Getting smashed...

Smash Campers 

20 years ago getting smashed likely would have been a big night at  local pub on St Patty's day...but now it means going to "camp" with Hillary Biscay and her crew for 5 days of smashing training.   Hillary is a dear friend and a retired pro triathlete who is known for her ability to smash epic training and races and thus she is dubbed the  Smashfest Queen.

I attended "fast" camp which indeed had roster of some really fast (and young) triathletes,  Some pro and some kick ass age groupers.    Camp was in Tucson, where every triathlon camp seems to be in the winter, and goes from Thur- Mon.  I shared a place with the other 2 matriarchs of camp Lynne and Cheryl - who are awesome BTW, but we were the geriatrics of camp for sure.  Our condo looked like  a PT facility with all the recovery tools splayed about.  Keeping up (or trying to keep up) with the millennials is taxing on us aging ladies.

My roommates at camp! 

We started with a shake out run, now my idea of a shake out run is an easy 3 miler on the coast, where as Hillary's is a 6+ miler in 88 degrees and hilly.  The pace was chill but the run was demanding on our winter bodies....as the CA temps have barely been above 60 ... right listen to me complain about the weather at camp on vacation.  Well it's my blog so I am going to :)

Early to bed as we rolled out for a 100 miler to Madera Canyon-instructions were do not use all your tokens on the way out, you don't want to be "that camper" who crushes the first 30 miles and we are waiting for you the last 30 miles.   Mind you my longest ride this year has been 60 miles so I was indeed happy to be conservative.   The climb up Madera was great, watts were there and I was feeling good.  Though the 2nd 1/2 was tough I was holding my own and really happy to log 100 miles!  Even did the geeky triathlon "hot lap" to hit 100  (although I did spend to many tokens but that was not apparent for a few days.)   Rest/recover/eat and then we hit the pool for the "forever" set...and now I get it's name.  OMG sprinting 25's with band only over and over again with a 300/200/100 all out in there.  Here is why I go to camp, after that 100 miler I would NOT have knocked out a swim session like that and definitely NOT with band only.  Look I can hold my own swimming but put a band on me....flailing Dunkle.

amazing views indeed 

More eating and early to bed.  My roomies were laughing at me as I headed to bed at 7.  Up early for another epic Hillary workout 100x100 in the pool- yes indeed that was fun.  And the last 40 with paddle/buoy /band on crushing intervals.  Having good lanemates surely make it go by faster...I crawled out of the pool to WF and was famished (again) and shoveling carrots and guacamole in as fast as possible along with Jason's dark chocolate PB cubs and iced coffee - yes I was that person in line inhaling food and drinks.  Before it seemed possible it was time for a recovery ride up, yes up Gates pass.  Yes it was hot but at this point we were all tired and it was about camaraderie and really I did feel better post ride-    Rolling back to the house it was hard to remember what day it was, if I had showered and when I had last eaten.  Copious amounts of roasted sweet potatoes, chicken, spinach and taro veggie chips all topped off with dark chocolate.   The key to a good camp is #justkeepeating

Could not get to bed early enough as up next was Mt Lemmon but not before a swim.  It was technique day for everyone but the 4 of us, who got to do a 3400k workout in a 86 degree pool that included more band only sprints BUT for kicks and giggles Maik tied a towel on the band... can you say drown me now!   Out of the pool, more food and off to Mt Lemmon.  This was a struggle- I may have used too many tokens on day 1 and my legs were not responding...it was about getting to the top.  I had a raging headache and did not have any IBU so I asked sag if there was any in Hillary's car. He pulls out a bottle of drops for headache/migraine and zero instructions.  I pondered what to do and decided to put 8 drops on my tongue and go for it.  Burning mint and eucalyptus going down my throat was interesting.  I was thinking maybe it's like HotShot where it tricks your system....turns out the directions say drop 8-10 drops on our hands and massage into base of neck and forehead.   LOL...nothing like feeling with essential oils.

