Camp HTFU

In two days I will be on an airplane leaving all of this snow behind. Destination: South Carolina. Agenda: Camp HTFU. Purpose: HTFU. Harden the fuck up... for those of you not in the know ;-). It's not a phrase I came up with. I believe this originated from Coach Paulo Sousa, who passed it on to Coach T, who passed it on to me.

I think that's how it went. It's like that game of pass it on......

Lucky for me, Coach T and I are on the same page when it comes to this whole "camp" thing. I've been doing a camp up in Lake Placid for a few years now, in May. Taking a few days out of your normal life, eating, breathing and living triathlon for a few days does wonders.

It's the same thing as going on a retreat for yoga. To the spa for those who go to spas.

Same bar as they say, different drug. My drug of choice happens to be multisport. Yours might or might not be, but you get the idea.

Camps allow me to find the next level. They give me something to work towards. In the middle of winter it gives me something to look forward to. I will be in this camp with 7 other girls who are essentially out of my league, especially in the running arena.

And that's why this is so important.

This Wizard that Elizabeth speaks of.... he's waiting for me you see. I have feared him before, and when faced with the possibility of coming face to face with him, more often than not I have turned around.

I am slowly learning that the Wizard is not something to fear. It really wasn't him I was afraid of, it was me. The Wizard is something, someone to look forward to. Because when you see it, you've just taken the next step towards your own personal excellence.

We are riding some kind of massive mountain thing this weekend, I have hard that 50% of South Carolina is joining us. I hear I need a 12X 27 to climb this thing. Good thing I ride a 12X23. Gulp. In reality I am not afraid of the climb I am afraid of the descent.... but that is a different story.

Should it happen that the mountain exceeds my gearing, that I can't push anymore I will have two choices. I will have the choice to turn around and I have the choice to get there. Getting there might mean I get off my bike, take off my shoes and run the damn mountain with my bike on my shoulder. If that does happen know that I have seen the Wizard. Given the choice between riding and running my second choice will typically be running. So if I am running with my bike... something has gone very wrong.

As I look out the window and see the snowflakes descending upon the land that I need to fly out of in 2 days I am not filled with worry. I am not afraid that these ladies are significantly faster and at an entirely elevated level than I. I am not afraid to be dropped. I am not afraid to run my bike, roll down a hill, and I am absolutely not afraid of seeing the Wizard.

In fact... I am looking forward to seeing him, introducing myself and then shaking his hand. This season he and I will be seeing a lot of one another. And I just can't wait.