We fine tune who we are by filtering out what we are not....

Hi! Ha!

It's been almost a year since my last post, and so many life changes, adventures, races, new friends, old friends, highs and lows....I kept wanting to post an update, but it just seemed overwhelming at times.

Now I feel there's been such a delay that it can be easily summarized...

You may or may not know, I moved to Mexico City for a few months last year (what I thought would be at least a couple years- figuring if I really couldn't stand the city at least I'd land a solid, decent paying, job that could grant me "experience" and eventually justify a work visa back to the US).

I spent 3 months on countless interviews- some for really exciting opportunities, others not so much. Regardless, the salaries and hours were akin to selling my soul. No thanks. Add in the traffic, the pollution, and just the every day hurdles of a city like that and I realized day by day that the simple, and at times too-peaceful, life in Cabo was beginning to resemble UTOPIA.

Eventually, I did get an offer and was one day away from signing the dotted line- but felt like I was betraying my entire self in doing so.

In addition to a personal issue, the decision to honor what I value in life and of myself, had me packing my bags quicker than when we got hit by Hurricane Odile lol, and back to Baja I went :)

Despite the harsh realities on the career front, I had an AMAZINGGGG time racing and traveling all over mainland Mexico and truly did come to appreciate the many things Mexico City has to offer. It will always be a place I enjoy returning to for brief periods at a time.

It was an experience that I had to live, and do not regret for even a second. That city had taunted me for many years, and I feel it was inevitable that one day I'd try it out.

Most of the traveling last year was (surprise!) to triathlons, and that was another silver lining- getting to check off all the races that when living in Cabo are just too far to go to all in one season!

Throughout all that Olympic/draft legal racing, my back pain started to subside, and my stubborn AF little voice inside started to wonder ... "can I make a comeback?...."

Naturally, the second I landed back in Cabo, equipped with some altitude training and "race weight" by default haha, I wasted no time in laying out my goals for 2017.

It helped that I had already singed up for our inaugural Los Cabos Marathon, which took place end of January. To add to the fun, a few killer athletes had recently moved to Cabo and so the perfect training bubble was in place!

The marathon went well- it was a super gnarly course, all along the hotel corridor, with relentless climbs and downhills that just crushed the quads. But the trail running prep for the marathon plus the race itself, formed an excellent base for the year.

I kicked off the season at the La Paz Olympic- which is one of the best, most beautiful, races out there. I placed first in the AG, and 2nd OA behind by new training partner, and stud, Cibelle.

After that the focus was on Ironman Texas to qualify for Kona. It was a race I'd mulled over registering for or not all winter, but went for it just shy of 2 months out, because it seemed far enough to get in good form, but close enough that I had no time to lose motivation, or get overtrained for.

I did manage a mountain bike injury and a nasty head cold (of course!). Nonetheless, come April 22, the hunger to race was at its peak, and I was thrilled with the result. It landed me one spot and a few minutes short of the 3rd Hawaii slot for the 30-34, but to pull off a 10:15 feeling solid was enough to keep me pushing forward. Either way 70.3 Worlds was still on tap.

In less than 48 hours I signed up for Boulder, and that brings us to today!

There are no expectations for Boulder other than to bust my A** for that Kona slot. The body feels good, the inner demons are being quiet, and so it really boils down to controlling what's in my hands, and accepting what's not.

Ironman is an incredible metaphor for life- all you can do is show up, give your best effort, and let the chips fall where they may.

----0-----

See ya'll June 11, in CO. Thank you to my family, friends, supporters from all over that I have never even met, but ya'll reach out (it means so much!), my new coach, and some very exciting new sponsors!!!

ANYTHING Really is Possible

Up to now, that Ironman slogan hadn't meant much to me other than a motivating marketing quote from a company who's races I participated in. From my first Ironman in 2007, it had been something that was easily possible because all it took was logging in the long miles and staying headstrong- so that even with a massive breakdown in pace on the marathon, I could stagger to the finish line.

That possibility was *completely* taken away in 2012 when I DNF'ed Ironman Louisville after getting off the bike with over 60 miles of locking back pain and gathering my thoughts and strength in the porta potty of T2 barely able to stand, and seeing if I had the courage to open that door and take on the run course.

Save dignity, I made it past the first couple miles of crowds cheering "you can do it!"- and I furiously thought, "no, I can't! This isn't about discomfort or a mental bonk- this is disastrous- one more step and my back will break,  type of pain!".

Soon I found a little building with a stair hallway I could hide in, cry myself a pity party, and then walk to turn in my chip.

3 years later, I still didn't think I'd see an Ironman finish EVER again. But my new life in Cabo was finally taking form after a few emotionally difficult years dealing with separating myself from triathlon, moving to an essentially new country despite my citizenship to it, and leaving behind family and friends to venture out entirely alone.

I'd found my purpose with people as passionate for sport as I, and was setting out on making my life work tie in directly with what I love to do most- be active, healthy, and help out the greater community thorough this lifestyle.

With this excitement, triathlon entered again in a new light: as a way to stand for the athletic movement in Cabo, be an example to the local kids, and travel and seek out new adventures and experiences.

Little by little more things seemed possible.

As driven as I was for Ironman Cozumel, there was an undeniable amount of nervousness of can I really even finish?! I told my coach that I didn't really grasp what I had achieved in my younger years in Ironman until now- that youthful fearlessness was such a weapon!

