Day 1 & 2 of Epic Women Camp
Well, I made it! My first ever Epic Women Camp and it is in Lanzarote, Canary Islands no less! 
I was nervous coming in as I knew I would be out of my league but I figured I had nothing to lose but to get stronger. Let me start off my saying I am in the company of some amazing and great women. Coach Tara and Jo have quite the resume and are two amazing and nice people. I am surrounded by pro triathletes, a 30+ Ironman finisher, an Ultraman Canada champion, multiple IM finishers, and crazy strong and fast athletes! No shortage of talent here! I have my work cut out for me. We also got some great swag from Zoot, and GU is providing our nutrition for the camp (bonus since I did not have to pack any nutrition which can add weight to luggage!).
I was nervous coming in as I knew I would be out of my league but I figured I had nothing to lose but to get stronger. Let me start off my saying I am in the company of some amazing and great women. Coach Tara and Jo have quite the resume and are two amazing and nice people. I am surrounded by pro triathletes, a 30+ Ironman finisher, an Ultraman Canada champion, multiple IM finishers, and crazy strong and fast athletes! No shortage of talent here! I have my work cut out for me. We also got some great swag from Zoot, and GU is providing our nutrition for the camp (bonus since I did not have to pack any nutrition which can add weight to luggage!).
So far I have survived Day 1 & 2! Woohoo! Day 1 we started with a 3km open water swim in the ocean, 105km bike ride including climbing Tobayesco which is apparently a famous climb here on the island, and a brutal 9km trail run. Day 2 we did a 3km pool swim, 84km bike ride with a TT in the middle and a camel ride (not sure if we broke any Epic camp rules with that one but it definitely was fun!), and a 9km run that was not as brutal! So far so good! I am planning to survive the week, get stronger on the bike, and hopefully get my running legs back since I have been off of running due to injury.
So far so good! I am planning to survive the week, get stronger on the bike, and hopefully get my running legs back since I have been off of running due to injury.
Dinner time now! More tomorrow!
Day 3 – North Island Tour
This is beginning to get hard! 
Guess it is called “Epic” camp for a reason!
Guess it is called “Epic” camp for a reason!
First off, I wanted to give props to our house host and hostess – Debs and Daz at Trisport Lanzarote! They have been just incredible! Debs has been creating some fabulous meals (including dessert!) feeding us hungry campers and Daz has been helping with our training sessions, bikes, etc. Oh, and I cannot forget to mention the sag wagon lunches they have been providing so far! Meeting us for our KOMs or TTs and then a lunch stop with a real lunch and refueling our nutrition is priceless! I have been quite enjoying the sandwiches, chips, and coke for lunch!
I was beginning to feel it a bit more today. We started with a 3km ocean water swim where I felt like I was struggling to move forward. We followed that by 100+ bike ride of the north island which is part of the Ironman loop. The bike ride was a bit of a challenge for me today, not only because of the wind and climbing, but more because of the descending. I have a big fear of descending and I faced those fears head on today. Full on steep descents with switchbacks and add some wind to the mix – this was not easy for me. But I survived! Maybe with a little less rubber on my brake pads while white knuckling the handlebars, but I got down! (Huge thanks to Daz for making sure I got down in one piece!) Apparently we will be doing the same descent again so hopefully next time I will feel a bit more comfortable. Hopefully! I ended off the day with a 9km run and I have to say even though it was hard with the hills and a good headwind for a portion of it, I felt like my running legs are slowly coming back. I just have to ignore my run pace! Haha!
(Huge thanks to Daz for making sure I got down in one piece!) Apparently we will be doing the same descent again so hopefully next time I will feel a bit more comfortable. Hopefully! I ended off the day with a 9km run and I have to say even though it was hard with the hills and a good headwind for a portion of it, I felt like my running legs are slowly coming back. I just have to ignore my run pace! Haha!
Tomorrow we will be doing an aquathon! Sounds like fun and painful at the same time! Lol! I’ll report back tomorrow!
Now to enjoy my brownie and ice cream dessert! Yum!!!! I think this one is well deserved!
Day 4 – The Wind!
