My first triathlon Training camp

It is day 9 of training camp, and while i had the intention of writing everyday about my experience so far. I feel like i have had no free time whatsoever. It is amazing that all i have to do here is eat , sleep and train, and i thought i would have all this free time , but that really hasnt happened. By the time we get to the sessions, warm up and down, the day has gone. I have no idea how i teach bootcamp twice a day for T3, fit in training sessions, work on Tri Team Transport , be a wife and hang out with Steve, and still have time for a nap midday at home. hmmm...

Learning points so far on this trip.
1. I have the ability to work waaaa-aay harder than i was working by myself at home . It doesnt hurt to have a coach watching over your every move aswell as world class athletes right next to you to push you when you think you can't go on anymore. seriously, i am breathless in every set in every swim, and i mean gasping for air, and never get to that point at home..
2. Just watching the pro's , the way they train, their technique on each discipline, their work ethic, the way they eat , sleep , drink all day - priceless.
3. Having a coach that is so positive and energetic and wise , really makes triathlon more fun and makes you want to work harder, more than you ever thought you could. You cannot do this sport without having someone there to guide you, push you and believe in you .
4. If you work hard and commit 100% - you can achieve your dreams, and opportunites are limitless. Triathlon is not a halfway sport. The pro's are pro's because they work waayy harder and will do whatever it takes to be where they are . Nothing comes easy .... you have to work your butt off. The payoff at the end of the day is soooo worth it.
5. You need everyone in your life to be in your corner and believe in you . And i am blessed to have a husband that is there with me all the way , and keeps on believing .
6. If you are doing what God has designed you to do to further His Kingdom, you can't go wrong.
He has opened all the doors for me to be where i am today, and i am going to keep following the path he has laid down for me in order to bring Him glory.

I can do this, i will do this , i love doing this !!!

My homestay in Santa Monica

Its a Sunday morning in Santa Monica, and Karen and i just got done with a beautiful trail run in Will Rogers State park with our coach Siri Lindley ( http://www.siri-lindley.com/ ) . We had breathtaking views of all of LA. I so wish i had my camera with my and i could have snapped along as i ran. It really reminded me of Table Mountain in Cape Town which overlooks the whole city and ocean. Unfortunately i couldnt appreciate it as much as i would have liked to because i knew one wrong step, especially since this was only my 2nd time trail running, would have had my sliding down the path or even worse - over the hill. It was like yesterday on the bike, i could climb all day and well , but when it comes to going down hill i am over precautionary , kinda like having my hands on 10 and 2 while driving and then breaking when the car 15 meters ahead is breaking. yes, i could have driven miss Daisy and she then would have told me to speed up. unfortunately , yes , this translates to me running and biking downhill. The good news is, i do this in training, but in a race as Eli says "Go big or go home" or "go home in an ambulance" - is my addition to his favourite saying.

The main purpose of this blog today is to honor my awesome homestay hosts. Lamar Sepulveda and Rosalind Jarret. Before i tell you more about who they are and their resume per say, i first want to say that if i hoped to be a certain kind of person and have a lifestyle in a certain way when i grow up , these would be my models. Rosalind and Lamar , in their 60's and 50's respectively, have more life and energy than i would have on a good day. Lamar - ultra athlete, did a triathlon yesterday, went all day yesterday taking care of us, meeting with some folks from La tri club to work on logistics for a race, helped cook us dinner, and then proceeded to get ready for a marathon that he was running today. and by the sounds of things - this is a normal weekend for him. He disclaimed all of this by saying it was just training for his big 80 mile ( i think ) race next weekend, which is getting him ready for the ultimate goal of running a 100 mile race.. Did i mention he has a full time and very taxing job to top this off.. yes, i know all of your jaws or dropping. mine certainly did . Rosalind is right there with him, which makes them perfect for each other. If you are going to be this active - you need someone by your side who loves to do the same. And they really do love it. Rosalind volunteered for the triathlon, came home and cleaned up for hours and i guiltily ( is that even a word ?? ) slept on the couch, and then she proceeded to make us dinner before getting ready for the marathon tomorrow , which she too is running right now... yes..wow...

After doing some research , which was easy to do since they pop up everywhere on google. i found two great links which i attached. Check the links out !! I am not going to right about it, you can go there if you want to read more :). http://payitforwardchallenge.net/ ; http://www.ubchanginglives.org/Home/About/DAC/DACmembers/RosalindJarrett

To end this blog, i want to say that i feel very fortunate for the people God puts in our lives to help open our eyes to His Glory,to make us aware of our purpose in this world and to appreciate this life that he has all planned out for us . Not a day goes by that i dont love and trust in Him more . We are all here for a reason, like a piece to the puzzle, and once we all do our part , the puzzle will be complete.