It comes down to this- remove fear from your mind and you can do absolutely anything.

Coach P eased my mind the night before saying this was just a long day- a picnic for the steady and strong. Just be a machine, and don't overthink it. This was my comfort zone and I just needed to trust that my body knew exactly what to do.

It sure did.

The race unfolded as follows...

Thursday morning, I woke up after a series of naps resulting from food poisoning (which tends to plague me before a big race), and continued hugging the toilet until I literally would miss my flight if I stalled any longer. I debated dragging the luggage into my car and going at all- when you feel deathly ill even something that important to you and which you've worked so hard for, seems meaningless at the time.

I'm glad I summoned up the energy to get my butt in the car, as I'd regret if massively if I'd chosen to stay and victimize myself.

Pedialtye, bagels, potato chips, gatorade, juices, and mineral tablets galore later, things were looking up.

Once in Cozumel my aunt picked me up and took me to the best Thanksgiving dinner I've enjoyed in many years. Some American family had their grandmother in town and she followed recipes passed down from generations and it really was grandma's cooking that gave me back my strength.

Friday morning I got the packet, did a short ride, run, and swim to wake the system up and then rested until race morning as best I could.

Sunday came and I felt awesome. The swim start was rolling and I'd never experienced that in an Ironman before. Everything would have gone great with that method had they not chosen what seemed like a theatre prop for the ramp into the water.

With eager athletes that thing shook like it was undergoing an earthquake and as we quickly jumped into the water "one by one", too many of us unfortunately discovered the water was about 2-3ft deep and I started my Ironman day with two scraped knees and a jammed foot I was hoping would come back to life halfway through the swim.

The swim was uneventful- warm clear water typical of Cozumel, and a pace that at times seemed a bit too peaceful. My only regret was not jamming my way to the very very very front of that first corral and holding onto the front group of swimmers. I needed to exit the water with the girl that went on to win our age group.

Onto the bike- BEST RACE RIDE OF MY LIFE. Since a couple long rides in July and two more in September in TX I had not ridden over 4hrs. But the consistency of the year paid dividends!!

I felt I rode 80 miles. I didn't light a single match the whole bike ride and considering the winds this year were way tougher than previous times I've raced Cozumel, I rode better than I could've ever expected.

The run started out great- my legs felt good. But the back was stiff as nails the first 5k. I had way too many internal pleads to stop running and call it. But I just told myself to keep at it until it literally stops you in your tracks.

The run had its ups and downs. Loop 2 of three I felt the best but started cramping right before the third lap began. I upped the salt and came to- until mile 19. At that exact moment the lack of long runs slapped me in the face. It was a survival to the finish line.

This finish cost me much more those last miles physically, than any other Ironman I've done. But the elation from realizing I was about to actually finish an Ironman when a couple months ago I still swore it would never happen was too much and I broke down in tears the last km.

I gave everything I had, and have no regrets. I trained what my mind, body, and life approach allowed and desired each day this year, and thus it was never daunting- it was one of the best years in sport, and a year that taught me so much not just as an athlete but as a person.

Third in 25-29 and 5th female amateur, 18th overall in 10:26. Not shabby.

But if you know me- there's always the desire for more. I missed the Kona slot, and I want Kona.

So Vineman 2016 it is. And the goal is to win Worlds a third time.

2016- I'm a triathlete again and I'm placing no limits.

ITU La Paz Moonlight Triathlon

This weekend was one of five Mexican Federation's age group qualifying races for the 2015 ITU Short Course Worlds in Chicago. It also included a draft legal race for Elite men and women that went off 20min before us.

Until yesterday, I had only done 2 Federation races- both in Ixtapa- but as an Elite in the draft legal category. There are 3 defining things about me as a triathlete: 1) the longer the race, the better I perform 2) I don't like draft legal 3) I seek out races according to temperature - HOT HOT HOT please!!

So hearing that the AG qualifier was non draft, that the bike had been lengthened to 48k (I think the main reason was to really separate us from the draft legal event on the course), and it was obviously going to be summer temps, I was immediately keen to sign up and give it a shot!

Last June I raced a half marathon in La Paz- all along the Malecon (stretch along the coast that's got a run/bike path and lined with restaurants, shops, and hotels), and into the Marina and Costa Baja golf course. Needless to say it was spectacular and I couldn't wait to do another race there.

Unlike 99% of the races, this one was set to start at 3pm...about the time I usually crave a nap in my day:) Joking aside, I was looking forward to this start time as it meant it'd be warmer, and it was something new and thus exciting. The only issue was making sure I ate very simply the whole day so as not to start the race with stomach trouble. A reason for this late start (not that it's the sole reason but one I know of) is that it's the "Moonlight Triathlon" - the idea is you finish at sunset and then party.

Mid morning Friday I left Cabo. It's a gorgeous, desolate, 90min-tops drive along the Pacific Hwy 19 (which I train on regularly). Since hotel check in wasn't until later, I met some friends from Mexico City and Cuernavaca at their hotel, caught up over coffee and lunch, and at 3pm the race organizers set up the swim course for a recon.

The wind was blowing pretty hard so the current and chop were gnarly- which I was stoked about! We swam the 1500m all against the current, and knew all the open water practice in Cabo and daily fun in the waves was going to pay off.

