Hello from Maui, Hawaii!

After seven trips to the big island of Kona for the Ironman World Championship (5x racing, 2x spectating Karel), I now have the incredible opportunity to travel to Maui. This experience is actually another unexpected opportunity that came out of the pandemic.

In the winter of 2021, Karel was really getting into gravel biking. With so many new off-road adventures around our area, he also found himself riding his mountain bike a lot more frequently than in years past. After hearing about Xterra Oak Mountain from Eric Lagerstrom on his TTL (That Triathlon Life) YouTube channel, Karel decided to participate in his first off-road triathlon - where he placed 1st AG (45-49) and 5th overall amateur.  He had so much fun and he was itching for more off-road adventures.

Next came the USA Championship in Snowbasin, Utah in late September (a week after we participated in the IM 70.3 World Championship event in St. George) and now, here we are in Maui for Karel to participate in the Xterra World Championship. Although the participant list is smaller than in years past due to COVID (and the event is being held several weeks later than normal), Karel is really 'stoked' to have this first-time opportunity to participate in the 25th anniversary of this legendary race. Although a trip to Maui is serving as an amazing opportunity for us to escape the colder temps in late November/early December, I'll also be participating in the Xterra World Championship, but in the 21K Trail Run. I race on Saturday and Karel races on Sunday. This will be a true race-cation for us both! 

Travel Day.....
Because Xterra didn't get the green light for holding the event in Maui, Hawaii until a few weeks ago, I waited to book our flights until we knew 100% that the race would happen. Earlier this summer, I had booked our Airbnb and reserved a rental car knowing that I could cancel both of those without being charged. Our flight options were not the best as the flights were either expensive, the seat options were slim or the route options were not ideal. However, after comparing lots of different options, I was able to book a reasonably priced United flight from Charlotte to Denver and then Denver to Maui. We decided to leave for the airport super early on Monday morning to avoid any type of Thanksgiving traffic. 

We left for the airport at 4:15am and arrived to the Charlotte airport around 5:45am. I reserved our parking online which is something that I have never done before. As I was looking up a map for the airport to get familiar with the parking layout, I came across a link for pre-paid parking. For an incredible deal, I was able to reserve 9 days of parking at the hourly parking garage right across from the terminal - no long-term parking shuttle needed! Even though it would cost ~$40 more than long-term parking, that extra cost was worth it as it meant we didn't have to worry about waiting for the shuttle and having to lug our suitcases and Karel's bike case around. Since we were traveling the day after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I wanted to minimize any extra possible stressors (or delays) that we could encounter. 

Since we arrived a little over 2 hours before our scheduled flight to Denver, there was no line for checking in our luggage with United. Karel packed his bike case to be 50 lbs so there was no charge for the bike and no charge for our luggage (2 bags each) since we were flying premium cabin (2 free bags each). I've become rather creative with booking our travel so I always weigh all the costs, pros and cons and possible issues to try to ensure a smooth traveling experience for our race-cations. So far, all went smoothly. 

The line for security was somewhat long but we weren't rushed so there were no issues there. We finally boarded our plane around 8am and we were off to Denver. For our ~4 hour flight to Denver, I watched a few shows on my iPad with the free United entertainment app and took a few short naps. Karel purchased Wifi so he could work on Training Peaks. 

When we arrived in Denver, we had a little less than 90 minutes before our next flight. At this point we were a bit hungry so we purchased a delicious early lunch at Garbanzo Fresh Mediterranean. OMG it was so good, Karel and I could not stop yumming. 

We finally boarded our long flight to Maui (~7 hr flight) and waited another 30+ minutes before leaving the runway. We were lucky to get front row seats in the Premium section (just behind First Class) which meant lots of leg room and space to move around. Karel gets extra cranky during long flights (especially when they are really peopley so he was much more relaxed with our two seats at the front of our section. We even had leg rests and two hot meals! 

I watched a few movies and took a few short naps. Although the flight was long, it was nice knowing that it was our final flight before arriving to Maui. The plane was packed and it had a very different vibe compared to our Kona travel for the Ironman World Championship. There's something about sharing a plane with so many triathletes as you can feel all the excited, nervous energy. But nonetheless, we were excited for our first trip to Maui. 

