European Adventures Part 2: Angel in Lavender Pants

This whole blogging-while-in-Italy thing isn't happening as often as I was planning, but I've also been a lot busier than I was planning... in a good way. I can't believe I haven't written since the first week, but I'll try to sum up the remaining weeks with my family and the beginning of my study abroad.

After leaving Casperia, my dad, mom, and grandmother made our way to the Fattoria Tregole, a charming bed & breakfast in the Chinati region of Tuscany. There, we took a wine tour with a guy named Dario Castagno and learned all about the history of Chianti Classico, complete with tastings all the way through and a five-course meal to finish. It was my favorite day of the trip, until we got lost trying to tour some Tuscan castles and ending up driving through switchbacks for three hours inducing some rough carsickness... I don't want to talk about it.

I started the next day with a beautiful morning run under the Tuscan sun with some new Norwegian friends who were also staying at Tregole-- one of only five runs since I've been here, I'm sad to say. We spent the afternoon in Florence and went on a guided tour with a man named Bernardo, who showed us the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's Dome, the room where the Mona Lisa was painted, and Dante Aleighieri's church. Florence is overwhelmingly filled with tourists, but I can see why-- it has SO much incredible history.

From Tuscany, we headed south to Bari, where my grandma's parents were born. We stayed at a place called the Masseria dell'Isola, and I probably gained ten pounds in two days. Our host, Rita, served us endless dinners with so much food that, while delicious, I could barely appreciate because it was just too much. Breakfasts were similar-- cream-filled fried croissants called "Bomboloni," panna cotta, biscotti, and giant fruit plates. If we had stayed there for a week, we all would've been obese. But Rita was one of the nicest and most hardworking people I've ever met, and her passion for food was admirable.

While in Bari, we explored some beach towns and nearby attractions, my favorite being Alberobello. This tiny town has tons of structures called "trulli," little trianglular gazebo-type houses that aren't found anywhere else in the world. No one knows exactly why they're built the way they are, but apparently they're all structured in such a way that if a specific brick is removed, the whole roof collapses. This may have been because the Counts of Conversano, who founded the town, were trying to avoid taxes and needed the town to be quickly dismantled if royal authorities got wind.

The best part of our Southern adventure, though, was seeing the tiny town of Toritto where my grandma's parents actually lived. Almost immediately, we found a street with the last name of my great-grandmother. We also met an English speaker who, after looking at our family tree, told us that several of the last names in our lineage belonged to families who still lived in Toritto. We didn't stay long, since the siesta was going on and it looked like a ghost town, but that one little trip had a big emotional impact on my grandmother. Even after all the difficulties of traveling across the country as an 85-year old, seeing Toritto made my grandma's whole trip worth it.

Next up was Metaponto, another southern region not too far from Bari. We stayed at an amazing resort-like place called San Teodoro, where we soaked up the beach and the poolside and recharged our inner batteries. The best part about San Teodoro was our beautiful host Giovanni, the best-looking Italian I've met so far. :)

From Metaponto we drove to our final spot, Sorrento. Trying to take a big rental car through skinny roads built before the age of cars, handling impatient and speedy Italian drivers, avoiding Vespas that wove between people and cars, and attempting to follow a highly confused GPS was NOT a good idea. After getting stuck several times, almost getting into a few accidents, and becoming hopelessly lost, we were about to lose it when we met our angel. A man on a Vespa, wearing lavender pants and toting a three-year old in front, pulled up to our car and asked in English if we needed help. He then talked to our hotel manager in Italian, handed the phone back, and asked us to follow him. We followed our angel through town for almost ten minutes-- in the meantime, he pulled over to let his son throw away a juice box, stopped to shake hands with a friend, and frequently looked back to make sure we were still alive. When he finally pointed us to the hotel, he waved and drove away before we got a chance to thank him. It completely turned our day around.

Later that day we saw Pompeii, the volcano-destroyed ancient Roman city I've been studying in Latin classes since sixth grade. It was incredible and scary at the same time-- especially the bodies preserved in stone during their final agonizing moments. I would NOT want to get stuck there at night. I was much happier spending the evening eating fresh fish by the seaside and watching my grandma get, in her own words, "toasted" on vino rosso.