That afternoon I checked in the hotel and walked across the street to have an early dinner at a really cool new Mediterranean place, and then ended up accompanying a friend that had yet to eat, later that evening on the Malecon. It was great to get out there at night, walk a bit, and potentially stay up so as not to wake up at 6am Saturday and twiddle my thumbs waiting to race!!

Saturday morning I did a little jog first thing, showered and ate a normal breakfast of eggs, coffee, juice, and potatoes...then spent the rest of the hours relaxing until bike check in. Afterwards, I just ate a Powerbar and Vega Sport Protein with water 2 hours before the start. It worked like magic!

Just like the day before, the wind, chop, and current were on their game! The sprint race which started from a different point and a couple hours later actually ended up pulling people out of the water because of the conditions. Many even called it quits voluntarily:(

All the women went off in one wave which was awesome because I hate guessing where I am until the results are posted!

I lined up on the far left- it was a running start- as I knew the current would push me right/toward the beach, and sure enough I sprinted to the front and caught the feet of the girl who was swimming in second position. After a few strokes i decided to pass her and try to bridge up to the lead swimmer who I could see well within reach. Ultimately I couldn't latch on to her but dropped the other girl so ended up swimming solo in second a few meters back from first all the way to the exit.

We got out with a good lead on the rest of the women, and here commenced my T1 sh*t show haha...
supposedly ITU rules state that if it's non wetsuit, then whatever you swim with you must bike and run with. Therefore, if I chose to wear my TYR swim skin over my two piece tri kit, I'd have to keep it on the whole race- what?! Umm NO!

So I swam with a bathing suit and put on tri shorts in T1 to prevent chaffing ;) Well that took a bit of time, as it frustratingly does when you're wet. I also love my road shoes so I took the time to put those on and hop on my bike leisurely, ha. It was good as at least I calmed the HR through that locker room scenario.

Onto the bike I caught the lead girl at about 5km in, and continued to lead the race from then on. The bike was STUNNING!! It's the absolute most awesome bike course I've ridden. Rolling hills along some of the world's most incredible beaches with the opposing desert landscape just taking your breath away (no pun intended).

The bike leg was fabulous- my new Dimond is a rocket! I've never felt so stealth on the bike before- and was just having a ball!

As for the back pain, an ortho doc friend that was racing too kineseo taped it, and placebo or not it helped tons! I did feel it lock up at times and I'd just soft pedal a few seconds until it relaxed. The only thing I can do now that's non invasive is aggressively tackle the core work before the 70.3 events coming up to make sure the little hiccups don't completely ruin my race like in the past.

Anyway...onto T2, and then started the run feeling great minus a bit of air trapped - you know when it's like cramping, and you just have to hope you burp and it settles. Well luckily at about 2km it did, and I continued on a decent pace, feeling better each km to the finish. I didn't run a spectacular time, but had a clear lead and no need to completely gas myself. At the last turn around toward the finish, however, I saw a girl (who ended up running like the second fastest split, men or women) pretty close to me and picked it up to make sure she didn't catch up. She finished only about a min behind me- making up a ton of time with that awesome run.

I can't describe how happy I was to cross that finish line with little physical issues, and just overwhelmed realizing how much I enjoy this sport and how beautiful that course is. After 2 years of not racing I was chomping at the bit!! Winning was just icing on the cake.

At night we enjoyed the awards party, beers and food, and it almost felt like Ironman with the late finish except I could actually keep food down and walk:)

Sunday morning after breakfast a friend from Cabo and I check out and decided to head to Balandra and Tecolote- the most renowned beaches (where the bike turned around) and relax a bit and grab lunch before driving back home. It felt like I was on LOST and really just wanted to pitch a tent and stay a few days.

Now home, Chicago ticket in hand, and with 4 weeks until Galveston 70.3 I have some serious work to do to qualify for Austria Worlds. I feel privileged to be able to train and race- something I can't deny taking for granted many years. 

Cabo Half Marathon

This was the third year for the Los Cabos Half Marathon  and it went from a couple hundred people to over 1000! From the expo/packet pick up to race day, everything was smooth and professional- a real top notch event.

The course is similar to the Ironman run, in beautiful historic San Jose, finishing on the main plaza in front of the church and surrounded by coffee shops, bars, and yummy restaurants.

Naturally, I ran supporting the TriCaboKidz Foundation which meant sponsoring a kid's entry, and getting a cool tshirt in return, which I proudly wore after the event:)

 I saw a few friends race morning and found Miriam who I also raced in La Paz- she's a local stud that beats me up on the bike and run any time we get together haha.

Training leading up to the half had gone great- it wasn't specific to this race obviously as I switched back into triathlon mode about a month ago, but I had banked some awesome runs (even marathon long ones for the supposed Carlsbad full) so I felt I was carrying solid run fitness.

The course was awesome! It took us from the Plaza along the San Jose hotel corridor, over to the Mayan Beach Club, back and over the Puerto Los Cabos bridge, where the hills start into Fonatur then down to the Marina, some trails in the huerta/farm, back to the bridge again and a small out and back to the Plaza finish.

All along there were people cheering, awesome volunteers, clearly marked kms, and aid stations with gatorade and water.

Along with the 21k they had a 5k and a kids 3k and 400m dash.

