Torturfest 2009 - Day I - Arrival

I've thought about how to start this post series even while in Lake Placid when my brain was fairly delirious from the hardest training I've ever done within a few days.

There is much to write about - so I'm going with the multi-post approach, taking it by the day.

I left Virginia on Thursday night with Ironwoman Canada and Sherpa Extraordinaire K. It was a fun road trip, though I actually had to drive for a good chunk (my traveling companions risked my tendency to fall asleep in the car after even a ten minute ride). We shared many hilarious stories and discovered Ironwoman Canada's penchant for army songs - including those that involved stabbing someone with a knife. We survived the impromptu karaoke, as well as pea soup fog and even boardroom negotiations for a reasonable rate at an Hotel 8.

Friday morning, we pulled up to our base camp, a beautiful home called the Hawthorne, practically on Mirror Lake. TRIgirls KB and SS were already there - we unpacked our bags and headed into town for lunch. Our caravan had survived the previous 20 hours on pretzels, gum and cheerios - we were desperate for some real food.

By the time we walked back to the Hawthorne, everyone else had arrived. We were a little off schedule, but had just enough time to fit in a short bike including a few miles around the lake and one out and back of the run course. It was an easy, fun ride enabling us to make sure our bikes were in order for the next day's workout. We couldn't fit in the short open water swim in Mirror Lake (and as things turned out - this probably would have been the best day to brave the cold waters).



We headed out for a group dinner at the quaint Brown Dog Cafe and Wine Bar. All the dog themed prints left me missing Buttercup and Fezzy, but the food was delicious - and the wine selection was impressive. We celebrated Barricuda BL's birthday with a gluten free and yummy carrot cake. I impressively sucked the creamy icing off every ounce of cake on my plate justifying the calories as carb loading.

After dinner, Ironwoman Canada, Sherpa Extra K and I headed to our room with three squeaky twin beds. They both fell asleep fairly quickly - though it took me a little longer to settle down. The next day's workout had me a bit freaked out. We'd be riding two loops of the IMUSA bike course, minus the Haselton out and backs.

For the first time in almost a year, I was worried about what was in store for Patriot Sangria and me.