I am beginning to develop a love-hate relationship with this island. Today I got a good taste of what the wind is really like here, and it is pretty brutal. Apparently, the winds can get even worse! Yikes!
The day started with an aquathon! That was a lot of fun! We did a 1200m swim, 2 loops of the swim loop we have been doing but with a beach run in between the loops. I started laughing at one point early in the swim when we were full contact swimming out there, only to have Coach T lead us off course. Haha! I noticed we were off course when I saw arms swimming to my far right, and then I saw the first buoy way off to my right and I started making a bee-line to it. The rest of the swim felt pretty good. After the swim, I headed to transition and I made up a bit of time there and started the run. I gave it my all on the run and even came close to puking at about 2km in. I have not given a run effort like that in a while and I wasn’t sure if I could maintain that for the whole 5km. I did fade at the end but tried to give a good finishing kick.
Then the bike. Today I got to wear the Player of the Day jersey!!! I was quite honoured to be rewarded the jersey last night for facing my fear of descending yesterday. So I felt like I had to ride as though I earned it. But the winds were pretty brutal out there today making this task harder. The wind also made descending that much more trickier but at least they were not as steep as yesterday. I was happy to have fellow campers, Alicia and Robyn join me today as it made the ride more bearable. Always nice having company out there and we conquered the wind although at times there were some close calls. The wind gusts were pushing us all over the road and then I was almost made roadkill by a tourist bus. Fun times! But we survived and hopefully it made us stronger. We rode the Ocean Lava Half IM course and boy was it tough. I’ve done some tough IMs and half IMs and this is right up there with one of the toughest. That bike course was brutal with some wicked climbs.
I was quite honoured to be rewarded the jersey last night for facing my fear of descending yesterday. So I felt like I had to ride as though I earned it. But the winds were pretty brutal out there today making this task harder. The wind also made descending that much more trickier but at least they were not as steep as yesterday. I was happy to have fellow campers, Alicia and Robyn join me today as it made the ride more bearable. Always nice having company out there and we conquered the wind although at times there were some close calls. The wind gusts were pushing us all over the road and then I was almost made roadkill by a tourist bus. Fun times! But we survived and hopefully it made us stronger. We rode the Ocean Lava Half IM course and boy was it tough. I’ve done some tough IMs and half IMs and this is right up there with one of the toughest. That bike course was brutal with some wicked climbs.
We ended the day with a nice dinner at a local restaurant where I enjoyed some local grilled seafood and wine. The wind is supposed to get even stronger the next couple of days so our schedule may be switched around a bit. We will have to wait and see what happens. We are half way through the camp now and I am making some new friends! Love it! Bring on the next four days – even the wind! Let’s Smash It!
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| wearing the "Player of the Day" jersey |
Day 5 – Rest Day!
Today was an actual no mandatory workouts day but that did not stop many of us trying to gain some extra points and adding in a workout. There is a points race going on in the camp which makes things a little more fun! I won’t be winning the points race but tried to gain some extra points nonetheless. So I opted for a 6km swim with a 12x (100 IM set, 150swim) set. I joined Robyn for the IM set which made it a whole lot easier to get through! Then I attempted the 20×100 set on 1:45 which dropped to 2:00 and then I had to abort. The wind was making the pool a little extra wavy and after the IM set I may have been a little more tired. I got to ten and then opted to just swim the rest of the 6000m. Mission accomplished!
The afternoon we had some fun time with a visit to a winery and some wine tasting. The initial plan was to ride our bikes to the winery but the winds are even stronger today so it was changed to a drive. Afterwards we headed to the town of Puerto de Carmen for a little shopping where I got my oh-so-tasty European Nutella to bring home and some souvenirs for gifts. A low-key day. Not sure of the plan for tomorrow….will have to wait and see.
Day 6 – Becoming one with the wind.
We were back to the grind today after our rest day. Today was more of a love the island type of day.
We started the day with a 3km ocean water swim. As I was donning my wetsuit, my wetsuit decided it had enough training and fell apart. I had salvaged the wetsuit a couple of years ago and sewed it together before one of my IMs and was able to use it for another year and a half. I think it is done for realz now! No chance of salvaging it this time as the hole is incredibly huge. I was able to still swim with it this morning but I do not think I will be able to use it for the rest of the camp. Only if it hung in there for another two days.