On my last full day with the family, we took a bus along the Amalfi Coast, stopping in Positano for lunch, window shopping, and a nap on the beach. We took a ferry home, had dinner at a nice but touristy place in town, and went to bed, all four of us in one tiny college-dorm style room. I know I'm usually away from my family for semesters at a time, but after three weeks of experiencing so much together, I think I'm going to miss them more than I thought.

In the morning, it off to Rome, where my mom came with me to the airport and dropped me off with my Urbino Project study abroad group. I've been here at the University of Urbino for almost a week, but since this post is already long enough, I'll write about my experiences here shortly. So far, though, I've made some great friends, had some late nights of partying, and realized that I'll be working more than ever in "real-world" style journalism for the next three weeks. Bring it on!

Dare e prendere.
Caryn

European Adventures Part 1: Farms, Food, and Phantoms

I can't believe it-- I've been in Europe for a week, and I'm just now finding the time to write. It's not that I haven't had down time, but I've been so busy relaxing, eating delicious meals that last for three hours, and trying to mix French, Italian, and English to talk with people that I've barely thought about the blog I promised to keep up. I've already had so many amazing experiences, and I still have six weeks left! But although I've been to the Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, taken taxis, buses, metros, and trains through bustling cities, and done plenty of shopping, the best moments have been quiet ones in the countryside. I would probably feel like I was missing something crucial if I didn't "see the sights" in famous cities like Paris, Rome, and Florence, but mostly I've found that real French and Italian people prefer to take life slowly. They work in the mornings, take a long lunch break with fresh, delicious food and wine, and have an afternoon siesta. A little more work in the evening, then a light dinner and some family time before bed. Even those with demanding jobs recognize the value of family time and a good glass of wine. It's such a contrast to the constantly rushed lifestyle I have at school in Colorado, and while I love my busy Boulder routine, it's been amazing to see things from a different perspective.

My mom and I spent our first few days in Ussy-sur-Marne, France, a little farming village on the Marne River about 45 minutes from Paris. Moe Delaitre, a former neighbor who has been my "other mother" since I was two, fell in love with and married a French farmer, and she recently moved from the States to France permanently. We stayed at her farmhouse with her husband, Jean Francois, and her 7-year-old daughter, Ella. We spent six days in France, mostly on the farm but including day trips to Paris and Reims. During that time, Moe, "JF,"and Ella were our translators, cultural guides, and dear friends.

And then it was Italy time. Early yesterday morning, we took a plane to Rome Ciampino, and after a long day of traveling, met my dad and grandmother in a tiny, ancient walled city called Casperia. Here, we've had some incredible pizza, pasta, and wine, taken long walks, and enjoyed the mountain scenery from the balcony of our bed and breakfast. It all feels like a dream.

Some of my favorite moments of this week (a LOT of them have to do with food!):

- Fresh farm food in Ussy: Picking strawberries and cherries (which were later made into jam), watching the cows being milked and then drinking that milk the same day, and eating baguettes fresh from the bakery at every meal.
- Drinking champagne at a restaurant in the actual region of Champagne in France with my mother and my "other mother"
- Eating at a tiny creperie in Paris. In the midst of the tourist-filled city, Moe found us an authentic place on a side street where there were only "real French people."
- Going to a party for a Catholic girl's "profession de foi"(profession of faith) at a neighboring farm and seeing the castle that was the inspiration for the one in Beauty and the Beast
- The moment when, after taking a taxi, plane, bus, metro, train, and another bus from Ussy all the way to Casperia, my mom and I finally saw my dad running down the hill from the bed and breakfast to greet us
- The five-course meal made for us by Paola and Franco, two restaurant owners in Casperia who opened their home to a private dinner for the bed and breakfast guests
- Walking with my dad up a winding hill to a monastery where we could see the walled city of Casperia from a distance
- Using my Italian and translating for my family at a pizzeria in Casperia, where I watched my grandmother get tipsy

And the not-so-good:

- The farmhouse in Ussy is truly haunted. I stayed there another summer when I was about 13, and one of the girls I was traveling with got woken up in the night like she had been nudged by someone or something, and it terrified her. On our first night last week, I stayed in that same room, and woke up in the middle of the night to what felt like a poke in the ribs. I was so scared, I slept in my mom's bed the rest of the night, and in little Ella's bed for the nights after that. Moe thinks the ghost is her husband's grandmother, who died in childbirth inside the farmhouse. She's now comfortable with the ghost's presence, knowing she's just "checking in," but it still terrifies me.

