Lemmon tomorrow.  Our little dinner group opted on Coach's recommendation to hit up Choice Greens.  She had us at mac and cheese.

Per boss's orders, we had enough food for 10 people.

Day 4:  Technique Swim/ Mt. Lemmon Ride/ Transition Run
Sunday morning dawned with a short, sweet technique session in the Star Pass pool.  We were divided into groups based on how we would start the ride on Mt. Lemmon.  We each had an opportunity to practice on the straps- a way to simulate race start, basically focusing on high turnover and powerful stroke.  And then we swam some sprints/ easy 25s and took individual feedback from the coaches on deck.  

A common HPB swim torture device:  The straps.

Taking feedback from Coach.

After our swim we loaded up our bikes/ run gear, ate a quick breakfast and headed toward Le Buzz where we would start our assault on Mt. Lemmon.  I was given instructions to try to stay with Dawn on the climb.  We took off out of the parking lot with a 4 mile warm up to the base of the climb.

Ready to ride.

Warm up to Mt. Lemmon.

As soon as we started the climb, Dawn took off and I was left instantly in the dust.  At first I thought, great, another failed ride.  And then I thought, who gives a shit?  I can still f*ing climb Mt. Lemmon.  And so I set off to hold a consistent, strong pace to the top.  I actually caught up with Dawn at mile 6, but could only stay with her for about a mile.  I hit a rough patch around mile 11-14 so I opted to stop at SAG to grab a little extra fuel for the rest of the climb.  Within a mile I was feeling good again and charged on.  Though it wasn't a PR to the top, I was happy with the effort level and was ready to start the descent.  

Team HPB Camp at the Cookie Cabin, Summerhaven, AZ

      

At the top, Coach gave us orders for the transition run before sending us off.  "You're running with me!" was the instruction I got and I did my best to stay with her on the descent.  I am terrified of heights so when we reached Windy Point (approx mile 14) I am totally in survival mode until we pick up the mountain on our right side again around mile 6.  

We got back to Le Buzz and I threw on my run gear.  I was one of the last ones off the mountain and so most of my teammates were already running.  We took off and at mile one, my watch beeped 7:30 pace.  "This is where my legs start to burn," I announced and Hillary suggested we slow a little up to the turnaround (mile 2) before crushing it back to the car.  Mile two was a leisurely 8 minutes.  We crushed the last 2 miles in 7:30 and high-fived a job well done.  Turns out, I missed the part of the orders where I was supposed to do a progression run.  I just went balls out from the start because that's what I thought I needed to do.

That evening we had a group dinner at Smashfest Queen Headquarters (aka:  Hillary and Maik's house).  The food was catered by a local gal- ALL vegan and gluten free- every last bite!!  It was so amazingly good.  We had fun chatting, laughing and shopping, of course.  It was bittersweet, knowing that this was our last night together and tomorrow camp would be over.

Day 5:  Long Trail Run
As we did for our bike rides, we divided up into 3 groups for the trail run.  Coach Alyssa led my group and we headed out at a conversational pace.  Last year by the time we hit day 5 my legs were trashed and every step was a huge effort.  Today, I was happy to find that after the first hour my legs felt normal.  All this means is that they are used to feeling tired, and running tired.  We ran an out-n-back course and on the way back we got lost.  If I had my brain screwed on I would have remembered that my Garmin has a breadcrumb feature and I could have easily pointed us in the right direction.  As it was we made it back on a slightly different, slightly longer, slightly more uphill route.  I was happy that my training on Pass Mountain had prepared me well for this.

One of the runners had a GoPro and tripod.  We set it up mid run and goofed off a bit...

Coach Hillary's run group heading to the SAG stop half way.

Me and Kona Dawn post run.  Love this girl!!

After the run we said goodbye to some of the group that had to travel home.  We had debated driving home, but we had the condo until Tuesday and there was mention of margaritas on Monday evening so we decided to stay (twist our arms).  Beav and I joined the others for lunch and beers and then crashed at the casita for a much needed nap.

Toasting a successful week at Team HPB Camp.

