Don't Let Your Teammates Pick Your Run Route

Today (now yesterday) was my first day of Posse camp in Tucson. Due to work obligations, I showed up fashionably late, so this was day 5 for everyone else. Paulo and MarkyV picked me and my 100 pounds of luggage up at the airport (yes, I must have brought my prom dress and makeup). I opened the front door to the house and was met by a scene of death and destruction....people were passed out all over the place. Ahhh...it must be camp!!!

We woke up and did a short 45 minute run and then a short ride up part of this infamous Mt. Lemmon climb that triathlon people are always talking about. After consuming more food and water, we made our way to the Catalina pool for fun times in the pool. Despite the angry, non lane-sharing pool creature wearing a snorkel and, oddly enough, an ironman cap, we managed to do a nice 5k swim and then headed home to lie on the floor for a couple of hours before our longer run...which is where all the problems began....

MarkyV had this great idea for us to do our long run in Saguaro Canyon something-bomber national park. After driving for what seemed like 2 hours we made it to the park. Paulo informed us that we actually had 3x10 zone 4 intervals mixed into our 1.5 hour run. More good times. After getting lost just by reading the park map, we embarked upon our desert run safari into the desolate wilderness. We made it about 11 minutes before our first encounter with wildlife - the rattlesnake. Will was running ahead (as usual) and came to a screeching stop, yelled there was a snake on the trail and immediately turned around and booked it for the road (a brilliant strategy, I might add). MarkyV was all over picking up a rock and stoning the poor rattlesnake, while Danny - who hails from NM, the land of snakes - suggested we wait till the rattlesnake moves on. Danny continued on the trail and the rest of us hightailed it back to the road, with someone mumbling something about us being "city folk."

Our encounters with wildlife did not end there. On our 11 minute run back to the road, we also managed to run across two javelinas (wild boar). Having grown up in Texass, I do know a bit about these creatures...enough to know they are not nice. I was told that it was ridiculous to worry about such things and that AZ javelinas are much nicer. I googled this animal later and came across the following site: http://www.javelinahunter.com/javelina_attacks.htm. Enough said. We managed to survive the rest of the run and made it back to the road for zone 4 intervals. 

Today I woke up and felt like death...just in time to do zone 4 intervals on Lemmon and get my butt kicked, followed by yet another swim and run.....all washed down by many luna bars and water. I'm really enjoying my time here and love training with these guys and girl (Danny, Will, John, Mark, Paulo, and Jacqui who is ON FIRE and ready for IM South Africa). Off to go eat or stretch or something of that nature...

Below are a few pics of the wildlife I have encountered at camp so far. I'll post more pics later after I find some energy.