Medano & Pelicano Beach, endless Spring Break, getting a Drivers License, and the San Jose Art Walk

Medano Beach is THE tourist spot in Cabo San Lucas. Its beautiful, calm waters with buoyed out sections for swimming, and various locals renting anything from wave runners to banana boats to that little jet pack that lets you shoot in and out of the water like a dolphin, along with fishing rentals, and boats taking you over to Lover's and Pelicano Beach for rock jumping and snorkeling, make it the ultimate playground.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, it also lends itself to an endless Spring Break environment, with very drunk foreigners doing things you don't really want to watch, but kinda do- from their own one man/woman show, to partaking in the stage "contests" the locals happily and creatively put together to give them even more of an opportunity to shake their head during the next day's hangover. Some of these people are way past their high school and college years, which is kind of sad.

I am not a fan of crowds, but luckily at this time of the year it doesn't feel like a total rave, so it's actually quite entertaining to just sit down at any of the restaurants along the beach and get a free show as you eat.

When we arrived my brother and I planned on renting wave runners to visit the famous Arch by Pelicano & Lovers Beach. Over the years, due to safety, they've reduced access to the Arch other than via boat rental. So we decided to get a cheap little boat taking us to Pelicano Beach where we would spend an hour and a half (more than enough IMO), snorkeling and jumping off rock formations, and walking/swimming/hiking rocks over to the adjacent beach and also to the Pacific side where the sea gets a lot more blue and scary. It was awesome!!

My brother took some really cool pics and videos with his go pro, we swam a ton, and at one point this guy came out with huge oysters (which they were shucking and serving as fresh as they can get right there on the beach) and a baby octopus fell out of his net! We got to hold the little guy- such a cool feeling!- and then put it back in the water, where it literally disappeared at the blink of an eye. I saw something on Discovery Channel recently that said Octopi are one of the most sensitive/loving creatures! :)! I'd get a pet octopus tomorrow if I could. Confession: I also love to eat them which makes me feel like an awful person.

When our boat guy came back, he took us and a couple from LA over to the Arch, and a big rock that had a ton of seals.

Back on land, we found my parents who had not realized exactly where we were and decided to bring down from the car bags with our valuables - sunglasses, quite a bit of cash, clean/dry clothes, etc so they didn't get in the water at all, and had instead eaten some clams and oysters while getting overly entertained by Mango Deck's "pop a balloon on the other person" contest. I was dying, DYING, of laughter at my mom's comments and faces about what those girls were doing. My dad was kind of just sitting in disbelief- careful of what he could potentially comment, LOL.

Daniel and I were starving so we made them sit through some more Pit Bull and Kesha, and this time we actually got a very cool breakdance by some local dudes that were LEGIT. One guy was doing some sick moves with a chair in his legs!

It had been a long day and back at home we spent the evening just lounging around.

Yesterday it had rained all night (shocker!) and sporadically continued throughout the day so my mom and I agreed it was the perfect time to go get my IFE which is essentially Mexico's main ID and voting card, and which I need to register in the MLS and to get my drivers license. We drove to San Jose and were humorously surprised to find that the IFE office looked like this: I love a little town :)

 

After surviving the nightmare that is any type of government process in the US- Social Security, DMV, Passports, you name it...I couldn't have been more grateful to walk in with my passport, proof of address, a witness (my mom), and birth certificate, and walk out with my IFE in 10mins.

Even better was the drivers license- you go in, with your IFE, blood type, and national civil registry code, pay a small fee and you're a licensed driver! 10mins. I can already hear my American friends "but that's why driving in Mexico is dangerous" and blah blah blah. Frankly, no. It can be dangerous and intimidating because of a cultural characteristic of Mexicans: they/we are accustomed to not yielding to anyone and all traffic signs are merely taken as suggestions rather than law. The mindset is I'm on the road to get where I want and I won't tolerate others that are day dreaming or simply getting in my way. But it's more of a case in a packed city like Mexico City. Here, people aren't aggressive drivers like that- and it's fantastic how they actually know how to properly use the left lane! I could argue that Mexicans are great drivers, with very tuned reflexes- think of a NY taxi;)

What was funny was realizing how I don't really fit in anywhere. In the US the DMV and such were always a headache because I'd get grilled about how I am in the country, "let me look you up in the homeland security system", etc etc and the questioning as if I were on trial would take hours. In Mexico, at 26 I've never been registered in anything nor had a voters card, and I don't look obviously Mexican so even with my passport right in front of their face they were like "are you a foreigner?" "why have you never had an IFE or DL?". I feel like neither of them ever believe me.

