ROAD TRIPPIN

Medford to Bend

We awoke in the trusty GT to cool weather and took off early towards Crater Lake. I loved Oregon as soon as we crossed the border. It has the most beautiful tall trees that you have to drive through. We stopped creek side for breaky and found heaps of family's camped out with everyone knee deep in water. It turns out to be salmon season. Fishing is taken very seriously in Oregon.




Onward we pressed into the hills. Slow and steadily the GT took us up to Crater Lake which sits at 6500 ft. Earlier our plan had been to get out and ride the rim however the 40 degree temps and the large amount of snow on the roads changed our minds quite quickly.


We came back down the mountain and continued our trip into Bend. What a magic little town this place is. It has the best river running straight through the middle of town. It was the Bite on Bend festival and we indulged in a little road side ribs!!!!

ROAD TRIPPIN

San Fran to Medford

Hills, hills and more hills. Todays ride was all about the little gears. We went for the best ride in Mill Valley. I personally think it should have been named Hill Valley but whatever. It was still beautiful to ride. The trusty old steed was a little creaky and I think she wants a service.

ROAD TRIPPIN

Day two. Monterey to San Francisco.

Ride - 17 mile Drive Pacific Grove to Carmel return (AMAZING!!!)
Swim - Santa Cruz (University of California Santa Cruz) Hot!
Run - Escape from Alcatraz course ... San Francisco (Sunset!)
Dinner - Yummy Clam Chowder at Fisherman Wharf

Does it get any better??? .... We will find out tomorrow!

The days are getting longer ..... and hotter.

ROAD TRIPPIN

Day one. Santa Barbara to Monterey

Swim - Santa Barbra
Ride - Solvang (Santa Ynez Valley)
Run - Lake San Antonio (Wilflower course)

HOT HOT HOT!!! 108 degrees! Heck!

Introducing "GT"

The Plymouth Vouager is dead (R.I.P Plymy) so we "upgraded" to our new home on wheels ... introducing "GT" .... The Golden Turtle! She is a beast .... 1993 Ford Euroline Van with a double bed in back, TV, DVD player ... the works! We have packed her up and ready to hit the road north tomorrow on route to Coeur d'Alene!!! Stories from the road to come .... stay tuned ;-)

Mexican Madness

Once upon a time there was race down in Mexico. It was the most organized race ever. Yeah right.
What a debarklel! Whilst over all it was fun and successful for us personally, it was a nightmare!
The "organizers" and I do use this term lightly, had good intentions they failed to "organize" a thing.

We arrived as instructed at the San Diego Airport on time at 2pm. Our bus left 3 hours later at 5pm. Mmm.... this was to be a sign of things to come. Actually the first sign was that no one from last year returned. Once we arrived at the "Host Hotel" we were told that we were all staying somewhere completely different. Transport was on its way. Not that we did not have a perfectly good bus right in front of us but hey who were we to argue .... yet!

Luke and I were the lucky ones and we were put up in the Best Western which was situated right in the heart of Ensenada. While we happily walked around and ate yummy fish tacos and held the beggers at bay the others were shipped of to the furtherest away hotel that they could find. 40 minuetes from town to be exact. So that was the last of them that we saw till race morning. I love Mexico because of the food. I think I ate the worlds biggest quesidilla one day. 16 inches so they said. On the Friday afternoon we were taken to Mexico's largest winery..... i do love a winery. This was my personal highlight.

However back to the race. Race morning was quite cool and overcast. The swim went off with out a hitch and Luke came out of the water in third. Out they went on a VERY hilly course. First back in was Walto, 2nd Paul Ambrose, 3rd Oscar Golindez followed by Macca and Luke 4th and 5th. Both Macca and Lukey ran out of transition looking the goods. By the 10km mark both Macca and Luke had caught Oscar and were closing in on Paul. Macca started to pull right away and was clearly going to run down Walto. Luke got Paul soon after and was now in third. He couldn't quite catch Walto so crossed the line in a fantastic 3.58 hrs and third. It was so exciting to see him racing so well after the whole knee injury of last year.
I definitely had a case of FOMO (fear of missing out) and I am pumped for my next race which is coming up in three weeks.

ALOHA FROM KONA!!!!

Aloha from Hawaii!!!!!!
After a pretty uneventful flight to Kona (many had mentioned Jetstar's dubious service) we arrived at our little apartment and got straight down to business. This island is so amazing and the weather is just perfect for triathlon. The mandatory coffee from Lava Java down the hatch and it was straight out on the Queen K for a ride over the course. Luke had done this course before in October but I had only been a spectator here. Very exciting!!!! The race came round so quickly and in a blink of the eye it was race morning.
The swim was crystal clear and perfect for me. I was one of the first 3 into transition. We were all with in seconds of each other. Out onto the highway I was out in the front for a whole 3 minutes before the the reining Age Group World Champion blew past me. It was the only time I saw her till presentation that afternoon. Heck that girl is fast. I rode a great time out on the bike with a few overtaking me up the hill only to catch them back up on the way back down. Off the bike in third place and feeling amazing. The run course was kind for the first 4 miles then it kicked my ass. Even after all the run training I had done I was not prepared for the steep, sharp little hills in the run course. I felt like death by the 5th mile and have never ever wanted to pull out so badly. The heat is not that bad, it was just so dam hard for me to get into any kind of rhythm. Slowly but surely I slipped back into 7th place where I finished the race. Not a bad effort in 5.24 but certainly not anywhere near my personal expectations. The funny thing about this incredible sport is the way it just keeps on showing you new ways to improve yourself.
It is back to the training drawing board with 6 weeks till Vineman.
Stay tuned for more updates and adventures.

Amanda

BYRON BAY BLUESFEST

Lukey and I went to Byron Bay last night to the Blues Festival. We had an awesome time watching the Waiffs, Missy Higgins, Taj Mahal and Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. Ben Harper is God .... he was amazing when he silenced the crowd and sung akkapela! I was singing my lungs out ... I could hardly talk afterwards! I was determined to be up the front and I managed to push our way right up to the front of the massive crowd. We were so excited when Jack Johnson and Timmy Curren came on and did a trio with Ben. He also did a duet with Bonnie Raitt and then later John Butler ... wicked!

A SPECIAL B'DAY PRESENT

What a way to spend my Birthday! On Wednesday night Lukey and I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was a gorgeous evening with a beautiful sunset and the full moon rising.

FUN ON THE GOLDY

I spent an awesome weekend on the Gold Coast with Lukey. We have been riding in the Gold Coast hinterland and running the coastal trails near Kingscliff. We have also been chillin out at the beach between training. Lukey and I took these pix playing around at Rainbow Bay.