With Mt Lemmon there is the top at mile 20 but that's not really the top, you descend and then go back up and down again.  Ugh - time was much slower that last year and watts took a dive.   And I did not want to devour a cookie or was afraid to with my new eating regiment- ugh!  I went for the coke float- huge scoops of ice cream and coke- That was the bomb...sugar and caffeine.  Weather was so warm we did not need jackets or all the usual gear for the descent.   Mt Lemmon descent is the best!! Way less technical than Palomar so you can really haul down - even in aero bars for a lot of it.  With the head it was like descending into a dryer.  97 degrees at the bottom- yowza!

And we still had to run. And this is not just a 4 mile T run, no, you are put in groups and told to run 1 mile ez, pick up the 2nd mile, turn around and it's a race back.  Holy hell...I was running on H's heels and dying, literally gasping, wheezing and falling off and she would point at her heel - as in "heel Julie"  and I would sprint back only to start to die.  It was a killer but I was beyond psyched with the pace I could pull off.  WTH....bike legs are tanked but I can run?  Don't over think it Julie...take it :)

Final day of camp.... while you are SO happy, it's also sad as you have to return to life.   This was long trail run day and I had to opt out due to my foot being agitated from the race.  So I slogged 2 hours in the heat and called it a success!

We stayed another night and went to the JW for drinks and burgers and fries... the reward for hard work- new friends and old friends and it was a total blast!

Going to triathlon camp is as good as it gets at 50!   I'll take the fitness deposit in the bank.

The 80+ St Patrick's Day party

My crazy mom and leprechaun Les

Foodsense now will cater in costume

When your 83yo mother is asking for suggestions for appetizers for her St Patty's day party and her son and daughter begin texting Julies best friend, who happens to be a chef, and 30 min later she is hired by Scott to cater the party for Mom with the caveat that she must show up in a leprechaun costume you know you had a good night.

Deal was sealed and Scott hires Les, gives the party to Mom for her birthday and Les is wondering how serious Scott is about the leprechaun costume?  Seems he was dead serious.

The party in full swing

Fast forward 2 weeks to 3:45 on St Patty's at La Costa Glen Retirement Center where Julie is busy arranging chairs and hanging up various St Patty's day decorations when Les is at the front gate telling the young (male) security guard that she is here for Jo Martin's party. Seems she is dressed as slutty leprechaun and the guard assumes Jo is a male and that Les is a strripper... and that is just the beginning.

Soon after she arrives and is doing her cheffie job, I convince Mom, who is dressed in a green wig and other St Patty's accessories to take a quick rest in her lazy boy while we finish up.  Les turns on the oven and much to our surprise there is soon smoke and maybe a bit of fire in the oven. Turns out many ovens at LCG are used for storage as most do not cook.  We open the oven to find a melting container of tomatoes, a corral of coffee pods and box of coffee pods whose lid is stuck to the element and begging to flame.  With much effort we clear the oven, turn on the fan and open the doors while laughing so hard we are crying.  Les is imagining the text "dear Scott, the party did not go so well as I set your mom's kitchen on fire and they had to evacuate LCG"  No alarms and all under control when Mom wakes up mumbling "is something burning?"    A neighbor knocks on the door asking if all is okay.  We nod and say all is fine.

proof I was there and in green of some sort -
serving food 

At 4:15 the doorbell begins ringing and the festive Vintage People begin stream in dressed in various shades of green and lining up for the party necklaces,sticker and a cocktail.  By 4:22 everyone had a stiff drink and was enjoying the appetizers.  Only 2 people asked if Leslie was my daughter/Jo's  granddaughter.  I am chalking that up to fact she is barely over 5 feet and dressed as a leprechaun.  By 4:40 it was time for another round of drinks.  The guests were very appreciative and boy did we had some good laughs.

One asking me what the name of Leslie's  restaurant was, I explained she caters out of her house in Solana Beach, where is the restaurant? , its a catering business, whats is called, foodsensenow,  Oh where is it, Solana Beach, near her restaurant? I finally said Yes. Then, does she serve these appetizers at her restaurant? Yes I said.  And I went back to the kitchen to let Les know she owns a restaurant in Solana Beach.

It's really too bad it is race season as we would have really had a great time if we could have knocked back a few drinks with this crew.

We left at 5 as they partied on before the St Patty's Day Dinner and then onto Bailey's and coffee. Thankfully they all live in complex and no one was driving.