Anyhow, with the rain lowering the temperature, we enjoyed the evening at the weekly San Jose Art Walk. I much prefer San Jose over Cabo. It is the old/historic town and while it can still be touristy, it lacks the night club, marina, spring break scene that Cabo has, which makes it more peaceful and cultural. My great aunt and her husband joined us and we walked the little streets and visited a few of the art galleries and jewelry shops- many btw, owned by Americans who now call Cabo/San Jose their home- and then had a lovely dinner. My ideal night out. Tuesdays they have tastings, and Saturdays local music...so every day of the week San Jose brings something new and lively for locals and visitors alike.

As soon as the sun came up this morning, I headed out for a ride, and again saw a few others out on their bikes, including the guy from the Specialized bike shop in San Jose who was headed for a swim with two friends at Palmilla Beach.

We went to Palmilla Thursday but they told us there's a bunch of Man O' War jelly fish this time of year, so we didn't get in. However, we got to see fishermen filleting what I think were needlefish, and these cute pelicans were waiting in military formation to get a bite!

Today may be the day to take the family to Puerto Los Cabos and a lunch or early dinner at Flora Farms!

Arriving in Cabo

Anything that provides surges of adrenaline and intense excitement or anxiety filling my stomach with butterflies pumps me up and propels me onward like I'm on "speed". The last few days before flying over to Cabo were all of that and more.

I rented a furnished place and that coupled with the fact that winter is non-existent here, guaranteed a much easier move. But, alas, I'm a girl, and you can never have enough cute tops, sundresses, or sandals...and since I signed up for IM 70.3 Cozumel, I had to take my bike. Not just the bike, a trainer too- I'll be busy working and with afternoons that can get over 100F, I need a quick indoor option. Admittedly, I also want to lower my chances of becoming road kill. On top of that, as much as I've tried to reduce my neurosis over the years, I still pack my favorite little food items wherever I go so I gathered everything I couldn't live without from Whole Foods (it was a lot) and stuffed it with a massive Powerbar order to hold me down through Coz.

Anyway, it ended up looking like this: (shoe/purse suitcase, 2 clothes suitcases, bike trainer, bike, nutrition/food suitcase).

Since my mom and brother were also coming along for a few days, we hit the airport with a ridiculous amount of luggage- thankfully it all made it to Mexico without a problem! The lovely lady from US Air even offered us a first class upgrade which would dismiss our overweight baggage fees:)

We landed in Cabo on Saturday night and made it to my place at almost 10pm. My 20 yr old brother is still a little boy, so he was intent on walking the beach with a flashlight to hear the waves "spot cool things" and see the stars... lol ok. It was actually awesome, because the night sky here is UNREAL, and at the Dreams Hotel next door they were shooting fireworks. 

The next day, my mom and I headed out at 7am to drive 2.5hrs to Pichilingue (don't worry it's a tongue twister to me as well) just north of La Paz, to pick up my car that was coming on a ferry from Mazatlan in mainland Mexico. 

It was the smoothest road trip ever! Highway 19 which takes you all the way there from Cabo is amazing!! There were only a handful of cars the entire 114 miles there, and as a triathlete, it was exciting to see tons of cyclists- even groups with sag vehicles- enjoying the incredible shoulder and perfectly paved hilly road.  

For those curious on riding there: my plan is to park at the Mega or some other large parking lot, and avoid the little streets from Hwy 1 through the town of Cabo over to the 19 (it's like 2 miles but a lot of cars and lights). Ideally, I'd be leaving from Diamante which is on Hwy 19 and you can click the link to this incredible property; but in short it's a residential/resort community with a 10acre saltwater lagoon (no motor sports), a state of the art gym, 3 Tiger Woods designed golf courses, a spectacular outdoor lap pool...etc.

Once we got to La Paz, we had a bit of time to kill and stopped at this cute little hotel restaurant for coffee and breakfast called La Perla. I had never been to La Paz and it is stunning! Like Cabo, many Canadians and Americans are spending a few or more months a year here for the weather, mellow life, and outdoor fun: surfing, paddling, running, snorkeling. Along the 25 min drive from La Paz to Pichilingue, we saw a handful of desolate beaches with shallow turquoise water and a glassy surface. It looked like a perfect weekend road trip from Cabo to escape any and all civilization:) 

Like all Mexican situations, we didn't have to wake up as early as we thought because the 10am scheduled arrival of the ferry actually got in at 11, and my car followed a literal magic trick of a thousand 18 wheelers coming out of that ferry first. That ferry is huge, I went inside and actually got to drive my car out :) but I still don't, and probably never will, understand how that many ginormous trucks came out of it. By the time we were on the road back to Cabo it was 1pm. 