- I've already accepted the fact that with all the pasta, pizza, gelato, and wine, and without all the triathlon training, I'll have a lot of work to do fitness-wise when I get home. I ran once in Ussy and again today in Casperia (very hilly!), and we've been walking a lot. Still, it's nearly impossible to try and stay a triathlete and be part of the traditional small-town Italian lifestyle at the same time. But I'm okay with taking a step back for a few weeks, I think. When I get to my study abroad in Urbino, which is hilly like Casperia, I'll work on finding a running buddy and getting back into it. I've also been assigned to the "Outdoor" section of the magazine we'll be creating, so hiking and caving, here I come! :)

Pictures coming soon!!!

Dare e prendere.
Caryn

A New Set of Priorities

I'm home! Here I am in Annapolis, Maryland, sitting at a table outside the City Dock Cafe in 70 degree sunny weather. It actually feels like summer here-- shorts and flip flops, ice cream outings, and that beautiful Chesapeake Bay. At the Naval Academy, the freshmen-to-be will be starting Plebe Summer soon (I'll feel sorry for them the next time I'm running on the Navy track in a tanktop and they jog by wearing camo and backpacks, but I admire what they go through.) Best of all, Annapolis is hosting a triathlon this Saturday! At the Tri-Rock sprint triathlon, athletes swim in the Chesapeake, bike by the Naval Academy, and run through historic colonial downtown. Live music all through the course! The race directors were in desperate need of lifeguards, and since Oscar is officially sold to my roomie and I'm therefore bike-less, I'll be seeing the race from a perspective other than a competitor this time. I'll most likely be on a float or boat out in the water looking out for tired swimmers-- and meanwhile, I'll get a chance to check out people's open water swimming techniques and maybe get some tips. :)

I'll only be here for ten more days, though. On May 23, my mom and I fly to Paris. We'll spend a few days in France visiting my other mother, Moe Delaitre, at her farm in Ussy. After that, my dad and grandmother will fly out to meet us and we'll tour Italy for a week or so-- my grandmother is especially excited to see Bari, the southern Italian town where her family grew up but which she has never visited. On June 10, my family heads home and I meet my group in Urbino, Italy, where I'll spend four weeks doing a study abroad in magazine production and international reporting. :) The University of Urbino is one of the oldest colleges in the world, founded in 1506. It's in central Italy near the Adriatic coast. We'll spend our mornings taking Italian language classes, have a break from 1 to 3 according to Italian custom, and do reporting, interviewing, seminars, or one-on-one coaching in the afternoon. Our end goal is to create an English-speaking magazine called "Urbino Now" about the community, its culture and customs.

Our course description tells us that the magazine "will be a reflection of your explorations and discoveries in this beautiful rural region of ancient fests, traditional crafts, slow food, and slower living." It sounds like the perfect summer to me. One thing I'll have to make peace with, though, is that I won't be training a whole lot. I won't have a bike, so riding won't be possible. I'll spend some time in a pool if there's one nearby, but I'm not going to spend hours a day in a place that's probably just the same as any in the U.S. I have been thinking over the possibility of some open water swimming in the Adriatic, but we'll see if that's realistic. I'm definitely going to try and run, but I've heard that if you run in Italy, people thing you're running from the cops or something, so I'll just have to see how it goes. These six weeks will be a chance for me to enjoy the "slower living" described above. My priorities will be learning as much as I can about writing and reporting, stepping outside of my comfort zone, exploring new places, meeting new people, and taking the time to savor Italian meals of pasta and red wine. I'll have all the time in the world to get moving again once I get back to Annapolis, but in Italy, I'll go slow.