After we landed, we entered the airport (which was covered, not like the outdoor airport in Kona) and couldn't wait to smell the salty flowery air. But first was a 40+ minute wait to show proof of our Hawaii Safe Travel QR code to show proof that we were vaccinated so that we didn't have to do a 10-day quarantine. The line was very long and slow so this was the biggest delay of our trip. But we finally made it through the line and on our way to get our luggage. Next came the short shuttle to pick up our rental car from Budget and finally, a little after 5pm we were finally on the road in Maui to make the ~1 hour drive to our Airbnb. 

The sights and smells were familiar yet different. It's hard to not compare Maui to Kona and to feel like so much is so different. But the more I think about it, the allure of Kona is more about the history of the Ironman World Championship and the beauty, mystery and variety of the elements on the Ironman World Championship course. Maui is not Kona but there is still a lot to be in awe about on this island. 

As we were driving to our Airbnb, we made a quick stop at a beach parking lot to snap a few pics as the sun was setting. We then made a quick stop at the Safeway grocery store (groceries are very expensive here as usual and there is only one Walmart on the island which is by the airport) before arriving at our Airbnb. Because it was very dark when we arrived (~6:30pm) we could only hear the waves crashing in the distance. We were really tired but mustered up a bit of energy for a light meal (Karel made himself a deli meat sandwich and I had yogurt, fruit and granola) before we hitting the bed around 8:30pm. 

It was a long day of travel but it felt so good to finally lay down and get some good sleep. 

As usual, we were up around 3am tossing and turning and eventually Karel got up around 5am and I got up around 5:45am. We started our morning with a cup of coffee (of course, Karel brings his travel espresso machine on every trip whereas I enjoy Nescafe Gold Instant coffee) before spending the next two hours catching up on emails and a bit of work. 

Even though we woke up to rain, we instantly felt that good island energy. 

The adventure continues - hello from Ogden, Utah!

I was in rough shape the day after the IM 70.3 World Championship. I was empty and oh-so-sore. It felt like I had just done an Ironman! Karel was sore but not as exhausted as I was. 

After a somewhat ok night of sleep, we took our time in the morning and did a little work on the computer. By late morning, we made our way to Snow Canyon for a scenic hike. Karel brought his mountain bike to spin his legs while Ashley, Zach and I walked around for ~2 hours. We met up with our athlete Gin and her mom so it was a fun time exploring the trails. Although there wasn't much for Karel to mountain bike on (only one trail which wasn't too technical), he said it was the perfect way to loosen out after the race. In the evening, Alvi, Karel and I went to our community pool to splash around. Karel swam ~1500 yards, I did a few laps (no swim cap, truly a splash) and then spent a little time relaxing my sore muscles in the hot tub. 

On Monday, I was still sore and exhausted but I knew I needed to start moving my body to help expedite the recovery. Since Karel had dropped off his tri bike with Tri Bike Transport after the race, he only had his mountain bike left at the house. Karel went out for a ~90-minute mountain bike ride on the trails behind where we were staying and I went out on my tri bike for an almost 2 hour sightseeing journey on two wheels. I mostly stayed on the bike course and headed from Washington to the Red Hills Parkway but took a few detours to check out the big houses higher up off the course. I finished the ride feeling so much better than when I started and decided to shake out the legs with an easy ~22 min jog around our Airbnb complex. My quads were still super sore and tender but with each step I found myself loosening out a bit. On Tuesday, our check-out of the Airbnb day, we went for a morning swim at the pool (3300 yards) which felt good to be non weight bearing and move through the water. I actually started to feel a little better during the swim than when I started - always a good sign that recovery is going well. 

After we checked out of our rental place and exchanged our rental truck for an SUV, we made our way 4.5 hours north to Ogden, Utah. The next adventure of our Utah trip!

Soon after Karel participated in his first Xterra off-road triathlon event back in May (and before breaking his hand), he registered for the Xterra USA Championship in Ogden/Snow Basin, Utah. With the event happening a week after the IM 70.3 World Championship, it was the perfect excuse to extend our stay in Utah by another week. Of course, logistically, this required me to be super creative with our travel arrangements - two one-way flights, two rental cars, two Airbnbs and a lot of other research to ensure a smooth and stress-free race-cation. Luckily, so far, it's all working out. 