The cool thing was being able to haul ass in my new car with no worry of getting pulled over. I kept it at 90-100 and maybe a bit over hehe.  

Finally back home, my mom and I couldn't wait to join Daniel in the water! We spent hours playing in the waves, and got a couple of fun, scary close calls!

We also discovered, that on my same grounds, is Las Ventanas- one of Cabo's most luxurious resorts. That, and Zoetry Hotel, which is the one my apartment corresponds to, leaving me thrilled to welcome friends and family to an amazing vacation spot in Cabo! 

Famished, we had no desire to wonder where to eat so we went back to Pocho's in the Marina, which my mom and I adored when we were here in March, and devoured some ceviche, grilled mahi, and drinks!! Also, I met this guy...

Yesterday, I went into Snell, to get all my paperwork done to get rolling with my business (www.cabobytatiana.com)!! But before that, I got in a morning run from my condo on the Cabo Real Golf Course - stunning!!! Sadly, I didn't take my phone for a pic this time- mainly because I have no Pandora in Mexico :'( 

The trip had finally caught up to us as we napped for hours that afternoon and woke up only to head to San Jose to gorge on incredible Mexican food at Las Guacamayas. This place after a long, hot training day is going to be epic!! It's cheap and sooooo goooood!!!! 

Up on the left, inside the arch, is the pastor (pork), slow roasting to perfection with a pineapple on top....it might be my favorite thing on earth, especially after last night. 

Now Tuesday, I was chomping at the bit to ride outside (did a short trainer ride yesterday), and got in roughly 20miles from my place to Palmilla, turned around to the Sheraton grounds, and back home. 

Contrary to what most people think, and what I had heard about riding here, I got more respect and peace of mind than in most roads I've ridden in Texas and California. With groups, I've had glass bottles thrown at us, and out in East County San Diego, a few girlfriends and I were almost intentionally murdered by some drugged out idiot in a Jeep that slammed his breaks right in front of me (in the shoulder) as I was in front while we were all descending a big hill! 

The thing that makes it sketchy here is some of the great shoulder isn't regularly swept, so when it narrows for bridges/bypasses, you have to get on the white line/regular lane and buses don't like making room for you. Once Cabo adjusts to more cyclists on the road- and I saw a few this morning- they'll learn how to react better, but they are definitely not disrespectful. 

A quick shower, and hit Costco with my parents, and now we're off to rent some jet skis at Medano Beach to ride over to the famous Arch. I'll have plenty more pics and stuff to share once we do that, explore Diamante, do the zip lining and mountain biking, and check out other beaches!

IT LIVES ON!! And I'm off to Cabo San Lucas!!

Rather than start a whole new personal blog, I thought it best to dig up and dust off the one that already holds so many wonderful experiences and memories, and keep adding to the journey!

If you follow me on any form of social media, you'll know I moved away from my first love, Encinitas, to the chaos and claustrophobia of LA- jk it's not that bad....ok maybe it is- to find a job; and after months of no luck in getting hired because I'm technically a foreigner, I hit a hard wall of frustration...and to be honest, depression.

I believe in living your best life and doing everything, and I mean EVERYTHING it takes to be happy- which I define as loving your present moment. Regardless of beliefs/religion, nearly all of us can agree that our thoughts have enormous power to attract what we seek, or don't seek. Your dreams will literally manifest into your reality.

That said, I couldn't sit around and envision what I wanted, and expect it to fall from the sky. But in firmly believing that something positive and significant would stem from my immigration issue and inability to get hired in the US (I applied to some jobs in cities that I now look back and laugh- I would never live there!), there's not a drop of doubt that it led to the actions, and reactions from others that paved the way for the move to Cabo.

People have asked if I regret moving to LA, and if I would've have been better off staying where I was happy in San Diego. No. I learned so much and had tremendous personal and spiritual growth from my time in LA. It taught me what I value, and made me realize that what we often think is a problem or disadvantage, turns out to be our greatest asset and the key to unlocking the door to our purpose in life.