We came back to the villa for another delicious breakfast before heading out for our bike ride. The route was changed and shortened to account for the 35+ kph winds with gusts in the 40-50kph range. The first part of the ride was straight into the wind. I kind of swore at the wind, and decided to embrace it and just deal with it as I really had no choice. So the ride really was not that bad, helps that there were no crazy ascents or descents and it was more of a human-type ride. Since it was a shorter ride I was so tempted to add in an extra 20km for an extra point but decided against it at the last minute and keep to my plan of sticking to the schedule. After the ride I then went out for a run with Alicia and it was my best run to date. I think I am getting my running legs back which is exciting and it was great to have Alicia push me along. I think I may have gained a couple of new training partners when I get back home!
After the run, the pool at the villa looked so inviting so I decided to go for an extra point and do a swim set: 20x100m on 2:00. I tried 1:45 but the pool is a little on the slow side so I reverted to the 2:00 min pace. Initially I was going to do another 3km swim but aborted that idea as I was getting tired and feeling lazy. Oh…and I have to make a correction from my post for yesterday – I swam the IM set yesterday with Robyn! Oops! A bit of brain lapse there! I ended the day with a yoga session led by Thomas, a friend of Coach T, and it was a really good session. It was so nice to spend a few minutes to just relax and stretch things out a bit. Also was nice to do yoga outdoors under the sun.
Day 6 done! Two more to go!
Day 7 – Almost there!
I cannot believe we are done day 7! One more epic day left!
Today was a little special for me as it was my birthday, and baby Maya’s birthday, and I really did have a great day with my new friends! We started with a 3km ocean swim as the sun was rising. As we were getting our wetsuits on, the group sang happy birthday to me! The water was not as inviting though as there were some swells and it was pretty chilly! Ok, more like cold! Robyn was kind enough to lend me her wetsuit so I can survive the ocean swim this morning. After the swim, the plan was to run 9km along the ocean…a more flatter and kinder route. To my surprise, my bday present was a 5km run instead of 9km! Wohoo! Not gonna lie, I was pretty happy about this. And the run felt great! We got back to the villa for another great breakfast, another bday song, and then to get ready for our bike ride. The plan was for a 111km ride to Orzola with a KOM to Mirador Del Rio. We had another windy day with a good headwind for a good portion of it and lots of climbing but I decided to become friends with the wind instead of cursing at it. The KOM was a lot of fun until the winds really had a field day. I was barely able to stay on the right side of the road. I was being pushed into the oncoming lane with the gusts and got nervous each time I saw an oncoming car hoping I would not get pushed over. The fun part was when I was being passed during the KOM (I was the first to start), everyone either sang a short version of happy birthday or yelled it out! Even more impressive as we were climbing during this! Thanks Epic Women! You guys ROCK and made me feel special today! I am also becoming accustomed to lunch during these long rides thanks to Debs and Daz. I am enjoying the nutella and banana sandwich, chips, and coke! Delish! What am I going to do when I get home?!
The water was not as inviting though as there were some swells and it was pretty chilly! Ok, more like cold! Robyn was kind enough to lend me her wetsuit so I can survive the ocean swim this morning. After the swim, the plan was to run 9km along the ocean…a more flatter and kinder route. To my surprise, my bday present was a 5km run instead of 9km! Wohoo! Not gonna lie, I was pretty happy about this. And the run felt great! We got back to the villa for another great breakfast, another bday song, and then to get ready for our bike ride. The plan was for a 111km ride to Orzola with a KOM to Mirador Del Rio. We had another windy day with a good headwind for a good portion of it and lots of climbing but I decided to become friends with the wind instead of cursing at it. The KOM was a lot of fun until the winds really had a field day. I was barely able to stay on the right side of the road. I was being pushed into the oncoming lane with the gusts and got nervous each time I saw an oncoming car hoping I would not get pushed over. The fun part was when I was being passed during the KOM (I was the first to start), everyone either sang a short version of happy birthday or yelled it out! Even more impressive as we were climbing during this! Thanks Epic Women! You guys ROCK and made me feel special today! I am also becoming accustomed to lunch during these long rides thanks to Debs and Daz. I am enjoying the nutella and banana sandwich, chips, and coke! Delish! What am I going to do when I get home?!