And here we are in Huntsville, Utah near Ogden and Snow Basin. Altitude just around 5,000 feet. We are staying by Pineview Reservoir in a cute ski-resort type villa community. We didn't find out until a few weeks ago that the Xterra swim portion of the triathlon was cancelled due to bacteria in the lake but I decided to keep our rental as the location is still central to Snow Basin Ski Resort - where the duathlon will take place (2.5-mile trail run/19-mile MTB/5.5-mile trail run). 

After unloading our car and catching up on a few emails, we each went for a short jog to stretch out the legs. We ended up jogging around the nearby campsite which had a beautiful view of the Reservoir. We then made a late-evening drive to the local grocery store for a few more grocery items. After dinner, we were ready to get a good night of sleep and sleep in. 

Well so much for sleeping in. I guess we were both excited to start the day just before 7am. And it was Karel's 45th birthday!! After working on the computer for a few hours, we drove up to Snow Basin (~8 mile drive, ~6300 feet altitude) to check out the trails. It was a cool morning in the upper 50's but it warmed up nicely throughout the day. There was no cost to access the trails at Snow Basin and the Xterra crew had already started marking the course with blue arrows for the bike course. Karel biked almost the entire course (just short by a mile) and it took him ~2 hours to cover the 19 miles. The course either goes up or down and there are many technical sections with rocks and tight switch backs.

While Karel was riding the course, I ran the first part of his bike course which is also the big loop (and 2nd part) of the 21K Xterra Trail Race that I will be participating in on Sunday. My legs are still sore and I can really feel them when I walk upstairs but oddly, when I run I feel ok - certainly I am not able to run hard or fast but I can quickly put one foot in front of the other and call it running ;) I really enjoy trail running as I feel it suits my style of running and I just love being in nature. Like the bike course, I went up and up to almost 7300 feet (starting at 6300) and then made my way back down the other side (although the highest peak is 9300 feet so there may be more to climb there!). A hiker told me there were moose ahead off the trail but sadly I didn't see any. Karel was also on the lookout as he heard the same thing. I walked a few sections that were super steep so that I wouldn't overstress my calves. I had a lot of fun and just took my time when there was a scenic view to enjoy. I ran for 80 minutes and covered 8-miles of the course. I waited for Karel to finish and then he went for a short run just to check out the mile that he didn't see on the bike. This course is going to be crazy difficult but also absolutely stunning. We are both excited for our adventures this weekend!

Today (Thursday) we started out our morning somewhat early by driving to Ogden High School for a morning swim. The high school pool was so nice and for only $3, it was the perfect way to start our day. Karel swam 3000 yards and I swam 4000 yards. We aren't feeling any effects at altitude and overall, I'd say we are feeling relatively healthy after Worlds. We then made a necessary stop at Kneaders bakery for a fresh baguette and a delish cinnamon-roll type bread. 

The scenery is just beautiful around this area and I couldn't wait to get on my bike in the afternoon. I ventured out alone and rode around the reservoir (~15 miles) which was incredibly scenic with the fall colors on the leaves of the trees and the rocks on the mountains. And so much farm life - something I was really missing in St. George. There was even a nice paved path to ride on on the far side of the lake. I then challenged myself by riding 7 miles up to Snow Basin. While the climb wasn't technical or overly difficult, it was more of the descend that kinda scared me as it was a fast, steep, straight descend for over 4 miles. And I was also worried about the wind. But I did it and I am proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone. Karel left to drive to Snow Basin for his mountain bike ride on the trail around the same time as me and ironically, we both arrived home at the very same time! I rode 30 miles in just under 2 hours (~15 mph) and covered ~2300 feet of elevation gain. 

We are really looking forward to the weekend! Here are some pics of the past few days in Ogden, Utah.....

Karel heading out to check out the Xterra bike course.

At the top! 

My view from the trail. That parking lot waaaay in the distance is where we started.

Technical section at the top. 

More rocks at the top.

Beautiful valley on the run course.

Karel finishing his short run after the bike.

Happy 45th Karel (Wednesday). Thank you Claire for the Birthday cupcakes. Never too much chocolate for Karel. 