At the start I lined up next to Miriam and hung on through 3k, then dropped back a bit where I stayed within sight until the end, never able to catch up. Around km 18 another local, and also SoCal chick, Melissa, caught me and we played cat and mouse until 2km left and she snatched 2nd place a few seconds before me.

At the finish, I chugged some Baja Brewing Co beer, and then enjoyed a short walk over to Miriam's where we showered and then grabbed some foooood! Ive never rushed a buffet like that since awards were going to start, but Tropicana Inn is a must for the breakfast buffet- paella, delicious hashrbowns, and omelets, fresh juices....

Half marathons are the best distance honestly- long enough but intense enough to give a quality fitness deposit, and so I'm thinking I'll go race the inaugural Rock N Roll Half Marathon at altitude in Mexico City March 15th. It sounds amazing since you start at sunset!! The post race party will be good ;)

2015...Checking in from Cabo!

Um, wow. That about sums up my reaction to life thus far. Up until I reached a quarter century, literally at 25, life had been pretty smooth sailing. The biggest stressors I had faced were college papers, demands from parents and coaches, the occasional fight with a friend, a sports injury, the buildup to an Ironman....cake!

This post may be a long one because I have a lot of personal and professional things that I've kept to myself the last couple of years that I'm finally ready to speak about and release, welcoming a breath of new air, new beginnings, and a new found strength that only certain downfalls could've provided.

The first bump in my step isn't really news- the back injury that seemed to pop out of nowhere in 2012, thus leading me to pull away from any hope of being a professional triathlete, maybe ever competing in an Ironman distance again, and starting the real world job hunt that had only proved fruitless since my 2009 college graduation.

It came at a necessary time as I was also exhausted and craved change- maybe not so much change as came about- but change nonetheless.

Fast forward to moving to LA and no luck at finding a job that would sponsor a visa. There were amazing internship offers that I wasn't legally allowed to take as an intern can't be foreign unless the company sponsors an entire H-1B petition for them (no company in their right mind would do such a ludicrous thing).

So out of a casual bar conversation with a stranger bloomed the idea of moving to Cabo San Lucas- the thought of which had never entered my mind prior to that fateful February evening in Pebble Beach.

So in a span of two months I visited Cabo, signed employment with Snell to sell real estate, sold my car in LA, packed up my condo, flew to TX, packed bags there, and moved to Cabo.

Through all of this, beginning in November 2013, I was battling some perplexing, frustrating, and depressing health issues. I've only vaguely told people about this because until recently I still had no clue what was really going on.

All I knew was that since cutting back my training from a full time athlete to your average gym-goer, I had actually become more fatigued. Where was the sense in that?

If only it had been just fatigue, I started getting double vision, headaches, grave unexplained and random bloating, muscle cramps, and a complete apathy toward any and everything.

One could say I was depressed, but it was different. It would come in bouts, and even when my mood was great, when I was stoked and at my most optimistic, this cloud loomed over my physical and mental health.

Around April, when I was finally in Texas for a few weeks before the move to Cabo, I Googled my symptoms like mad, determined to narrow down what could possibly be preventing me from even 30minutes of activity a day, causing weight gain while eating healthy organic foods and in complete caloric control.

Enter hypothyroidism. I was convinced. This had to be it. Thyroid and a major hormonal imbalance whether related or not, where causing this turmoil.

Back track for a second- even in early 2013 when I went to Clermont for QT2 Pro training camp, I had a discussion with Jesse about my ridiculous fatigue and recovery issues at my young age. How I felt like I was 80 and training was ten fold harder.

Anyway, three days before scheduling an appointment with my family's endocrinologist, I started taking a supplement by Mega Food (I love this company btw because everything is FOOD based). I didn't want to take anything synthetic, especially on my own, and I didn't want supplements that had thyroid hormone etc because if I was wrong I'd be playing with fire.

Mega Food's Thyroid Strength has a large dose of iodine from kelp, 300mg of tyrosine, some holy basil, copper, magnesium, basic things that help to support your thyroid.

You may think I am crazy as heck and that's fantastic but I swear by the time I stepped into the doctors office a few days later, I almost wanted to apologize for not canceling the appointment because I felt 16 again.

I had energy to conquer the world, I slept amazing, the water retention disappeared about as magically as a bad bout of PMS, the headache gone...just out of this world amazing.

I told the doctor this, he ordered blood work, and a week later we discussed that I may be borderline hypothyroid. As such, I should continue on Mega Food's supplement, my multi, and check back at year's end. If I feel like stopping that supplement then I could go off it a few days or weeks and monitor the symptoms.

I lost roughly 10 lbs by July, and the sky was blue and sunny again!...And then it happened....In Cabo Mega Food anything can't be found, and the only multi is Alive (which is ok, but you'll later understand why this didn't work for me), and I had run out of my own. Everything returned to the nightmare of early that year, until late August when a trip to Mexico City reunited me with my pills haha that my mom had sent from the US with a friend for me to pick up there.

Again like a roller coaster, I was revving back up to normal. Thanks to the hurricane, once back in the US I wanted to monitor blood and all again and see if there was a way I could not be dependent on this supplement forever...I mean what if they discontinue it? What if I am in another country? etc. Also, I was sure something else was missing in this puzzle.