Dare e prendere.
Caryn

Nationals, Finally

So I wrote this article, a firsthand experience of racing with The CU Tri Team at USAT Collegiate Nats, for www.tri-magazine.net. Which is why I never wrote a Nationals race report... I wanted to wait until this article came out so I could post it here. The June issue of tri-magazine just came out a week ago- you can subscribe free by going here: http://www.tri-magazine.net/subscribe.php. But here's my contribution:

Traditionally, triathlon is not a team sport. It requires hard work, determination, and perseverance on an individual level. For those who race USAT Collegiate Nationals, though, the sport takes on a completely different feel. Athletes are motivated to lay it all on the line for their teammates, not for themselves.

At the University of Colorado, that team atmosphere is truly something special. I am a sophomore at CU, and while I joined the CU Triathlon Team as a freshman, this was my first year as a member of the Nationals team. I watched our team win the National Championship last year, and I, along with the rest of my team, wanted more than anything to bring home the title for the second year in a row.

From September through April, we trained as a team. Together, we made it through some of the hardest workouts of our lives, pushing our limits more than we ever thought we could. We motivated each other on tough days, paced each other through painful intervals, and suffered together during the most diffi cult practices. Without my team, I would never have grown as an athlete as much as I have.

The members of the CU Tri Team, though, are more than just strong athletes– we are also best friends. In addition to spending hours a day training together, we also go out to eat after workouts, have fun on the weekends, and in some cases, even live together.

After our regional race in Lake Havasu, Ariz., about twenty of us chose to spend our spring break training as a team in Tucson. Mike Ricci, our head coach, gave us workouts that definitely scared us. Because we were in it together, though, we made it through. Something about suffering can really bring a team together, and we certainly suffered.

In the two weeks between spring break and Nationals, the anticipation among our team started to grow. We began our taper, and we felt the energy just waiting to come out on race day.

During a meeting a few days before we left for Nationals, my teammate Rudy gave us some words of confi dence. A transfer student from UVA, he had come from a different team that wasn’t as connected to each other as we are. “You don’t realize that you have an advantage just being on this team,” Rudy told us. On race day, I saw proof that he was right.

Before the first wave of the men’s race went off, we huddled up for our team cheer: Iki la boomba Iki la wiki liki Affa la waffa laffa Oo-chee-ahhh!

I don’t even know what language that is, but for some reason it gets us going. We were all fired up, but the girls would have to wait to race for another two and half hours.

As the men started their swim, the girls watched anxiously, trying to control our adrenaline. We cheered our top males out of the water; then moved towards the transition area so we could see them come by on the bike. When Rudy finished the first lap of the bike, he was less than a minute behind the leader, Dustin McClarty- a swimmer who had gone to the Olympic trials.

Once we had seen all our males through the first lap, my teammate Tess and I started a warm up run. We ran next to the racecourse, and as we were jogging, we saw Rudy out on his run – in first place. He had caught McLarty on the bike and was building up a lead. Ryan Bice, our other first-wave male, was in third, looking like he was flying. He would go on to post the fastest run split of the race in 33 minutes, 31 seconds.

Tess and I made it back to the finish line just as the crowd was preparing to welcome in the winner. We heard a warning for the start of the women’s swim warm up over the loudspeaker, but we ignored it. Our boys were so close to finishing, and there was no way we were missing it.

Unexpectedly, McLarty broke the tape. He had had a great run and had passed Rudy in the final miles. Rudy came in less than a minute later, looking completely spent. When Ryan crossed the line shortly afterwards, I witnessed my favorite moment of the day: my two teammates, nearly keeled over from exhaustion, leaning on each other for support.

The wave of emotion I felt after seeing Rudy and Ryan finish reminded me that I was about to race. I grabbed my female teammates and we headed over to the lake. We couldn’t recreate the “Iki la booma” cheer with just half the team, but we formed our own huddle and reminded each other how hard we’ve all worked, how far we’ve come, and how this was our chance to lay it all on the line for each other. It was go time.

Honestly, there’s not much to report about my race. The adrenaline, the physical effort, and the unbelievable heat combined to make my memories of that race a blur. The moments I will remember, though, are the ones where I saw my teammates out on the course, either racing or cheering from the sidelines.