Ogden High School swimming pool. Great aquatic complex!

Kneaders Bakery. YUM!

Views in Ogden (we are staying in Huntsville, about 20-min away). 

Exploring around the reservoir in Huntsville.

Biking up to Snow Basin. Up and Up for 7-miles. 

Thanks for following along! 
If you'd like to track Karel at the Xterra race on Saturday:

 💥  Photos and videos on the Xterra Facebook page.
 💥 Link to live results: HERE. 
 💥 Final Results from all races will be loaded HERE.

EXPLORE new weather conditions

                             

For 2018, I decided I would select a word to help define and guide my year.

I selected EXPLORE. 

I chose explore for many reasons but the original definition of "to travel in or through (an unfamiliar country or area) in order to learn about or familiarize oneself with it)" really spoke to me.

Although Karel and I will be doing a lot of traveling this year and thus, a lot of exploring, I felt like the word "explore" applies to so much more in life. As an example, sometimes it's important to explore our feelings. Feelings are often at the root of why we do and think certain things. Feelings drive our thoughts, behaviors and actions.

Although we are only in the 2nd week of the New Year, I have already explored my previous feelings about cold weather. In the past, I despised training outside in cold conditions. I never complained when it was cold because I knew I would be toasty warm inside on the bike trainer or treadmill. I never tried to train outside because well, it was just "too cold" for my liking. I developed a bad relationship with training in the cold, despite enjoying the change in weather in the winter. But the more I thought about things, I was simply resorting to what was comfortable and familiar to me. This thinking had little to do with my safety or health (with the right clothing, our cold weather is not unsafe for training) but instead, I had this idea of my "ideal" training conditions and anything less than my expectations was not practical and thus, I stayed indoors.

Well, that thinking doesn't work well in life for we will always be disappointed if we try to set a standard as to the best times or conditions to start or do/achieve something.

In further thinking, I recognized how much this mindset was not benefiting me for my upcoming races. Despite having big goals for myself in 2018, I must acknowledge and accept that come one of my five endurance triathlons this year, there's a good chance that I will experience race day conditions that are not ideal.

As part of my race day readiness, I need to explore training in unfamiliar and relative "sub-optimal" training conditions so long as my safety and health is never compromised. Although we can all build fitness and confidence by training in an environment that is comfortable, it's necessary to explore different conditions.

In the past week, I have rode my bike few times in 30-degree temps and have ran in sub 10-degree temps. This is all very new and unfamiliar to me but in keeping with my word of the year, it has been exciting to venture outside and explore how my body performs and how my mind works in different weather conditions.

Although I believe that athletes should primarily train in the environment that provides the best outcome for fitness gains and to keep the body in good health, we must pay attention to any thoughts that may be keeping us from exploring something new due to unfamiliarity. As an example, if you avoid training outside because it's "too cold" or "too wet" what will happen come race day if it's "too cold" or "too wet" for your liking? Will you start with the excuses that you can't race or you assume you will have a bad race or will you use your prior experience to know how to pace, dress and adjust your mindset for the best outcome possible with your given situation?

I really surprised myself over the past week for I never thought that I could train outside in such cold conditions. And it was COLD! But with each workout, I had a new, first time experience and I found it all really exciting, motivating and confidence-building.

Sometimes, when it comes down to it, we are our own worst enemy. We are scared or unwilling to step beyond what is comfortable and as a result, we miss out on many amazing life lessons and opportunities. It's so easy to fall into a routine or habits of doing what we like or doing what we are good at and avoiding what is "no fun". But learning about yourself and growing requires exploring new things in life - much of which may not be fun at the beginning.

With the help of my word of the year "EXPLORE" I have already found myself opening up to more opportunities and experiences. Now don't get me wrong - I would much rather train and race warm, dry and little to no wind conditions instead of cold, rainy and windy conditions but I can't control what will happen on race day. I am exploring new things this year because I want to put myself into situations that are out of my familiar/comfort zone in an effort to learn more about myself and in life in general.

I think it would be a shame to live life without exploring new things. I don't want to be in a rut of the same old routine day after day. I love living life and that includes exploring new weather conditions, food, people, places and experiences.

Life is to be lived and there is so much more to life than living within a space that is familiar and comfortable.