Coincidentally, I happened to read Jordan Blanco's post about some health issues and her doctor, in Colorado, Dr. Silver at Boulder Peak Health. She seemed like an excellent option- a doctor that lives in the heart of crazy endurance athletes like myself, is an athlete herself, and speaks of hormonal and women's health so passionately.

Immediately I scheduled a phone consultation, we ordered blood work, and this is what we found....

Everything looked normal and actually very healthy. Creatine looked a bit elevated, could just be dehydration....but there was ONE "aha!" to my symptoms: MTHFR.

I have a genetic mutation C677T that hinders my usage and production of folic acid.

Very few multi vitamins on the market use FOLATE- the bioactive form- and instead use synthetic folic acid, which if you have my issue you can't use and it only in a sense clogs you.

Folic acid is also used to fortify a lot of foods- luckily many are gluten products like pasta and cereals that I don't eat.

Regardless, through my years as an endurance athlete I had run these reserves of folate pretty low, and since a couple years ago I had stopped taking a certain multi vitamin that contained the FOLATE that I didn't know I needed and had switched to multi's like Alive that have folic acid.

If you do your research you'll see that your body's ability to use folate directly impacts your thyroid, your hormones, your ability to make new cells, seratonin, dopamine, everythingggg!!

So why had Mega Food's thyroid supplement worked really well for me? Because it fed me the tyrosine and other thyroid supporters that my body wasn't churning on its own.

Since then, taking METHYLFOLATE, and/or a vitamin like Garden of Life's Kind Organics Women's Daily which has folate (from lemon), I feel like a NORMAL 27 year old!!

These ups and downs have resulted in my inconstant training, in reality exercise. They've caused me to value health and the ability to have even the most basic active lifestyle, and more importantly that Ironman did not cause this, that I didn't overtrain, that I'm not a hypochondriac, that I wasn't depressed, and that I can and will still workout avidly and compete in sports- especially the one I love most.

Through this all, through the moves, the job challenges, the hurricane that left me literally feeling homeless and unemployed, and sad about what had happened to such a beautiful place, I learned that as quickly as the body recovers, so does the soul...so do groups of people, and cities like Cabo.

And out of the storm, if you keep your mind and your heart in the good that you want out of life and what you hope to contribute, life will exceed your expectations and give you tremendous fortitude and opportunity to live out your potential and help others do the same.

I came back to Cabo in early December, with only plans of staying a few days at a friend's house- unsure what conditions it was really in, just wanting to tie some lose ends, not overstay my tourist-visa-welcome in the US, and clear my head a bit after two months of another round of door knocking for US jobs that led to nothing.

The progress was outstanding! Sure roughly 60% of hotels are still shut until late spring/summer, there are some "issues" in the lower income areas of San Lucas and San Jose, and only things pertinent to tourism are being dealt with full force, but if you really witnessed or understood what this place went through with Odile, the fact that it felt 99% normal in its everyday functions, leads to nothing but respect and admiration for the community.

At that point, I had a gut feeling (I always say there's one thing you can trust over everything else and that's your gut!) to try and stay in Cabo. So I put it up to fate. I said, if there's a place for me here, then I will be able to commit myself to the sports development that I had begun to get deeply involved in with TriCabo, it will be nearly effortless to find a place to live, and my family will be receptive to the choice.

One phone call to Paco of TriCabo expressing my desire to commit to them 100% at least until summer and see where it goes, and he was on board and thrilled at my decision. One email to these condos that a new friend had shown me, and they responded with ONE unit left for lease through June available Jan1.

Coincidently, one of our TriCabo coworkers that had been administering TriCaboKidz had begun to slowly step out of that role and so it was perfect timing that I came in to shadow her and take the reins to grow our Triathlon School for kids, promote our races, our camps, and help develop sport in Cabo.

I feel elated, healthy, free, and honored to be giving back doing what I love more than anything else.

Working with the kids is refreshing, inspiring, challenging, and am also coaching some local adults, and hoping to change a little bit of the culture in this part of Mexico to be more in tune with an active and healthy lifestyle.

As well, I have my own lofty triathlon goals for this season that I can't wat to announce in the next post...now with the fabulous assurance that my health is on track!:)

My hope is that I can welcome any of you to Cabo in the near future and showcase the progress we have made with the community's involvement in sport, and host you in a wonderful training or racing experience.

Cheers from sunny Cabo!

Kona 2014 Day 0

It happened! For the 7th year I'm back at the Hawaii World Championship- 3rd time not racing...except last year was a total catastrophe as I spent only a few days on the Island sick and counting down the minutes to return home. Needless to say, I didn't stay even to the race week and sort of left apathetically without looking back- more concerned about fixing my own work/life situation than playing around in the Hawaii sun.

However, this year the Kona plot began brewing early summer when the TriCabo races and events were being planned at full gear and I was set to come promote the camps and primarily our inaugural Cabo Whaleman. As well, I wanted to help some friends out at the Expo- LAVA Mag & SOAS.

The almost too-good-to-be-true fun of 2012 was begging to be repeated and 2014 had to be it. Then Hurricane Odile came through Cabo and did its little dance of destruction and there went Cozumel 70.3, and any concrete thoughts of promoting Cabo tourism through Ironman week.