The boys all yelled for us as we came out of the water. Seeing the intensity in their faces reminded me that they were depending on us for the championship. No matter how well they had just raced, they would need strong results from the women’s side to get the overall team title.

Since I’m a slow swimmer, I tend to start out from behind on the bike and make my way through the pack. I like that, since I get to see my teammates along the way. As I passed my teammate Molly, she reminded me to stay to the inside of the road to avoid a penalty. Looking back on how many penalties were given to our team, I’m thankful that she was there to keep me focused.

As I finished the second lap, I heard my coaches yelling at me to drink water- on a 90-degree day, I had forgotten to take one sip thus far. I made sure to stay hydrated over the last 12 miles, but I knew a painfully hot run was just around the corner.

Though I finished the 6.2-mile run in 43 minutes, 30 seconds, it seemed like a lifetime. Because of the intense heat and humidity, I felt like I could collapse at every step. It was thanks to my teammates and coaches that I was able to finish the race.I saw my coaches, Mike and Dave, just as I topped the last of the hard hills. They cared about my safety more than a fast fi nish, reminding me to drink water at every aid station.

Soon afterwards, I saw some of my male teammates. Their faces told me they had confidence in me; that they believed in my ability to run. I wanted to prove them right. All I had to do was keep passing people, one by one.

About four miles in, I saw my teammate Bryn. She couldn’t have been more than a minute ahead of me, but she had started in Wave 1- eight minutes ahead. She was supposed to be our second-fastest girl. What had happened?

Bryn looked over and noticed me. “We need you,” she called out. The fi rst four fi nishers determine the team score. I am not usually a part of that four, but it was clear that something had gone wrong in Bryn’s race. Now, I would be a part of the team score, and finishing the race strong mattered even more.

When I got to the finish line, I vomited and nearly collapsed. When I was able to stand up straight and see clearly, some of my male teammates approached me. “Hey, great race,” Rudy said. “That was unreal,” said my teammate Bryant.

Coach Dave, who had been receiving and taking care of each of our girls as they finished, walked me to the medical tent. I sat down in an ice bath, totally spent. Later on, looking at my time, I saw that I finished third on my team. Bryn had flatted on the bike, so we lost her in the team score.

Our coaches didn’t relax until all of our athletes had finished safely. Our teammate Will had collapsed during the men’s race and been taken to the hospital, but we confi rmed that he was doing okay. There was nothing left to do but head back to the hotel and await the results.

The men’s team received multiple penalties for allegedly drafting or blocking on the bike – never on purpose – so we knew the team scores would be shaken up. Nothing would be certain until the awards ceremony, but we all knew that we had given everything on the course, and that was all we could ask of each other.

The awards ceremony gave CU its second National Championship in a row and its 12th overall. Rudy ended up winning the male title due to a penalty by McLarty- not the ideal win, but Rudy deserved it nonetheless. The men’s team earned first, and the women third behind Navy and Army- an impressive finish considering we were without our No.2 girl. The men and women’s combined score was good for the overall title. Together, we accomplished what we had been working for all year.

This team is a family. When we race, we race for the good of each other. I am motivated and inspired by each and every one of teammates, and I hope they can say the same for me. Collegiate Nationals was one of the best days of my life- not because we won, but because we were there for each other. We worked through the highs and lows, the tears, the pain, the frustrations and the victories, as a team. That’s what CU Triathlon is about.

National Champion jersey photo credits: Greg Mionske

Tucson Training Camp

After an incredible weekend racing regionals at Lake Havasu, about 20 members of our team headed to Tucson, AZ for four days of intense training. Coach Mike scared us with what was ahead: "the hardest training week of your life," "I'm not going to stop my 80-mile ride to fix your flat tire, so you better learn how," etc. I envisioned a week filled with throwing up, passing out, crying, the works. But I also hoped that it would be an amazing team bonding experience.

Well, it turns out I was wrong about the first part. I didn't realize how in shape we had gotten, so that five-hour training days and 80 mile rides were actually bearable. I was definitely working hard, and it was the biggest training week I've ever had, but I never felt like crying or giving up. I can thank Mike and his smart coaching for that. Realizing what we were capable of as a team gave me a big confidence boost going into Nationals.