That evening we met everyone on the terrace at the Marriott Star Pass.  We enjoyed some fancy margaritas (mine was a version with blackberry and jalapeno- highly recommended!), tapas, and s'mores complete with marshmallows that we toasted in our fire pit.  We had fun relaxing and chatting long after the sun set and the stars covered the sky.

As always there are lessons learned and friends made.  Here are some of my takeaways from camp this year.

1.  I am not as strong as I think I am.  There is more work to be done.  I had gotten a little comfortable in my training, thinking that I was ready to crush whatever comes my way.  After the ride on Friday I was humbled.  Despite how much improvement I've made over the last few months, I have a LONG way to go.  I cannot delude myself into thinking this is locked up.

2.  Laughter cures EVERYTHING!  Every day during training my body was punished and I finished aching and tired.  Every evening I gathered with Beav, Marc, Ben and Maggie to eat dinner and we laughed for hours on end.  We did not stop laughing the entire time we were together.  It was the best medicine.  By the time I fell into bed at night I was recovered, content and lighter.

3.  I am stronger than I think I am.  Every time I thought, "there's no way I can do this," I did it and it was fine.  I thought I would blow up in the fast lane.  I didn't.  I thought I couldn't climb up the back of Gates Pass a second time.  I did.  I thought I was going to suffer through the trail run.  I didn't.  It's fine.  My body has adapted and made huge gains over the last year.  It will continue to absorb the work and improve.

4.  Time is short, don't wait.  For months, I have been telling my husband that my teammate, Jen, is my long lost twin.  She is the coolest person I had ever cyber stalked that I hadn't actually met yet.  She is a nurse and works nights in trauma/ ICU.  She thru-hiked the AT.  Ya.  How fucking cool is that?!  With her dog!!  I feel we are kindred spirits.  I met Jen on Thursday evening at dinner and talked with her a little.  But the rest of the weekend we were in separate groups for the swim/ bike/ run and I didn't have a lot of time with her.  For some reason I thought she was staying in a house with some other campers so when making dinner plans I didn't want to interfere with what I thought they had going on.  On Sunday, coach told me that Jen had been staying alone in a hotel and I was crushed.  We had an extra bed in our condo she could have crashed in and I would have loved to drag her to dinner with our little 5-some.  Lesson learned.  And, Jen, if you're reading this-- I'm praying you're still in CA when I visit in June!!  We must run trails together!!

Recovery
Since coming home from camp I have been working non-stop.  I moved the contents of our home in 3 days (literally packing boxes, loading my car, driving 1 mile, unloading boxes into the new house).  Thank God I had two of the greatest friends on the planet volunteer to help me!  I orchestrated movers to transport furniture.  And I have been living under boxes and trying to scrape meals together without a fully stocked/ operational kitchen for 10 days.  I have been overwhelmed and exhausted.  Coach must have recognized the strain I have been under as my week leading up to my first race of the season has been very refreshing.  I am super exicted to head to California next weekend for the Oceanside 70.3.  I will try to share a timely update post race.  And maybe even announce the winner of my name-my-bike contest before the gun goes off!  My only hint... there was one name that gave me instant goosebumps when I read it.  When that happens, it's a good fit.  So I'm keeping my options open as more suggestions come in, but there is one clear leader.

My gem needs a name!

Absolute Perfect Timing

Unraveling.  It's coming undone.  Just in time.

This is uncharted territory for me.  In the past I've followed a generic training plan involving 6 months worth of base, build, peak and taper.  Followed by race day.  The plan allotted 3 weeks of a gradual reduction in volume and intensity over the final weeks leading to race day.  Sometimes I approached race day feeling lethargic.  Other times I was well rested and ready to race.  But I never felt any different than I had after a "recovery week" in training.  I was just doing what the plan told me.

Having hired my first ever coach in January, I'm now following a very specific training plan, tailored toward my needs, adjusted based on my response to training.  It remains the best decision I ever made with regards to triathlon.