On a lighter note, it forced the break on triathlon that I wanted and needed, and allowed me to have some fun like a regular 26yr old. I think I took from that city as much as it could offer some one like me- ran in most of the incredible trails, swam in nearly all the pools, went out to some fabulous restaurants, bars/clubs, did the whole epic gym fitness classes, got the Hollywood beauty and shopping pampering, and unleashed plenty of road rage in the endless traffic.

So on to explain how the Cabo lightbulb went off... My mom and I were in Pebble Beach a couple of months ago, having dessert and a drink at a packed bar during the annual celebrity golf tournament. An older gentleman next to me started to make conversation- haha- and when he asked "what do you do?"...well let's just say that's a question that cracks me up inside. I mean how can you put into a bar-quick-response "well I used to be an athlete, with a part time job, which I don't want to turn full time because it's not what I'm interested in nor skilled at and there's no room for growth in it, and then I hurt my low back which prevented me from getting my athlete visa...and trying to find a full time job is pretty much impossible because I'm Mexican, and let's not even get started on explaining immigration-law!"

I just kept it at "I'm in between jobs, and having a really hard time because I'm a Mexican Citizen". Long story short, he learned that I studied marketing and my family has been in real estate a long time, which I love but could never practice in the States, and he very simply asked "well why don't you move to Cabo?!" Click!..and he gave me the name of the top agency there. All along, the only option in my mind had been Mexico City- it's where all my extended family lives and obviously where all the major companies and jobs are. But I feared moving to Mexico City like I can't explain! If LA beat me up, Mexico City is LA on steroids.

The tremendous development in Cabo was nothing new to me, but what I hadn't realized is that I'd basically be moving to an extension of SoCal- it's safe, comfortable, and paradise for someone who adores nature and open spaces. The company I'll be working for, Snell Real Estate, is almost entirely comprised of Americans, and we deal nearly everything in English with foreign buyers/sellers.

In hindsight, I now know that subconsciously every time I'd go to a job interview I was terrified at what would happen if they hired me. Partly generational, partly conditional, I have no clue how to handle a 9-5 desk job, and if there's one thing I loath about our society is the idealization of a suit and tie, all day clock-in that yields 2 weeks a year of vacation and an inability to really enjoy life until retirement. If you work a 9-5 but you're in something that is absolutely your passion and gives you motivation and satisfaction more often than not- then that's fantastic. After years spent as an athlete with a remote part time job, I am accustomed to setting my own schedule, and since childhood have been highly driven with a strong work ethic. Thus my ideal job gives me ample room for growth/success based on my own effort, and allows me to control my own time: real estate.

Wasting no time, my mom and I visited Cabo late March and I met with the folks at Snell, signed with them, and in one day, literally the first showing I found my condo! This is where the manifestation of your dreams goes from truth to down right freaky....How is it that with two days left in Cabo, and just 3 potential residences to look at, the first one is ocean front condominiums sharing property with a five start resort, and a Mexican replica of my favorite place in Kona- the Mauna Lani grounds. Not only that, but the Italian lady that owns this condo needed a long term rental and so I got an unheard of price for this gem. Looking at the desert mountain back ground, with a single low traffic highway separating it from the gorgeous blue ocean waters, I couldn't help but sit down and say "thank you, universe for bringing me my little piece of Hawaii to Mexico".

My lease is only good until January that the Italian lady returns so at that point my carriage turns into a pumpkin, lol. However, again, there's never any use worrying, because I'll either find another long term rental in that same place, or life will have an even better option for me lined up!;)

I sold my car the day after returning from Cabo, and in two weeks packed up my furniture into a storage unit in San Diego, and flew to TX for the few weeks before the final move to Mexico. The stone carved plan is to earn my way back to the US with my tourist visa, and eventually buy a vacation house in Encinitas so I can split my time as I please.

Now in TX, months removed from triathlon, stressed and de-stressed, I've gotten back on the saddle literally and figuratively, and will try to race Cozumel 70.3 in September. There's still a delusional thought that I can do another Ironman, and hopefully return to Kona. But this time I won't be doing it for myself. If I can get my back to allow me to race another Ironman, I will be raising money for youth triathlon in Mexico, and local kids in Cabo.

First things first- getting settled into a "new" country and focusing on my career, and personal life. Then whatever travels and enjoyment I seek will come naturally. If I can offer up one advice it's to not fight or resist obstacles. You're faced with them for a reason. Let them teach you and upgrade you. When you're in sync with your purpose and living a life of significance, everything flows with beautiful harmony.

