Doing it in the desert.

Trying to sum up four days of training in Tucson with amazing athletes and great coaches is one mt lemmon sized task. A huge thank you to Jen, Jerome and Spencer for putting on a great camp, keeping us safe and motivated, and most importantly, laughing! This is all I could remember right now. I’m tired, tired from a long plane ride and little sleep. but happy tired.

We climbed mt lemmon on the first day. Now I had heard snippets about mt lemmon (about the pros training on it, about the constant grind, about the VERY fast decent, about the snow at the top) but still didn’t really know what it would be like to actually climb for 26 miles over an 8000+ ft elevation gain. It’s not something I have ever done before. Lemmon is not a super steep climb, just relentless, and it just keeps asking and asking of you. With winds whipping and some sketchy guard rails along the way. But it was gorgeous I must say. And while we grinded the gears up and up and up, it gave us a lot of time to think, about 2.5 hours worth! I took that time to remember why I was out there, and what I want to accomplish this year, and that these kinds of days are what is going to get me there. There were times on that climb when I felt so good and was really churning, feeling like I was charging up the hill, and there were times when I was clicking over--- asking myself are you sure you’re geared out.. really? Are you sure?? But seeing strong riders like marit and ben ahead of me helped to give me the drive to follow them up there. And the top was cold. Really cold. Snow on the ground, shivering can’t hold my handlebars cold. The descent for me was the toughest part. I would climb all day to not have to go back down. It’s something that kills me in races as I work hard to pass up the hill but then people blow by me on the descent. I think I have gotten (a smidgeon) better, but here, where there was no end to the hill and twists and turns and wind, it was not easy for me. Spencer rode down most of the way with me which was awesome. Then he says.. so you fancy a run when we get back? Umm ok sure. Bad idea. Well good idea, but bad to A. not wear a watch and B let spencer pick the pace and the turn-around point. Not once, not twice but three times he was like, “op yep, only up to that sign up there. No that white one, no that red writing”. Had it not been for the British accent I may have decked him!

Oh and I put my bike together all by myself for the first time. And I was pretty darn proud of that.

I realized about mid-day two that I did not have enough REAL food with me. After hours training and eating nothing but gels and bars and drinks, I was so ready for some solids but had zilch with me. Marit was a life saver and drove Kellye and I to subway on Friday afternoon for a much needed 6 inch, but most nights dinner was more resembling horses at a trough than anything else.

Day two brought a morning swim, outside of course. Which was actually pretty cool, since unless you count my neighborhood pool, I’ve never really done laps outside. We had a good swim, some tough bits, but I had awesome lane mates and we all got thru the sets. And of course why not end the day with all out sprints, everyone racing, and I swear jen kept creeping out farther and farther every time. Though then again, her beating me by a full body length (or 2) is not far-fetched! Ha. I’ve defiantly got my work cut out here. Swimming has definitely gotten better for me, as she said “you’re not as bad as I thought you would be”…nice... but I have a long way to go. The swim was followed up by a strength session, in which I heard one too many times “stop looking at my butt” and many giggles as we all tried to get thru a routine with multiple balls that seemed to roll out of control at all the wrong times. Some wore the wrong kind of attire, as sitting on a ball tends to make material ..umm..creep up..ha

That afternoon we also did a 2 hr run thru sabino canyon. It was gorgeous. And I actually did glance around every once in a while to try to enjoy it, but honestly I was determined to stay on Spencer and Ben’s heels the whole time so the scenery kind of got by me that day. But I had a great run. Felt really good, strong and in control, well until I ate a gel with about 30 min to go. Never do that again. I don’t normally eat on a run, but I thought I would see... and well now I know why I don’t eat on a run.

Jen is great. She gives you the right amount of encouragement, not to much that its fake, but it’s always there when you need it. She is always positive (and annoyingly UN-grumpy in the morning) but I feel like you have to earn her accolades. And I LIKE that. I like that she truly recognizes when you give a good effort and is not afraid to tell you that you sand bagged something.

By day three we got smart and realized that on your T run you do not under any circumstances give spencer your water bottle. He would run up ahead of you and make you catch him in order to get a sip. I swear some of us probably would have chosen to be parched rather than run him down!

The hotel had a cold pool, a very unexpected but much appreciated treat. In fact at one point on the long Friday run, as each foot hit the ground, left-right, left-right I was chanting cold-pool, cold-pool in my head to get thru it.

Wildlife. Yes the desert is full of it and each day someone mentioned a new beast that was out there waiting to either gobble us up, inject us with poison or just scare the crap out of us. Thankfully the closest I got to anything that belongs behind a fence or enclosed in glass was a roadrunner sighting. Though I do have to say after watching cartoons for much of my youth it was mildly disappointing.. he didn’t make the MEEP MEEP sound nor was he being chased by a wiley coyote..

Kind of on that same track.. marit and I were running up the phone line trail Sunday am as our last hurrah, and at one point were following spencer (at his “slow” pace..). when he dropped back to catch up some other runners and we proceeded to debate whether we would rather be run down by a mountain lion or spencer. We decided on the lion, sighting a 50/50 survival rate…..with spencer we knew we were both toast…

The Saturday ride. this one I was nervous about. 80 miles. Rolling. Fast. Jen took the b group out early and we followed about 15 minutes later. I knew from the get go it was going to be a day to just hang on. With strong riders again out front, including mary, ben, marit and of course Jerome and spencer – holy cow! Some ups and downs for me that day. Feeling good leading at times and then having to work my ass off to just get back on someone’s wheel, and at one point thanking god for Jerome to pull me back to the pack –I was so toasted and needed that wheel more than anything… the second half we had the option to add in an extra 10 mile loop, so I took that right turn and held on. When I saw that we had a 2 mile down hill ahead I was stoked.. well until I felt the monster head wind that kind of killed that idea of coasting for a while.. but we all made it home, stronger – both in the legs and in the head (at least for me) and headed out for a T run. This was really a breakthrough kind of day for me. I really took stock in the training I have been doing and what kind of work I need to do going forward. “learn how to suffer” jen says. And you would think it would be easy, but honestly it’s a tough line to cross, willingly, but I’ve got to get there. And I’ve got to get the belief. The confidence in yourself that you can go there and stay there, get thru it and come out better on the other side.

My new friends I met at camp who I have the utmost respect for. Who each have their own story and their own goals and their own special way of doing things. You are all fantastic people and athletes and I’m so glad I had 4 days to train alongside you and learn from you and about your life and your goals and well a lot of other random things along the way. You guys came here to work and I admire that so much. But what is work without a little fun….

Things I learned:

A little encouragement goes a long way… both ways.

Pink is a fierce color.

That I will never eat a plain GU again, at least not without thinking dirty thoughts.

Everyone has good and bad days, and everyone has good and bad moments in those days.

Eating and drinking on the ride is paramount. Repeat paramount!

This statement is true- pain is temporary, pride is forever. I need to tattoo that on my hand.

That there is such a thing as ostrich, wild boar, alligator, and buffalo jerkey.

Nothing tastes better than baked goods after a long training day.

Cacti don’t get their arms till they are at least 50 years old.

Recovery socks can cause a riot.

“you don’t have to love it you just have to do it.”

I am blessed with a good life. To do these kinds of things and meet great people. I’m thankful.