Over the last 5 weeks I've conquered a ridiculous volume of miles, but not just any miles.  Hard miles.  Hills.  Intervals.  Never before in training have I even come close to feeling the way I do after an ultramarathon, until now.  After running my 50 milers (Tahoe Rim Trail Ultra) there is this incredible pain that consumes my legs immediately after finishing.  It is indescribable, though hopefully you've had a chance to experience it yourself.  After you've been working hard, on your feet for 13 hours, and you cross the finish line and suddenly come to a stop... all the blood just pools in your legs and the pain is excruciating.  It's a special kind of hurt.  An accomplished, I've-done-shit kind of hurt.  I have never had that feeling during training... until last week.  When it happened, I realized just how much work I've been doing.  And I got really excited.    

I still managed to hit some amazing numbers, crushing a 2 hour run off my 70 mile bike ride at an 8:20 pace.  Cruising through a 120 mile bike ride with energy to spare.  Laying down my best 20 mile training run *ever* during which I actually progressed finishing with my final 3 miles as the fastest of the day.

And then the wheels came off.

It started on Thursday when I was supposed to do an 8 mile progression run, but stalled out at mile 4 and despite all my best efforts, could not go any faster.  I survived my workouts on Friday and Saturday.  Then Sunday rolled around and I had a repeat of the workout I had crushed just 10 days earlier.  I suffered through the bike ride, legs completely trashed three quarters of the way through.  I got off the bike and could not even wrap my head around running 2 hours.  I loaded up my hydration pack with all the necessities (it was 94 degrees out when I started) and hit the canal.  It was an absolute slog.

What the heck am I going to do in Texas, I began to think.  How in the hell am I going to survive if I can't even make it through this workout?  I got through Monday, dreading my final trainer ride / run workout on Tuesday.  I had no turnover.  On the bike or on the run.  I was suffering bad.  I logged my workouts, feeling disappointed and a little bit sorry for myself.  This morning I woke up to coach's email response.

"Sounds like we have entered the box with absolute perfect timing.  :) "  

Smiley face included.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief.  No longer disappointed, now I am excited to experience the benefits of a taper that I have actually earned.  One that I need.  Not the taper of yester-race, where I complained about the lack of activity.  A taper during which time my body is going to absorb every last ounce of work that I put in.  With a little bit of rest, and a few perfectly timed sharpening workouts, I am going to head into Texas in peak form.  The best shape I've ever been in for an Ironman race.

I am excited.  I am terrified.  If I think too long about it I can't breathe and panic sets in.  I find myself throughout the day thinking about it, and having to stop and take a deep breath.  I have never wanted anything so badly in my life, other than maybe to qualify for Boston that first time...  I've never had to work for anything so hard in my life.

After my last post, I emailed my coach and asked for some help with a race plan.  She outlined for me, in detail, each leg of the race.  Pacing, fueling, race strategy.  So with my plan in hand, and locked in my brain, I have 10 days to finalize my preparation.  Be mentally ready to stand on the start line and go up against the top girls in my age group.  I have no idea how it's all going to play out.  But I am confident that I have prepared to the best of my ability, and I've never been this ready for an Ironman race in my life.  I promise that on race day when it hurts, which it will, I will fight for everything I've worked hard for.

Until the roof

The roof comes off

Until my legs

Give out from underneath me

I will not fall

I will stand tall

Feels like no one can beat me.

Eminem

"Till I Collapse"

  

Full Steam(ed Veggies) Ahead

I have been completely, 100% plant powered for 2 full weeks now and wanted to share some initial impressions and accomplishments.  First of all, it is sooooo much easier than I ever imagined.  Yes, I have to read a few more labels.  But when you're eating a plant based diet, it's really very simple.  You're automatically (or at least I am) eating more whole foods, less processed foods.  I don't have to look at the label on a bag of black beans to know that I can eat them.

