I woke up @ 6am to swim 2.5km in the ocean and attempt a 160ish km ride. Some people might wonder why someone would call this a vacation, when you test your body’s limits.
I fueled myself with some java and toast and headed off to the ocean with the other women from camp. We received the sighting mark instructions from Tara and off we went. My initial reaction was one of anxiety as I got used to swimming in the ocean. I’m a pretty confident so I felt odd. But, I quickly relaxed as I got going-realizing that swimming in Hawaii is close to perfection. I followed David and Lisa for most of the swim and was happy to share the experience with them.
I then set off with the group for the bike ride. With my bike in transit from LAX, I borrowed a Titanium Campagnolo a.k.a Judy. She had a standard big ring with an 11-25 cassette at the back. It was going to be a tough grind…but I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines and lose an opportunity to get to know the Epic Women of 2013. Initially, I took off like a rocket, surprised at how effortless the 11-25 seemed…but 55km in, I started to fade. The stress from the previous week and lack of sleep caught up to me…my body was in revolt. I was not a happy camper…pulling out on my first day. I worked on soothing my mind with the reality that I am in Hawaii…the upside.
Amongst all this, it turns out my bike made it back. So, I was taken to the airport to pick up my baby. There she was…seemingly in one piece. When we returned to home base…I checked out the bike and put it together and she was looking good with no damage.
The day was completed with an amazing dinner put together by Sarah. It felt like all the ladies were happy to get the camp started and we all headed off to bed. Lights out at 9:30 pm!!! Firs day of Epic camp ever…fait accompli!!