The team bonding part, though, was right on. Coming home from Tucson, I felt like I knew several of my teammates much better than before. By road tripping hours in a car with them, I got to know Laura, Sean, Leigh, and Rob especially well. I also loved riding with Bryn, Maggie, and Molly, pushing through some quality sufferfests with my fellow Nats team members.

Day 1&2: Tempe. My car left a day early from Havasu so Laura could get to an interview in Tempe. We took a much-needed day off and enjoyed an amazing dinner at Sean's grandma's house-- steak, green beans, potatoes, and warm brownies. Lucky us. :) The next morning, we woke up at 6 am to run so Laura could get a workout in before her 8 am interview. Even though it was dark when we started, it was comfortably warm. We ran easy, taking in the beautiful sunrise and the ASU campus. When we got back to our hotel, we had run 5 miles, but felt like we had barely worked. Since when did a 5 mile run feel so easy? Laura left for her interview, and Sean, Rob, and I headed to Tucson.

When we met back up with the team, we went straight to the University of Arizona pool and swam over 5000 yards. Again, while it was definitely a long workout, it didn't feel that hard. The sea level oxygen was nice on our lungs, and the outdoor pool was definitely more enjoyable than Clare Small. A short run from the hotel afterwards, dinner, and a good night's sleep got us ready for the craziness that was Tuesday.

Day 3: Run, swim, bike. We started the morning off with an insanely long race-pace track workout. That's all the detail I'm allowed to give (coach's orders-- we want to keep the competition guessing!) I can say, though, that my race-pace on the track felt much faster than it did at Havasu. I guess adrenaline really does work wonders! After the track, we had a big breakfast and headed to the pool for an easy swim in sunny weather: relays for our Tri Team "Olympics" and a short set.

We had lunch, relaxed for awhile, and then did our first Tucson ride: about 30 miles up and over Gates Pass. I did most of the ride with Bryn, Maggie, and Molly-- we were all exhausted, but we got a paceline going and worked our way through. We met up with Tess, Nate, Will, and Rob on the way home and headed back to the hotel together after a very long day. Bianchi's pizza and Ben and Jerry's pints were just what we needed to refuel. At Bianchi's, I witnessed a miracle when Ryan Bice ate more pasta, pizza, and garlic bread than could possibly fit in his stomach. We may be mediocre at three sports, but we are pros at eating.

Day 4: MOUNT LEMMON! This was the epic day we had all been anticipating / dreading / havingnightmaresabout. 80-miles round trip, including 23 miles of climbing. I think the only thing that stopped us from running away as fast as possible was Mike's promise of famous cookies at the summit. It took us about an hour to get to the base of the mountain from our hotel. At that point the fast group took off, and Bryn, Maggie and I set up our paceline again. It was the longest ride any of us had ever done (my longest by 25 miles), so we decided to start off easy and not kill ourselves. 2 and a half hours of painful pedaling later, we reached mile 23, only to find no sign of cookies anywhere. We got a little discouraged, a little frustrated, and a little confused-- where was our team? Turns out we had a mile or so left to go-- but hey, we'd already made it this far, and we weren't about to give up now.

When we asked someone in a car for directions and finally made it to Cookie Land, we were not disappointed. After waiting in a forever-long line, we received cookies the size of dinner plates. I ate as much as I could, but Bryn outdid me by finishing the whole thing (hardcore.) We hung out at the top for a little while, then started making our way back down. The descent was the most fun part of the whole day. Bryn, Maggie, Ryan, Bobka, Alex Kehr and I took the descent easy-- no need for broken bones. We stopped pretty often to check out the incredible views and take pictures. I would've wanted it to go on forever, but my butt was starting to hurt... and when we made it down to the base, the fun was over. The ride back to the hotel was excruciatingly hot and filled with rush hour traffic. I lost a cleat, and my legs felt like Jell-O. When we finally made it home, I gave it one final push for a 20 minute brick run, and then it was hot tub time. We chilled for awhile at the hotel, ate a big team dinner of burritos (what else?), and slept like rocks. One more day to go.