Once we got back, I did a yoga session (thanks to Thomas), and had a massage (thanks to Lorenzo). So nice! We had a bbq dinner and even a birthday cake for baby Maya and me! I really did have a great day! Thanks all!
Tomorrow – 180km bike ride! Let’s SMASH it!
Day 8 – Mission Accomplished!
Done! And I survived! Woohoo!
This morning we had a fun swim and did relays. I was on Coach Jo’s team and we won both the IM relay and free relay. We each had to do 50m of each IM stroke and then 100m for the free relay. I did the swim sans wetsuit since mine died and everyone else did it in a wetsuit because of the cold. But it really was not that bad.
Then for the longest ride of the camp – the Ironman course. We had tastes of bits and pieces of the course throughout the week, but now for the whole thing. The wind was not as bad as earlier in the week so the ride was a bit more manageable. Still tough with the climbs and winds but with some good company and sag support we got through it. 165km total at the end. DONE!
I’m a little too tired right now to write down more. We are going out for dinner soon! I am staying on the island for a couple of extra days to try out some surfing! Hope I still have some legs left!
Epilogue
A few days have passed since Epic Camp is over. I am still on this island of Lanzarote with a continued love-hate relationship! Haha!
A look back: I am so happy I did all the camp required workouts. I wasn’t too sure if I would have been able to do the runs since I have been injured for over a year with very little running, but I managed! And by the end of the week my running legs felt like they were coming back! Woohoo!!!
Woohoo!!!
I was surrounded by an amazing group of women and athletes! I knew I would be one of the slower ones for the run and bike but I thought I would have been midpack with my swim! Nope! Very humbling week! I was pretty much the slowest in everything! Lol! But I continued and it did not stop me. I just tried to make the gap less…but don’t think I achieved that! I was really in survival mode for the bike rides. I got through them despite the wind and the hills!
A huge thanks to our coaches, Tara and Jo. As well to our sponsors, Trisport Lanzarote, Coffee of Hawaii, GU, and Zoot. The camp would not have functioned without all these key participants. Debs and Daz – your house was awesome! I was planning (hoping) to lose some weight during this camp but I do not think I achieved this with all the eating of your delicious food I was doing!
A bonus to this camp was the new friends I made. Found out a couple of fellow campers live close to me so we are planning on doing some rides or runs together. Yay! New training partners. And Lisa: you bet! IMSA 2015!!! Deal!!! Looking forward to seeing all of your success this racing season and beyond!
Looking forward to seeing all of your success this racing season and beyond!
I will be leaving this island tomorrow. Lanzarote made sure I had a good send off with colder temps and high winds again! I spent the last two days surfing. Yesterday was brutal! With the high tide we were in the rocks and the waves were all over the place (it was also a full moon). Robyn joined me on this surfing adventure yesterday and we were thrown all over the place. It may have been the fatigue of the camp or the water was really rough, but the water won yesterday and I could not stand up on the board. Today was another story! Yay! I stood up on the board numerous times! That was more like it! It was low tide so we had a sandy beach and either I got used to the waves, had more strength, or the waves were tamer, but I had a great time today. I was still thrown all over the place and am coming home with new bumps and bruises but I stood up! Lol!
I also did a little exploring today. Since I do not have a car I am restricted to my bike or feet. I was very reluctant to jump on the bike but I thought I would get to where I wanted to go quicker and I would just EASY pedal. Easy I did go and I felt pretty good. Also took a walk around the volcanoes today and my legs were feeling good then to! Maybe I should have pushed harder during the camp! Haha! However, I think the effort of the camp finally got to me because now I am sick! Boo! 
I will be flying home with a runny nose, sore chest, and nasty cough – good times!
Haha! However, I think the effort of the camp finally got to me because now I am sick! Boo! I will be flying home with a runny nose, sore chest, and nasty cough – good times!
Well, that is a wrap up from me! 2014 Epic Women Camp Lanzarote was a success!
Adios! y Gracias!
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