Fast forward to a few days ago, sitting at home in Texas, regrouped and looking at everything through a "blessing in disguise"/"glass half full" lens and tick tick the dots connected and...well...ALOHA!

It's hard to succinctly describe the feeling of touching down in Kona. Wait, backup to getting on the triathlete-filled plane at LAX, and feeling a mix of butterflies as if I was going to race again, and an excitement of the week when this whole community of swim, bike, run lovers unites in paradise to celebrate the best of the best. I ran into a good friend, Pablo who was seated just across from me, and it was amazing to hear about all the endurance racing he packs on year after year! The baggage claim was full of people from all over the world, each with their unique story of how they got to be at this year's World Championship.

I got my suitcase, which was all I had since my bike is still cozy in Cabo, and another good friend and Kona local, Cody, picked me up and we went to grab lunch at the Kona Brewing Company. I'm not a beer person, but their Longboard is fantastic and after a whole morning of travel it went down like liquid gold.

From lunch he dropped me off to check in at Uncle Billy's where I'll be two nights before joining some girl friends at a condo for the remainder of the trip. At the lobby I met the cutest woman- in one of the elder categories- that was telling the receptionist she qualified in IM Sweden but had never swam without a wetsuit and was nervous and just hoping she'd make the swim cutoff. I couldn't resist, and asked her if she wouldn't mind me helping her out these next few days in the ocean to give her a few pointers and get her more comfortable so she makes that cut off no problem! So tomorrow we'll start bright and early :)!

Quicky, I unpacked and put on my bikini to head straight to the beach to get back some of the color I lost since Odile. I enjoyed a little swim in the ocean and was feeling surprisingly awake despite the 4am TX-time wake up, so also went for a run on Alii.

Now I'm starting to wind down and will just relax the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow after I swim with the woman I met, I think there's a group doing the whole course so why the heck not?!

Hurricane Odile- From Paradise to Armageddon in 12 hours

I'm writing from the safety of my family's home in Mexico City after fleeing Cabo on a rescue plane yesterday morning. Words will never be enough to portray what I saw and experienced in Cabo during and after Hurricane Odile, but I want to write the most detailed account so people can get a sense of what the situation was really like as of Wednesday, Sept 17- as most media outlets are filtering things likely to protect tourism in the long run, as well as not to worry friends and relatives of those in Cabo during the storm. The easiest way to do this is as a "timeline"...

Sunday morning (Sept 14)- Woke up and went to the grocery store as we all had word that the hurricane was coming, but Mega (the grocer) wasn't packed nor frantic, so nothing seemed too worrisome. I bought two jugs of water, and some coconut water as I had plenty of rice, energy bars, and snacks to hold me down a few days (even weeks- thanks Powerbar!!) if the electricity went out. I returned home and just chilled the remainder of the day as all my training for Cozumel 70.3 had pretty much wrapped up and I was enjoying this OFF day and looking forward to a cozy but interesting night in, and my upcoming Wednesday flight to Cozumel for the race!

Sunday afternoon- I got messages from friends saying to duct tape all glass doors and windows and fill bathtubs (don't have one) with water in case it needed to be used to wash dishes or other things after the storm. Having never experienced a hurricane before I started thinking this was kind of crazy but it did raise my level of concern so I had my neighbor help me tape my windows. I also put up my bike box and some dining room chairs against my glass balcony doors to protect them further.

Sunday evening- the skies and the ocean were beginning to look quite eerie and the wind was starting to howl. I continued using internet and face timing with family and friends until about 8pm when lights would flicker and eventually the wifi went out. At that point, as the wind was making very scary loud noises, and the doors and windows were rattling I had the impulse to change out of my pijamas into workout clothes and tennis shoes in case...well in case I didn't even know- it just felt like what I should do. Also, in a rather amusing but what felt like necessary way, I packed a backpack with some essentials- wallet, jeans, a jacket, power bars, emergen-c packets, car keys.

9PM approx- a glass balcony door from my bedroom (I have a studio so it's continuous but the bedroom is a bit separated by two steps and an archway)- blew out and I heard some glass splatter across. Adrenaline rushed through me, I grabbed my backpack, literally put on my bike helmet and sunglasses to protect me from flying-anything, and rushed to my bathroom and shut both doors (one leads to my tiny hallway the other to the bedroom). I still had phone signal and called my mom scared out of my mind. At this point I had only a flashlight and didn't know how long the batteries would last so I spent various minutes in the dark with doors rattling and the wind making atrocious noises and things breaking everywhere outside of the bathroom. Eventually the ceiling began to raise (where the vent is), and shake badly, my balcony doors had broken too and if the bathroom doors gave I was completely exposed in the 4th floor to the 125mph winds and anything flying around. **Note: I later learned that it actually helped when things broke because it leveled out the pressure in the apartment. If I could do it again I'd have left the entire balcony doors open to the screen only and maybe nothing would've broken- happened to many people I later spoke too (not even a coffee cup had moved because they opened windows on purpose!).

Early on I had to open the bathroom and retrieve my passport and the jug of water I had forgotten as water had already stopped running so in that hot bathroom I couldn't be without water till morning. It was the scariest few minutes of my life trying to retrieve those two things.

