SoCal Training Camp - First Half

One of the great things about having a good friend as a coach is that you can invite yourself over for a week and ask for a training camp while you're there.  And that's exactly what I did, especially since I was already headed to San Diego at the end of August... so why not an 8-day detour to Encinitas first?

I arrived smack in the middle of heat wave with extreme humidity.  And the first ride Kiki planned was no slouch - 100 miles through Ramona to Santa Ysabel.  It was scorching out even when we started at 8 a.m., and headed inland it only got hotter.  Just over an hour into the ride and we had a 2000 foot climb to do.  My heart rate and body temperature were skyrocketing.  We stopped in Ramona to refuel - but it was a brief stop and I really should have taken the time in the air conditioned store to cool off and bring my heart rate down.  Rookie mistake that I knew I was making, but it was a long ride so I was anxious to get back on the road.  

Not listening to my body came back to haunt me as we left Ramona and kept climbing up the Old Julian Road.  My Garmin read 43 degrees Celcius (110 F) - although I do think it reads about 3 degrees too high.  I was barely moving, not even stopping to take pictures of snakes and a tarantula (so not like me!) because I was just focused on keeping the pedals turning over.  I think Kiki was a bit concerned that I may tip over as I was moving so slowly, so she made the call to turn around early and head back towards home.  I had to laugh out loud coming down the descent from Ramona, as the wind was so hot it was like we were being blasted by a hairdryer.

Trying to stay on Kiki's wheel...

Old Julian Road - I'll be back to make the
whole thing someday!

A disappointing start to the training camp though, as we didn't get the 100 miles in and had to cut short the very first workout.  But I redeemed myself later by heading out for an evening run, and running hard.

Day two on the books called for run-swim-bike.  We started with a gorgeous 90 minute run through the San Elijo Lagoon.  Nice trails, a mix of shade and sun.  Still super hot and humid, and we both finished the run absolutely drenched.  Kiki met me around the 70-minute mark with some cold water - what great service!  Then to North County Masters for a swim workout, and believe me, being in the water felt great.  Later that afternoon we headed down the coast for an easy spin.  

Trail through San Elijo Lagoon.

Love riding the coast!  Let's face it,
I'm an ocean girl at heart.

Monday was an easy day, with a swim and some water jogging.  The masters workout was a tough one, but fun.  After both pool workouts we went for a pedicure - relax!  Then I headed to Solana Beach to meet up with Tanya from GOTRIbal - more to come on that later.  Early to bed because the next day was big.

Day Four was a big day.  Kiki had planned for us to ride the Wohlford Lake loop, and I was anxious to redeem myself after Saturday's Dudley's ride disaster.  The heat wave was waning a bit, so even though we were headed inland again it wasn't going to be an inferno.  The climb up to the lake was tough but fun, and hot with sweat dripping off me and drenching me.  The views were amazing, and then it was a fun, swoopy, flowy ride back the coast.  Some great Ironman Arizona training with a 5 mile stretch on a bike path straight into a headwind, where I stayed aero and worked as hard as I could into the wind.

Looking up along the Wohlford climb.

Climbing self portrait.

Back on the coast, Kiki headed for home and I decided to keep going and stay out to the 7-hour mark to get the time in we'd originally planned for Saturday.  An easy spin on my own down through Del Mar and back, although I'd forgotten it was uphill back home and the hills seemed tougher than Wohlford at that point.  But I was really happy to get the distance in, and was surprised that even though I was smashed, I could still actually run during my transition run.  I was pretty sure I could only hobble at that point.  Then an evening session of restorative yoga capped off the first half of training camp.  Four days, over 20 hours.  Looking forward to the next four days!