Coast Ride Numero Dos

The start of it all...still smiling!

This past weekend we got together with 150 of our closest cycling buddies and ventured down the coast.  Mark and I did this last year for the first time ever and had a blast tiring ourselves out and riding 375 miles of California coast.  If you ever get the chance, this is a ride that can't be missed.  I say it all the time, but we seriously live in the MOST gorgeous place in the world.

This year would see more friends join us which I got VERY excited for...Sonja, Kendra and Grant came out from Colorado.  Beth came from Pennsylvania, and then I got to see Beth and Christine from San Diego.  AND BFF Jess was in for the weekend.  Wrap that up with the funniest writer of race reports ever in Steve and you had a recipe for a great weekend! All in all it was shaping up to be splendid!  Husband, what husband?  My friends are in town and buddy you are TOO fast for me these days...see you at breakfast and dinner!  Loved Mark's reports of "yep just ticking over the legs no real work today babe"...as I pant along and hold on to the wheel ahead of me for dear life...Yep, just another day ticking over the legs.  If only...

Beautiful CA hills...my fave

Quick recap...I got to seriously break in my new love, the Argon18 Gallium Pro...the guys at Argon18 have taken such amazing care of me and that bike is seriously super duper!  Day 1 129 miles and 6k of climbing...awesome and then was so excited about the day that I still had energy for dinner.  Woke up day 2 with way more energy than LY and not nearly as sore/swollen.  Day 2 gorgeous with 8k of climbing but the introduction of a knee niggle started and by the end of the day was in serious pain with any pressure on the pedal of my right knee.  Thankfully after I fell off the front pack, a very tall Pete towed me 45 miles into the hotel...Pete said it was windy...funny Pete, I wouldn't have known!  I owe that guy dinner. Day 3, knee no bueno, made it 17 miles to breakfast, tears ensued due to not being able to ride with my girls, skipped all of the climbing and rode the last 35 with my girls...so I got in 300 miles instead of 375 but 300 miles over 3 days is still MONEY IN THE BANK people...money in the bank!

Post coast ride?  Not as tired as last year and only gained 5lbs instead of 7!  Progress people...I took NO salt tabs this year and only had Cytomax and water for beverages....oh and about a liter of Coke a day.  No joke...day 2 nutrition saw a liter of coke, a snickers, Cyto energy drops, fries, some grilled cheese sandwich...and this was all on the bike.  Don't get me started on the ice cream sundae after dinner!

Hopefully this past weekend was more than just an amazing time with friends and my husband, and will show up in March at Los Cabos, but even if it doesn't I wouldn't change a thing.

Happy Training!

Blog? What blog?

Stunning CA Coast Ride Preview

Woah Nelly! Fell off the blogging wagon after Kona of this year.  I'm sure you've been dying to read that we bought a house soon after getting back from Kona, had 2 bathrooms gutted and remodeled, floors redone, kitchen redone, etc.  WHILE trying to train for Ironman Los cabos in march.  Busy much?  Sorry mom, I know my phone calls have gotten less frequent and my friends may think Mark and I live under a rock at this point unless of course they are of the triathlete friend varietal and then we see each other as if nothing changed!  So I've spared you from the boredom thus far, but it's time to RALLY!

Bob The Builder

So phew!  The remodel is almost done and we no longer have a toilet in our front yard.  I have to say that toilet made me feel CLASSY! Where else can your friends puke 'n rally during the nonexistent ragers you throw?

So what's up for this season?  This weekend we are going on the coast ride.  This is the 2nd time I will have done this awesome ride from San Frnacisco to Santa Barbara over three days.  125 miles/day with 6-8k of climbing.  Thank you Argon18 for my new beauty, I will try to show it justice while climbing the coast of California with my girls! The weather is looking promising and the friends that are coming are gonna make it EPIC, although Mark is so fit right now, this ride is sure to be a Girls Gab Session Gone Wild with me seeing my husband in the morning and after the ride ends!

Training Bestie Jess!

Then march is where the season really begins.  I'll be racing Escape From Alcatraz on march 3rd to Bust off the Rust from 2012 and prep for Los Cabos.  And after that cold water torture awesome race, we head to San Jose Del Cabo later in March to race the first Ironman of the season!  I'm excited and nervous to race an Ironman this early in the year.  It's tough to motivate to bike outdoors, but as Coach has told me, there has been time enough to get in, out and back into shape for this race.  So we shall see!

After that?  8 weeks later is Ironman Texas, another meet up with pals from across the country disguised as a race!

I'm looking forward to it and will post pics along the way!  Hope that your training is making you stronger than ever and see you at the races!!