The Big Kahuna

Hanging out with the competition, Emily from San Francisco Tri-club. Always down to make new friends. For the photoset click here.

What a great weekend; friends, racing a triathlon, 2 days in beautiful Santa Cruz and a drive up the California coast Monday morning.

Race venue was in Santa Cruz, 1.5 hours South of San Francisco. Friends and I rented a house which turned out to be right on the run course overlooking the ocean and 2.3 miles from the start, how sweet is that?

Our household was very laid back and mellow, serious but not overly so. We were doing it mostly for social/training reasons. We were all in different states of fitness but all realistic about our goals. As a result we were a very relaxed and fun group. The home had a big kitchen and we drank wine while we prepared food, drank more over dinner and cruised downtown for our dessert. We had ice cream, cruised downtown a bit and caught a couple of songs from a street band before heading home. We were all in bed by 10:30 and I got the most sleep before a race, about 6 hours. No anxiety whatsoever, slept like a baby. I approached this race like a regular training weekend workout. I didn't taper and kept up with my workouts even the day before the race. The only thing I did different was lay off the weight training. I wanted to finish in daylight:)

Lena and Mari at Coldstone, downtown Santa Cruz.

Race morning was a beauty. By the time our we got up at 5AM, Bruce had already gone out to stretch in the dark. He enjoyed listening to the surf coming in and breathing in the ocean air. We shared a meal together while Mari tried to share her superfood with us - Japanese Azuki Bean pastries (bread filled with sweet red bean filling). I love Azuki beans but I've never had it before a race so I politely declined.

Part of the crew, ready to go.

By the time we got there the place was already bustling with activity and the transition area full. Soon it was a time to start and all athletes walked down the 1/8 of a mile to the start for the mandatory 6:45 meeting. I was unfocused. I was admiring the female athletes, "how ya doin!?". Talking to friends, "hey long time no see, where's so and so?". Searching out other club members, "how's your place? we got a great setup by the beach, stop by after the race." Eventually I settled down and got our crew in the ocean to warm up. It was cold and I'm glad we did it. It was colder than the 61 degrees they claimed it to be.

Lena, sneaking in to an open spot on the transition area.

And we're off.

Stay tuned.....

Meanwhile the 49ers American Football team just pullled one out of their you know what for a 20-17 win, I can relate somewhat.