2017 is off and running!

4 of the Nytro Team 2017
#badassisbeautiful

Raced Desert Triathlon yesterday for the first time!  Shocking I know, right? Its funny when I told people it was my first time racing it, a few argued, no you were here  X year or I remember racing with you.  Too funny..... 1-  either I have been injured early season or 2 - 3 + years ago I probably did not go due to the kids.  Too hard to leave them without my husband leaving me etc. and with Superseal 2 weeks later there was another Oly race to kick off the season.

This year, with no kids at home any more AND more importantly being healthy it was a girls road trip weekend!  Liz, Les and I headed out on Saturday afternoon. We literally rolled in the park for registration at 3:50 just time to get our packets and experience the amazing expo (not) which was Swim West tent ( who I love by the way, but hello?  no expo)   I did want some ez laces but there were 9 people in line so did not wait.  I guess you are the only game in town, it pays off for sure!

We had a room at La Quinta Homewood Suites- about as close as you can stay and it was just fine. A nice suite with 2 rooms and we got to working doing all that pre - race fun, pasting stickers on and sorting gear, finding pins, all the while Les and I completely shit talking each other. "here let me pump your tires to 220 psi"  " here try this - really raw sauerkraut is great pre- race" and it went on and on.  We ate in because we are tri ners  with our varied thrilling pre race food.

I tried a "new" dinner of roasted red potatoes, grilled chicken and salsa with a mashed avocado.  Lots of salt and plenty of Nuun, The Right Stuff and any other non alcoholic fluid- the dessrt is DRY!.

I love the support of my husband but it is fun to have 3 girls yakking away and getting ready for the race. And 3 like minded girls who had the lights out at 7:30 and an alarm set for 4am.  We all wake up early and are luckily all friendly and chatty in the am.... Coffee- check for Les and I and another new meal.  Unsweetened applesauce, protein powder and a banana.  Yummm said no one really.  Its like bland baby food.  

aero helmet are so flattering, said no one ever 

They changed this race to a legit Oly race which is ideal for me as that means longer swim.... 1500M swim, 24M bike and 10k run.    Swim was great- I felt great and went hard, hard enough to be sore on Monday. T1 was a complete shit show.  Did I practice transitions NO...did I bother to check my shoes that have not been worn since October and washed NO,  did I think about how to lay out my gear NO.  I hit the racks and am stumbling about trying to get my wetsuit off, helmet on (backward) thankfully I figured that out or I would have been riding out of T1 with me aero helmet point side in front, glasses on (after the helmet) means me jamming them on dropping the f bomb.  And then the shoes, velcro stuck and as I jam my foot in I realize the insole is bunched up.  I am now hopping on one foot and forcing the square peg into a round hole while running with my bike.  Hello - yes after 10 years you need to still practice transitions after not racing in 4 months.  Finally on the bike... Hello-  I tell all my athletes to run through your gear, practice but well do as I say -

I am flying as in 35mph.  The light bulb should have gone off as my power was nothing stellar and

well it did once I turned the corner, hello head wind.   My legs were not responding, power was low by 10 watts and I was working with what I had- flat and tired legs.  I tried to not stress and just ride- 2 loops and more wind and off the bike.

and the 50+ women are 2nd and 3rd overall (LOL) I
guess the young fast chicks stayed home this year

The run is flat yes but on gravel, camber, uneven grass with a scenic loop through and RV park.  At this point I am on the lookout for Les, my main competition and I become the hunted.   I started out what felt like a steady pace and looked down to see 7:20 which is fast for me and well I decided then to just go for it.  Race hard and see what happens. I was ticking off the miles and holding my pace around 7:30, I repeat which is fast for me.  By mile 4 I knew I could hold it, although let me mention I was in the hurt locker, you know that wheezing person that runs by you and think about calling 911. I managed to get down 2 x Huma gels which I think was key- after last weeks lessons of 0 calories, I know I need them.   That combined with Glukos  (which is not too sweet) on the bike and the baby food breakfast- I'd say it was a nutrition success.

Fun race!  Happy okay elated to FINALLY lay down a decent run, it has been 4 years.   I raced hard- Monday and Tuesday I could feel it- yes indeed.