I've had my first experiences dining at restaurants as a vegan.  Thankfully our favorite restaurant, Pita Jungle, is a vegan-friendly restaurant.  I was able to go online and look at their menu, and it tells you right there how to make your favorite meal vegan.  I had to make one simple substitution and I could continue to enjoy my favorite dish.  Another restaurant that we visited, Tia Rosa- a local Mexican restaurant, was a little more difficult.  I didn't want to order a salad, so I searched for something that I could make a few simple modifications to.  I ended up ordering spinach enchiladas, hold the cheese and sauce.  I used salsa instead of the sauce and enjoyed the black beans and corn that came standard on the side.  The server didn't know if the sauce was vegan, but I was happy that he was willing to talk to the cook and they decided it was best to leave it off.

Over the weekend, we wanted to celebrate a friend's birthday at the local wine bar, Postino's.  I initially wasn't going to order food because their menu is loaded with yummy bruschetta- all stacked with gourmet cheeses and some meats.  They were super busy and I didn't want to be a burden.  But when the server came around to help us, my husband encouraged me to ask her about the menu.  I explained that I was eating vegan and she happily pointed out the things on the menu that I could eat, without blinking an eye.

As far as the Engine 2 Diet goes, I have been really disappointed in their "support system".  I follow several chef/ bloggers online who are vegan, and I follow several athlete/chefs who are vegan.  For the most part, everyone acknowledges the challenges of a busy lifestyle and gives great pointers on how to make quick, easy meals that are healthy, portable, and vegan.  When I've looked at the Engine 2 information- to me it seems really judgmental.  Someone posted a question asking about a particular energy bar and was it OK to use for snack/ meal on the go.  The overwhelming response from the author and his bandwagon, was that it was NOT OK, and shame on this person for not getting up earlier to make a proper breakfast for himself and his family.  My reaction was... wtf?  I get up at 4 am, and now you want me to get up at 3 am so that I can sit down to a proper breakfast?  No thanks!  I'll stick with my bowl of cereal, or frozen waffles and peanut butter.  And shoot me now, cause I have a whole box of granola bars on my shelf at work for those days when I don't have time for lunch.  Come on!  This is the real world!  If we're going to be successful, we need real world help.  Not judgment.

That's been the only negative experience so far.  And the day when I walked into the break room and couldn't eat the amazing looking coffee cake.  But seriously, no regrets.  It's full steam(ed veggies) ahead.

Honestly,  my energy levels have been amazing.  I keep waiting to feel run down again, or have a bad day, but so far it hasn't happened.  In fact, just for comparison... 2 weeks ago we did a 100 mile bike/ 5 mile run.  I made it through the workout fine, but I just felt tired and fatigued the whole bike ride.  After 4 miles of the run, the final mile was a death march home after which I lay horizontal on the couch for about 45 minutes.  The rest of the day, I was tired, sore, and ready to fall asleep by 6 pm.

This past weekend, we did essentially the same route for the bike / run, only it was 105 miles bike/ 6 mile run.  I felt fantastic the whole time.  My muscles were fatigued - but in a more normal way- after the long ride, but my energy levels were stable and my head was clear the whole time.  And I tore up the run.  Tore. It. Up.  I smoked the entire 6 miles at my goal pace for IMAZ.  Never wavered.  Never tired.  I felt super strong.  And when I got back to the house, I had energy to spare.  I felt so good that I actually stayed up till 8 pm (which I haven't seen on a Sunday in quite some time) and I got up Monday morning to join the East Valley Runner's for their track workout.  Never in the past would I have been able to do that.  I would have still been wiped out from the night before!

So, I'm still skeptical.  Still waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Still waiting to wake up from my dream and be back to reality.  But... on the off chance that this shit's for real... I will never go back to eating meat/ dairy/ eggs again!

This weekend we're heading north to play in Flagstaff at the Mountain Man Triathlon.  Hoping to post some great results for the half iron distance race and get a little elevation training in.  I'll keep you posted!     

I had a couple of awesome recipes this week but I think my favorite was this quinoa veggie burger.  So darn good!  Even my non-veg family and friends loved the flavor and texture.  Give them a try!!  I recommend upping the spice a little bit maybe with a little paprika or crushed red pepper.  I like it spicy!  I ate them plain with some sweet potato fries on the side, but I think they'd be wonderful served as a burger with a vegan thousand island dressing.  Let me know what you think!