This continued for about 2.5 hours. At roughly 11PM the eye came over us and I heard my neighbor yell for me. I thought their place was in better condition but I was wrong! Their front door had blown out as well as their glass pane/windows in their bedroom and their bathroom ceiling. So they took cover with me (he and his gf and their two dogs) in my tiny bathroom where we remained until about 7am. We'd occasionally sneak out to pee in the dark as the winds calmed down for periods at a time.

7am-10am Monday Sept 15- We walked out to a ghost town- it looked apocalyptic. All of the beautiful palm trees were skimmed, the skies were a gray I'd never seen before, there was some flooding, the pools and the ocean were a disgusting brown, the palapas were all collapsed. Only about 6-8 people were renting in the Casa del Mar Apartments, and the resorts which it belongs to- Zoetry and Las Ventanas had been evacuated. I immediately shifted to robotic mode- it was instinctual- and started to clean up and gather my things. My apartment was clearly uninhabitable and at that point I just had to figure out where to sleep that night and how to get my things out of the apartment asap. I ran into one property management guy and he was walking around with a notepad assessing the damage to report it to the office at a later time in weeks I assume. I told him I was evacuating and made sure they were going to take care of the damages with the owner from then on. A couple that was renting an apartment two floors down for a few days had been the smart ones that opened their balcony and so other than flooding their place was not damaged. They offered me a bed or couch if I needed for that night and also helped me with some clean up (limited to sweeping some glass and using all towels to limit the flooding). They had little water or food to hold them through the next few days and I am mortified thinking they're still there as their flight was for the next day (Tuesday) but they had no rental car, there were no taxis functioning and like I said the whole complex was empty. So once I left and it was dangerous and also wasted gas to go back once more, I don't know how they fared.

10am- I drove down to Cabo to my great aunt's house to check on her and see if I could move in with them for now. I didn't take that couple's offer cuz I had to get all my luggage out and it was survival time so being around those that had food, water, and other resources, and some plans was imperative. The roads were okay but you had to meander through telephone poles that were splayed across the highway, rocks, fallen signs, often drive on the wrong lane, etc. My great aunt and her husband were find and their community had some neighbors that had really taken Odile seriously and stocked up well. They had found a pipe that was providing water thanks to gravity and so after a long day of packing my things and bringing over 4 luggages with all my clothes and stuff, I was able to shower with buckets. It was the best shower of my life.

4pm-8pm I returned to my old apartment to grab my bike box, wheels, helmets, bike trainer and kept that in my trunk with the plan to store it at another friend's house that was very secure, in their garage. My great aunt's neighbors cooked some fish on the grill, they even had wine and she made a salad- we were using all the food that was going to spoil and actually had a lovely dinner enjoying the fact that we were alive and safe for now. It was a much better Monday than the majority of the people. I also had 3 bars of phone service on their rooftop so I called my mom and dad and brother and a couple other people.

Monday night- candles lit, I said goodnight to my family and went to sleep- shocked.

Tuesday morning Sept 16- Woke up actually thinking I was still in paradise in my apartment- then it hit me. I rushed up to the roof to try and call my family again but service was now completely gone. I went with another guy from that complex to try and get signal on one of the highway ramps in town but we quickly realized it was gone everywhere. I asked him to take me to Brent's house - my friend that I train with at Diamante all the time and whose house I wanted to store my bike and prob other luggage with for the long term. He and his wife and baby (4mths old) and his mother in law were about to drive out to Diamante as that exclusive property had large generators and they could care for the baby better and eat. I asked if I could follow them in my car and I was very very fortunate to spend the whole day in Diamante.

The contrast between the people of San Lucas we saw on the drive over lining for a bit of gas in barrels, and packed outside all the grocery stores and other shops looting and fighting over everything, to a buffet, and cold drinks, and even some people playing on the putting green in Diamante was heart wrenching. People in all of the hotels/tourist developments were not being told of the chaos in town both in San Lucas and San Jose so as not to set them in panic. The dark reality was hard to keep to myself but I was also shamefully enjoying an almost normal day in Diamante as people were walking and standing in the heat for hours just to get basics for their family.

A friend that's a pro golfer at Diamante let me store my bike, wheels, trainer, pump, helmet and shoes in the clubhouse and I couldn't be more grateful. It is by far the most secure place in Cabo due to it's distance from town and incredible security.

Tuesday 3pm approx - we left Diamante through back roads to avoid the chaos in town but still ended up seeing the disaster in San Lucas where the Walmart Plaza, Costco, etc are all located along Hwy 1. Cars were parked all along the mudded highway and people were walking out with everything- abusing their chance to get free food and water and stealing electronics and anything they could get their hands on. Police, even military squads couldn't and didn't do much of anything. I was really worried driving as a single young girl, in a nice car, through this free for all mayhem. We sped quickly back to Cabo del Sol (residential grounds and also resort grounds of the Sheraton and Fiesta Americana).

There I rushed to another friend's house, Paco- he's from Mexico and we were working together with TriCabo for all the exciting races and events. I learned his wife and kids had fled on a plane that morning- which didn't surprise me but I was beating myself for not having come to him sooner. Luckily, for me, he was still there with his two housekeepers. I found one and she waked with me to the Sheraton where he was meeting with the head guy of the resort and he explained he stayed to help with the situation at hand; also to secure his house. The Sheraton had a generator going and the people were enjoying 3 buffet meals a day and enough water/drinks. Though they weren't very comfortable sleeping in a big convention room with nothing but a couple fans.

