I just flew in from South Africa and boy are my arms tired. Ok, not very funny, but I did just fly in from South Africa and I really am tired, hence the lame jokes. Phase 2 of Operation Beijing Olympic Trials has come to a close, with Phase 1 being the two Continental Cup races in Central America in March and April. Those races were my springboard back into ITU racing; with the points accumulated there, I was able to gain entry into the Lisbon and Richards Bay World Cup races. A top 6 US rank is needed to race in the Beijing World Cup in September, the first Olympic Trials qualifying race.

The plan was hatched in February with Lew Kidder and was more than a little crazy. An Ironman followed three weeks later by back-to-back World Cup races on two different Continents making for five races this year in five countries. Never daunted by a demanding schedule and the voices of the naysayer’s, I jumped in. The recovery from Arizona was initially slow; I was rendered immobile for the better part of four days, after which I felt better quickly. A few sharpening sessions, lots of sleep, and a heavy dose of mental preparation were on the docket.

Two weeks after arriving home from Tempe, I was on another plane headed for Lisbon via Munich. My mother, an ever faithful traveler/sherpa, accompanied me on this 16 day endeavor. Since 2003, we have traveled extensively to races together. People from Ishigaki, Japan to Florianopolis, Brazil know my mom, as she manages to strike up conversations with just about anyone. I always tell her that she must be 7 people because every time I go to a race someone I never met knows my mom.

We arrived in Lisbon without my bike. It is a never ending conundrum with the airlines. They not only insist but guarantee that passengers travel with their luggage (and then charge extra for the bike). Somehow, though, my bike and I often end up separated. This time the bike ended up in Frankfurt when I went to Munich. Luckily, the bike arrived early the next morning, limping along from the loss of a wheel on the case.

The Lisbon race was interesting in all facets. The organization of the race was spotty due to some issues the local organizing committee experienced last minute. We often waited 1-2 hours to be picked up from venues. The course was less than safe with narrow roads, cobblestones on the bike and run, tight turns through an indoor pavilion and an underwater pipe that we had to swim over. For all of its faults, though, the venue was beautiful. The architecture of the area was very modern and distinct.

Race day was interesting. From the gun, I felt flat and uncomfortable. Seventy wetsuit clad women diving into the water and swimming for a buoy can be quite messy. I was claustrophobic and slightly panicky rendering my arms almost useless. I was caught near the back of the first pack. After 500 meters I felt better and moved up so that I came out the water near the front. The bike was an absolute disaster. I rode like a scarred novice in the back of the pack, getting yo-yoed off the end after every corner. Ugh. The first and second packs merged, so we were riding in a group of 40, with me bringing up the rear. I was savvy enough to move to the front on the last lap, narrowly missing a crash. The downside of a good transition and coming out in the front is that you get passed by a lot of people. The entire run women ran by as if I were in quicksand. I crossed the line in 26th feeling defeated, humbled, and ready for more action. During the run, I consoled myself with thoughts of a stronger performance the following weekend.

I decided after the race that if Randy Jackson from American Idol were to assess my performance he would utter, “ It was not your best performance, dawg. We have seen better from you and it this point in the game we expect more.” Well, me too!

Monday and Tuesday after the race were dedicated to a few recovery and sanity workouts and sightseeing. Can't travel that far without seeing anything! We took a train to the quaint town of Sintra for lunch. I explored a huge park near the hotel on my bike and was able to catch breathtaking views of the city.

Tuesday evening we left for Richards Bay via Frankfurt and Johannesburg. You think that the travel is bad so far? Wait until the trip home! We arrived in Richards Bay Wednesday afternoon. I was greeted at the airport by hot and humid weather, my absolute favorite. I was feeling encouraged. When I checked out the course the next day, I knew a more promising race was waiting. A nonwetsuit swim, a hill on the bike, hot weather. Perfect!

While the race wasn't perfect, it was much better. I took out the swim hard and came out second. I helped lead the charge on the bike so that our pack of 16 was able to put over 2 minutes on the pack behind. Crossing the line in 10th, my run was far better than in Lisbon, but there is still work to be done.

The highlight of the trip came after the races. We went to Pilanesburg for two days on safari. It was incredible. The scenery was breathtaking and the animals were amazing. We were chased by an elephant, had two lionesses walk just meters in front of our car, and we caught a sunrise I will never forget. Photos will be posted soon.

I learned a few things on safari: 1) Nobody has good hair. Riding along at 30 kph in an open jeep wreaks havoc on the hair. Mine was about 2 feet tall until I covered it with a hat. 2) It is really cold at night and in the morning even though it is incredibly hot during the day. Riding along at 30 kph in an open jeep requires a lot of layers. 3) The San Diego Wild Animal Park is truly a small scale replica of the bush – think of it as a bush shrinky-dink.

The trip home was long and boring. We flew from Joberg to Frankfurt and had to endure a 9 hour layover there. My in transit workout plans were thwarted yet again, as the hotel insisted that only guests can use the gym. From Frankfurt it was off to Dulles and then, finally, Denver. After two days of travel and no workouts you can only imagine my next plans -- train, train, train.

Thanks, mom, for an unforgettable trip. Only you could watch Music and Lyrics four times on four flights with me.

Train hard, have fun.

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