Day 5: Easy trail run at the bottom of Gates Pass. All our legs were pretty much fried, so we took it slow and enjoyed the scenery. Just a nice recovery run to get moving before another all-day car ride. The rest of the day was spent traveling back to Boulder, where real life would resume again.

What we accomplished at Tucson made me so proud of our team. There were definitely hard moments-- frustration, pain, fear, and even a few tears. But we were more prepared for those workouts than we ever thought we would be, and we had each other to lean on. Every single one of us made it to the top of Mount Lemmon-- that's impressive. Suffering together definitely makes you stronger as a team, and our team did that really well over spring break. I think that's made obvious by the fact that after not seeing each other all day on Friday, we were ready for another team dance party on Saturday night.

Going into Nationals, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I love each and every one of my teammates, and I know they all helped me through Havasu and training camp in one way or another. Now it's time to take all that training and channel it into race day. We race for each other. B3.

Give and take,
Caryn

Havasu Race Report

I just had the most rewarding spring break of my life.

A week ago today, my team and I were prepping for race day at Lake Havasu, AZ. We went about the usual pre-race day routine: 20 minute run, half hour bike, quick dip in the lake, short transition practice, packet pickup, huge pasta dinner. There were a few nerves, but most of us were just excited, proud to wear the CU jersey, and ready to throw down against the other MCTC teams. Early to bed...

And early to rise. We biked from our campsite to transition at about 5:30, set up our gear, and warmed up. Before getting into the lake, we did our team cheer, led by Nate Diaz, the "most ethnic" kid on our team in the absence of Cedric:

Iki la boomba
Iki la wiki liki
Affa la waffa laffa
Oo-chee-ahh...
C-O-R... shit... (Nate has some spelling troubles)
C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O
What's that spell? Colorado! 
What's that mean? Victory!


And into the cold, early-morning water. The sprint waves went first, with several of our CU girls along with Coach Mike and Coach Dave. Then the men's Olympic, and then... we were off!

The swim: 1600 meters. Out around a couple buoys, then down the channel, then back up the channel to T1. My swim was VERY slow. I swam right next to Rihanna without realizing it for awhile, but once we turned around to come back up the channel I lost her. Got a little off track a couple times, thanks to lousy swim form that I've been trying so hard to correct. But eventually I made it out, in 29:07 - almost two minutes faster than last year. My swim-to-bike transition was pretty awful, too - over two minutes! And once I made it out on my bike, there were more issues to come.

About 3 miles into the bike, while I was on my aerobars, I noticed that they were starting to angle down. Realizing something was wrong, I sat up, and suddenly my aerobars were in my hand. They had completely come off my bike. I rode with them in my hand for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do. Then, when I found a sign on the side of the road I knew I would recognize later, I threw the aerobars towards the sign-- I wasn't about to bike 23 more miles with them in my hands.

Then the frustration set in. I'd gotten used to riding with aerobars, so going back to my drops felt awkward. I knew I had wasted time and needed to catch up, and my Nats team spot was on the line. I was tired and breathing hard almost immediately. I knew there were several girls on my team that swam faster than me but that I could catch on the bike, but they were nowhere in sight. Negative thoughts starting creeping in, threatening to discourage me, but I tried my best to fight them away. I suffered through the infamous "Box," a series of steep, intimidating hills, and knew the worst was over. But I still had to hold on.

I credit my teammate Morgan for helping save my race. She's been rooting for me for the Nats team since last year, and when I caught her, she could tell I was struggling. She saw me, picked up her pace, and yelled at me to follow. She kicked me into gear, and when I eventually passed her, my energy was back. I finished the bike strong, coming into T2 with a bike split of 1:14:36 - six minutes faster than last year. But I still had work to do, and it would have to be done on the run.