All these tourists had their names written down by hotel staff and told there were no commercial flights for a few days, and eventually they would get bussed over and put on planes. I knew there were already at least federal planes coming in and even though the airport was destroyed it seemed stupid to not try and at least see what was really going on for myself the next day- especially with a car of my own and enough gas for 2-3 trips- another advantage I had over tourists as they didn't have rentals and again, no taxis were available. They were completely reliant on what hotel staff told them.

5pm Paco offered me to stay with him at one of his villas- the other had been absolutely obliterated- front door blown out, plasma tv from the living room blown out, marble slabs broken in half, ceilings ripped. My great aunt has two cats and I'm deathly allergic, and as I said it was survival mode and Paco frankly lived in a much more secure community and is very well connected so he was my best shot and making it through the next week if need be or at least getting to the airport soon. I took him up on the offer and went to my great aunt's to collect my 4 suitcases full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, everything.

6-6:30pm they had a tiny generator that was going to pump water for a half hour. I showered with a bucket from the little water that came through the bath. Filled my car with my stuff and drove to Paco's. A neighbor of his in another villa had experience with hurricanes having lived in Cancun- he's the manager of Esperanza a luxury resort in San Lucas, and he was the only one that did a phenomenal job of forcing his guests on buses to San Diego Sunday morning. Some resisted not understanding the state of emergency but his initiative won them their safety. His wife had made soup from pots on a grill, and we had another great dinner, and then it was off to bed.

It was also a ghost town there- only a few people in the villas and it looked out of a horror movie. I asked Paco to sleep in the same room as I, and frankly we were both scared during the night. I still tried to open the faucet to brush my teeth only to be reminded I had to use the water bottles. We grabbed buckets of pool water to flush the toilet- just surreal stuff. You learn to appreciate basic necessities.

We were told 8pm no one was allowed out of Cabo del Sol as cars would be parked outside to prevent people from coming in along with armed security.

Wednesday morning Sept 17- 6am went with flashlight to the underground parking to get my car and move some belongings around in suitcases to make sure of what I was going take on the plane. Paco's driver had agreed to meet me at 8am to take me to the airport to try and see if I could get on a plane. If not, at least we would see what the situation was. Again, I feel incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed a breakfast at the Sheraton buffet- limited- but still, coffee, eggs, has browns, and fruit. I asked a staff member if the guests were being taken to the airport at any point that day and he said "no, there are no commercial flights today, we'll just have a meeting at 9am to tell people how things will work to evacuate". I grinned in disbelief- what BS.

As we were driving to the airport at 8:30 am 50+ cars were lined in one gas station waiting to get rationed gas. The radio was repeating that it was obsolete to make the trek to the airport because there were no commercial flights today. OMG. BS!! I was looking at planes in the sky on the toll road drive over!

We get to the airport and there was a line of 300 people maybe? I told the driver to take me to the front, got out of the car, and cut my way to the very front of the line. No apologies whatsoever. Once I knew there were actual flights leaving, I was going to be on one of those flights no matter what it took. I only had a small suitcase and a backpack with me. Fortunately I spotted two families I knew and grabbed the hands of the children and when they opened the actual way over to the military trucks and walkway to the runway (the airport was in shambles, you got on at the runway), I yelled "women and children" and we found our way to the very front group. We got on one of the military trucks and got off at the point where it was a line for Mazatlan and a line for Guadalajara. They were going to make 3 trips to these mainland airports and from there people could connect to their homes internationally or in Mexico. I got on the Guadalajara plane, and from there to Mexico City where I finally landed at 4:30pm.

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Looking forward....

I am still in disbelief- I loved Cabo and cannot believe it went from paradise to now being enforced by Marshall Law and looking like a bomb exploded.

I pray for those still there without running water and power. In that heat, sickness/infections are almost inevitable and the frustration of unshowered hungry thirsty people leads to incredible danger.

Some friends and even my great aunt and her husband, understandably wanted/had to stay. They own property there, they have pets, family, etc. I was in a sense a tourist renting a furnished place and only with 4months of ties to Cabo. It won my heart over immediately but I could leave and at my age with no pets, children, or in a relationship I can go anywhere.

The only thing I feel I can do to help Cabo is to provide information and pictures and pressure others to donate for reconstruction and to aid those stuck in Baja Sur.

I know it will be rebuilt and it is a place so dear to nationals, and internationals, that they want to see it thrive in all its beauty again.

At this point I will be in Mexico City for a few days before going to Texas to my mom and stepdad's a few weeks- need to see them, my brother, my dog, and have a sense of normalcy for a while. Also, I have little clothes and stuff with me so need to be with them and regroup.

I'm open to finding a job in Mexico City in the marketing/Ad industry that I love, but I am slo heavily considering a job abroad - not going to spill the beans now but I had an incredible phone call yesterday with an opportunity to live/work in a country I've been dying to visit since I can remember.

The point is, things, even horrible things, happen to all of us and we grow and learn from all of the experiences. You have to see it as a blessing even in disguise and make the most of it. If I learned one thing it's that the only things that matter are safety, health, and family. I would not have even flinched at just leaving with the clothes on my back and my passport and phone.

I LOVE YOU CABO AND YOUR WONDERFUL PEOPLE. YOU WILL RESURFACE EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE.