Now That's Crazy!

This past weekend was Bootcamp Weekend -- two long workout days designed to test our mental fortitude and nutrition/hydration plans.


The forecast said it was going to be very cold on Saturday morning.  As we started driving, I exclaimed, "Is that snow?!?!"  We don't get snow in these regions very often, let alone in the area that I am supposed to be riding my bike in! Sure enough as we started driving up the Livermore hills, the snow was more prevalent.  I was grumpy (as I am almost every morning) and got even grumpier when I saw a sign about ice on the road.  I am very grateful that Miss Sedonia climbed in the car with me and gave me a pep talk before the workout began. 


The bike ride was going to be all hills.  Unlike last weekend, where I could not get my head over Stupid Hill, I knew this weekend would be lots of climbing. About two minutes after the ride started, I had a brief moment of self doubt. But Nick coached me through it and we ended up climbing Lake Del Valle Rd and Mines Rd.  The ride was extremely challenging for me (I was riding a whole 3.9mph!), but after I got over the initial self doubt, I felt good.  Plus, it was just really awesome to be in such a beautiful and unique situation with the snow.    

Meet Iron Fred (smoking a tire lever) -- courtesy of Sedonia

After the bike ride, we set our bikes up on trainers and spun for another hour. Then we donned our wetsuits and had our first open water swim of the season.  The water was 51 degrees!  I have never felt anything like it.  It was equivalent to digging around in the ice chest for that one soda or beer you are looking for and not being able to find it.  Except that it is your entire body and not just a hand!  We were just supposed to be in the water for 30 minutes.  After about 15 minutes, it literally started SNOWING on the lake!!!  I said to Les, who was in a kayak next to me, "You know, people say training for Ironman is crazy.  I don't think it's crazy.  But, being in this water while it is snowing...now that's crazy."  I ride my bike because I need to get better and I run because I need to get better.  But being in that water was not going to improve my swim in any way whatsoever.  I grew up swimming in lakes and rivers so I'm not afraid of open water.  After 22 minutes, I swam back to shore (BTW...It took 56 hours before I got the feeling back in my all my fingertips).

From there we changed in to our run clothes.  By now the snow had turned in to rain.  And, we got to run in this mess!  

After the run, we were back on our spin bikes.  And, it rained and it rained, and it rained.  But, by that point, I don't think I even noticed it anymore.  

Sunday was a much more pleasant day -- weather wise.  We swam for two hours and I felt good in the pool.  I kept thinking how I would gladly keep swimming as I wasn't looking forward to getting back on the bike.  Unfortunately, I was "tender" in several new places because I got a new bike (woohoo), which meant I had a sore sit bones from the new saddle, and sore hands, shoulders, and arms (as the descents were a little jarring until I break it in).  After the bike and run, I recognized I definitely had a lack of energy.  I was clearly hungry.  However, after getting some food in me, we finished a core workout, another bike and run (which I now walked because I had my first blister of the season), and our second core workout.  

Fifteen hours of training...Bootcamp Weekend was done.  Of course, the workouts were challenging, but what I find very difficult is all the other stuff surrounding the workout -- the drive time to/from workouts, the packing and organizing of all the gear, the preparation of food and bottles and nutrition the night before, and the stretching and rolling and submerging in ice baths after the workouts.  If the goal of the weekend was to test my mental fortitude, then that mission was clearly accomplished.  I was exhausted.  And, I was envious that most of the team had President's Day off to recover and decompress, whereas I had to get up at 5:45am and fly to LAX  this morning.  But, I did it.  And, I even managed to smile most of the day.