Coming out of T2, I just tried to pass people one by one. Spot a jersey, catch it, spot another, catch it, and repeat. I focused on staying relaxed and keeping a fast cadence. I saw lots of teammates on the run-- the "fast boys" about to finish just as I was heading out, and Bryn, Tess, Maggie, Courtney, and Molly pushing it for their final miles.  Just after the 3 mile turnaround, I caught Leigh, and I knew my Nats spot was safe as long as I could hold on. Catching Molly with a mile to go gave me the kick I needed to finish strong. As a final push, I passed an Army girl in a sprint to the finish, with my team on the sidelines cheering me on. Growing up in a Navy family taught me never to get beat by an Army jersey. :) I surprised myself with my run time: 40:37, almost three minutes faster than last year. I know I couldn't have done that without having my teammates as rabbits, so I thank them for that. I crossed the finish line with Will Thompson, in a final time of 2:27:27.

I'd been stressing about this race all year, knowing that it would be the deciding factor for whether or not I made Nationals team. I dropped over 7 minutes from last year's time, so I would've considered this race a success no matter what-- but it does feel great to have accomplished my year-long goal. I am a member of Nats Team '11, and I can't wait wear the Colorado jersey in Tuscaloosa in 2 weeks!

As a team, CU rocked this race. Our guys' team took 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and our girls took 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12. Good for the men's team win, women's team win, and overall regional championship. Army traveled all the way to Arizona to take us on, but they couldn't hang. ;)

After Havasu, a big group from our team headed to Tucson for a spring break training camp. It was the most rewarding week of training and team bonding I've ever had-- separate blog about that coming soon. After this week, I feel like I've gotten to know some of my teammates so much better, and I'm going to love racing with them at Nats. B3!

Give and take.
Caryn

Spring Season

The spring tri season is officially here-- less than a month until Havasu! Now is the time for race-pace workouts and weekend practices that last well into the afternoon. I love it. Last year around this time, I started to realize how in shape I was and how much the year's training had paid off. It was the first time I felt really ready to take on an Olympic race, and I was pushing myself harder than I could've imagined at the beginning of the year. The spring days started to get warmer, and all I wanted to do was ride bikes and run in the beautiful weather. After those exhausting workouts, we would lie around in the grass at the Boulder High track for awhile, wander over to the creek and try to soak our legs in the freezing water for as long as possible, and then go home to eat our body weights in food and take much-needed naps. I bonded with the team more than ever, and the excitement of Regionals and Nationals slowly started to grow. This week, I've started to feel that anticipation again. With weekend track workouts starting next Sunday, I know the most rewarding part of the season is just around the corner.

After our second full time trial last weekend, coach Mike told us training was about to get intense-- and he wasn't lying. On Thursday, he had us run 2x5k at 10k race pace. We were all dreading it. It was definitely tough, but it felt amazing at the same time. On the first one, I ran a personal best 5k time, which only showed how much my run has improved since high school. It was one of those days I felt "good pain." I was giving it all I had, but I was feeling strong instead of like I wanted to die. It was "fun" in the way that only triathletes and other like-minded people can understand.

This weekend's bike ride was definitely more fun in the conventional sense. About ten of us met up an hour before regular practice and did St. Vrain loop at a pretty easy pace. It was a gorgeous morning, and we were all happy to be awake. We rode together, no one getting dropped or feeling like they were being held back. We sang Journey, took pictures, and talked about how excited we are for Havasu. I was reminded once again how worth it it is to wake up early on a weekend and get outside, especially with teammates by your side. :)

The other thing I love about training in the spring is that it keeps me sane. Second semester is always stressful, and this year is no exception. My weekdays tend to be nonstop, morning 'till night. Whether I'm going to class, studying, writing articles, helping at the Family Learning Center, filling out scholarship applications, or going to practice, I never seem to have a spare moment. I know I have the option to miss practice and catch up on homework or sleep, but the truth is, I always feel less stressed after a workout. Even if I have to sprint to the Rec to spin for 45 minutes, shower, and barely make it to my next class, it's better than nothing. If I didn't have tri team in the spring, I would lose my mind.

And so begins the countdown: 28 days until Spring Break and Havasu Regionals. Time to bust my butt at practice, keep my Nats team goals in mind, and enjoy the combo of endorphins and fabulous teammates that I can rely on every day. Love you, CU Tri Team!

Give and take.
Caryn