......
P.S. there's a lot of entertaining steps for this move that I can't wait to share with ya'll: getting a car in/to Cabo, getting a Mexican license, switching phones/what to do with my data plans, how do you live without Whole Foods?!, figuring out the banking situation....8 days till my family and I go down there to figure all this out, and then they leave me there on the tip of the Baja Peninsula!!!!!

Immigration NIGHTMARE

I'm making my incredibly unjust immigration story public to garner enough attention to hopefully finally make some progressive change in immigration. It is time to shine a light on cases such as mine that, to date, have no avenue for justice.

I'm a 26 year old from Mexico City who has been in the US legally (through visas) since the age of 3. I speak both languages flawlessly and have fully assimilated to US culture. Despite that, I continue to face insurmountable obstacles toward naturalization. Even the DREAM Act excludes me, shockingly, because I've been here legally vs illegally!

I studied marketing at SMU in the highly competitive business scholar program, and finished in 3.5yrs with a 3.6 GPA. As well, I've been an athlete my whole life, at first as a tennis player gaining top ranking in the state of Texas as a junior and eventually into triathlons in my university years which led to my title as 2x World Champion in Ironman distance.

Graduating in 2008 wasn't ideal given the economic hardship the country was facing at the time so finding a job was rare especially for someone needing a visa sponsorship, like myself. Luckily my stepfather had a job that I qualified for and I've been fortunate to be working part time with Brundage Management since the end of 2009. It is not the job that I ever intended, but it is what has kept me in the US.

However, in Dec 2014 my 5yr H-1B limit for that part time job ends. It is baffling that with my background and exemplary behavior both as a student, athlete, and civilian in the US, I face such obstacles toward residency, much less citizenship.

Moreover, I cannot simply go back to "my country" because I am as foreign to Mexico as any American. I only attended pre-school there and have since visited occasionally on holidays or other vacations. My mother is now a citizen of the US as a result of her marriage to my stepfather. They happened to marry a year after my 18th birthday and thus I could not get officially adopted by my stepfather.

Daniel, my 20 yr old brother, was born in San Antonio and, as such, is a US citizen as well. The fact that two of my immediate family members are US citizens, makes it nearly impossible for me to ever be granted another student visa (for pursuit of a masters degree to extend my stay), or a tourist one (at least for a few years) to visit, in the horrible case that I end up having to return to Mexico.

I want nothing more than to be able to travel freely without the worry of being allowed back to my true “home” in the States, and get a job that aligns with my skills and passions. It does not seem just that there are immigrants working here without any desire to assimilate to US culture, or some that are naturalized after living here fewer years than myself and illegally, to top it off.

I have had tremendous internship offers from companies that could evolve into full time jobs but it's hard for them to hire me, however well qualified I am for the position, because I can't accept an internship- the company would have go through an entire part time visa petition for what they could just get a "work authorized" American on payroll for the next day!

For a full time job It's a horrible catch 22: companies file visa sponsorship mainly for full time over qualified employees, typically with multiple years of experience, but I am not that type of foreigner. I can't help but be just like any Amarican girl/guy in their mid 20s, semi-entry level, because I AM!!...and without the job, I can't get experience.

My life is here, my family is here, and despite being an anomaly to Mexican immigrants, my American Dream should not remain an illusion.

Fin.

I think I owe it to friends, and other people that counted on me being in Kona for Ironman to explain why I’m leaving after 2 days since my arrival- and thank you to those that messaged me concerned :).

When I arrived on Sunday, for the first time I was completely apathetic to the whole thing. It's been an ongoing process all year, and I just really had to be slapped like yesterday, seeing people running and riding ALL freaking day, and I'm only thinking, "what for?!".

I’ve been in Kona countless times, I've raced and won here, I've come and not raced and had a blast, and all that can happen this time is a repeat of last year with the same people at the same places.

For the last few months, I’ve had other pressing things in mind at this chapter of my life and really just need to be home to make progress on that front. I almost didn't get on my flight at all, but at that point I did fear regretting it. It’s sad it took the expense and travel to get here and see my gut was right. I’m selling my TT bike and finally moving on for good. It sounds drastic but I came to a place that used to thrill me and light me up like a little kid, and realized it's not longer relevant to me.

