Can You Call it Work?

Seriously, Lifeguarding isn't hard. Being a mechanic is hard, working retail is hard; Lifeguarding and training is awesome.

Even if it's been a tough day/week, I'm still at the beach! People forget that when I ask them to move to another area or move their things to keep emergency vehicle access clear. You're at the beach! How awful can it be?

Anyway, it's been a tough training week: the last of my Base weeks before I start my Build into Tahoe. I'm swimming with renewed vigor since reading some pointers from Terry Laughlin (Total Immersion creator). I didn't speak to him directly, but found some info regarding his training philosophy that I can get behind. Basically, you have to practice swimming fast in order to swim fast. Sounds academic, but it struck a chord with me.

Back to work. Really, it's hard to be miserable when this is your office...
(From San Elijo Campgrounds looking South towards Seaside beach.)

Dunno why I'm making a stupid face; I just am. Thanks to g/f Holly for taking these photos and for sitting on the beach all day. Though sitting on the beach all day isn't bad.
Sunday, I drove up to OC and rode with Luke, Allison, Justin, Dan, Steph, and Jeff from STR. Training means I don't get to ride with people much and a group ride was a nice change of pace.

Regrouping somewhere in Aliso. Allison in the foreground, me in the Discovery colors and Luke in poop-brown.
Up on the ridge before hitting "Missing Link" and "Fenceline". Some fun single tracks. "Where are we on this map?"
Starting the climb back up "Stairsteps" to get back to Aliso from the Laguna Woods/Crystal Cove area.

Negotiating a corner before it gets really steep. Stairsteps is wicked steep. Most of us walked the really nasty parts: Luke and I to avoid injury before 24 Hrs of Adrenaline for him and Xterra Snow Valley and USA Championships for me. What we walked, Justin rode. That's why he's the "Manninmal". (His last name is Mann and he's an animal...get it?)Regrouping before retracing "Fenceline" and heading back home via "Lynx" and the main canyon fireroad. HUGE thanks to Steph for the photos...After the ride, the rest of the group headed off to Chipotle, while I got in a 45 minute transition run. I didn't want to run since the ride had been hot and I was pretty shelled, but I got it in. As I jogged out Steph yelled after me: "You're going to run NOW?! You're nuts!"

...probably...

Ten weeks until Tahoe: every workout counts.

E.