With that said, this blog will close. There’s no kidding myself about my back pain, and also the career and “life” goals I have that I need to pursue outside of triathlon. It has been an incredible journey, an honor meeting and racing all these incredible people, many whom I now call friends, and I’ll obviously continue to be immersed in the sport with my brother, Daniel, just beginning his trajectory as a triathlete.

Summer Already! A little update...

It's hard to believe we're halfway through 2013 already! I'd like to re-do the last 5 weeks if possible. Since my announcement to take a mental and physical break from being a “full time” triathlete, a whirlwind of stuff has happened- some really fun and cool, some not so much.

I actually continued training quite consistently and was having a blast because suddenly I had lifted a backpack full of pressure from myself that I would have denied ever having. Letting go made me realize how much I forced upon myself and how much misery that added to my workouts. When I finally didn’t care, I was able to, for the first time, actually “coach” myself and let my body tell me what to do. Before, when I had tried that, I was never really listening because my mind would take over with “they’re out there working harder”, “you have to prove yourself”, “you have to get on the podium”, “you’re a winner” …blah blah blah. In the end, I found out no one cared but me. Heck, I pretty much left all my sponsors behind in the elite amateur world when I turned pro, anyways.

So come mid May I was excited to take a trip to Hawaii 70.3 with 3 girlfriends and spend a week after the race in town doing my favorite things like swimming at the pier and grabbing some acai at Basik. I was even excited about my potential performance because that race has always kicked my a** and this time I was feeling renewed, fit, and with absolutely nothing to lose and all fun to be had.

3 weeks out, I agreed to help my friend Chris, who works for Orbea, at the Tour of California; spreading the word on the “Respect Campaign” which addresses the 3ft rule between cyclist and motor vehicles. It was the perfect thing to do because Chris, Heather (another girl that does tri and rides for Orbea that helped out too), & I are all athletes so we’d be sure to squeeze in a few runs and swims along the way.

The experience was awesome! I’d never really hung out around pro cyclists, or followed the sport in general(shocker?), but I figured they’d be geeky-obsessed like a triathlete to the power of 10. On the contrary, they’re the most chill, normal people who just happen to ride bikes incredibly fast! We got to meet a few guys from the Orbea Optum Team and the United Health Care Team and they were all super nice.

We went all the way from Day 1 in Escondido to Day 5 in Avila Beach- and met some really cool people in the cycling/endurance world. Not to mention, Chris & Orbea really treated us as if they were working for us, not the other way around.

We stayed at some great places, ate some amazing food, and managed to throw back quite a few drinks some nights.

Once we got back, all I planned to do was pick up my brother from the airport and get in one solid week of training with him and then taper and leave for Honu.
WRONG.

I woke up on our last day on the Tour with a sore throat. But thinking it was just a late night and all the days on the road, the next day I had a genious idea to sign up for the Encinitas Triathlon. When I woke up feeling like crap, I still drove down and lined up at the start. The waves were massive. Okay maybe not massive, but big enough that I couldn't break through and did the shameless, not shameless, walk back up the beach to switch to the duathlon. Now I was soaking wet and waiting an hour for the du. By then the cold was taking over. I did the 30min 1mi beach run, 6mi bike, 2k run, feeling like my head was in a panini press.

Suprise surprise...I got a 10 day cold, got Daniel sick, got better for a few days, then came down with strep throat on Monday and am now on day 3 of antibiotics. SO MUCH FUN.
I missed Honu, and today jumped back on the bike and it was ugly. I’m bummed but not completely torn. On the plus side, I got to spend an extra week with my brother, and took him to Santa Barbara (the few days we both felt okay after the cold), and my back feels surprisingly good. Santa Barbara with my brother was yet another sprinkle of proof that everything happens for a reason. I've been dying to show him that part of Cali as it's one of my dream places to live. We stayed two days at this cute little hotel by the ocean on Cabrillo St., walked around State Street stopping in for some fantastic food at Pierre La Fond Wine Bistro, and got in a run on the SBCC track/stadium stairs followed by a swim at the awesome Los Banos 50m pool!

 

 

Not to mention, I’m now crawling out of my skin to get in shape. It’s one thing to take a break from training and racing like an elite athlete but it’s entirely different to be bed ridden sick and then not be able to climb a hill without gasping desperately for air. In this sick adventure, I gave up coffee- yay, go me! I am emptying the aisles of green tea though. I also realized I have no time or races left that fit my travel/work schedule until late October so I’ll try to race Austin 70.3 and in the meantime have a ball getting in shape.

This is day one of training to wear a bikini righteously :)