The IMAZing Race

Well I am back from my tropical vacation and I am ready to train! Little Corn Island in Nicaragua was fantastic! There was quite a bit of rain, but it did not stop me from scuba diving, swimming, running and doing a little yoga! It did, however, keep me from spending as much time as I had hoped here:

Despite a fairly active vacation I did gain a few pounds, and I suspect the culprit may be:

Too much beer :(

I got in 4 runs, all over the island, which were a huge highlight of my days. There are few things I love more than a good run, followed by a great breakfast (cooked for me and served to me!) like a giant cinnamon coconut pancake or eggs Benedict!

These are some of the running paths I explored on Little Corn.

I also got in a few swim workouts. The side of the island we stayed on was the windy side, which was great for cooling island breezes, especially for sleeping, but not so great for swimming. But the other side (near our dive shop) was great for swimming. Sometimes I used buoys or boats as markers to do intervals.

The red line illustrates my "laps" between boats.

I also did 2 yoga classes.

Awesome yoga studio! Screened in, on stilts, tucked back in a jungle setting! Not so awesome: My yoga skills!

Both classes convinced me that I have a) basically NO flexibility and b) a lot less strength than I thought. I really only ever do yoga on vacation, and I intended to incorporate it into my Ironman training for flexibility, strength and injury prevention, but have not yet managed to do so. Also, I NEVER stretch, which is a pretty big sin and a recipe for disaster. Two difficult yoga sessions immediately convinced me that stretching and flexibility training are not optional and must begin immediately!

My days on little corn followed a general pattern.

I always got up around 7 am. We usually went to bed no later than 9 pm, but often stayed up reading till 10 (!). "Nightlife" was nowhere on our list of priorities! As I said at one point in the trip, as we strolled to our cabins shortly after dinner, "All of my favorite things happen before 9 pm."

On days when we were scuba diving at 9 am I had coffee before, then we had breakfast or lunch afterwards. But the days when we didn't dive till 11:30 am were the best, because I could go for a run, then have coffee and a delicious breakfast, then read in a hammock, then go diving.

Eating was a huge highlight of the trip. I am very glad we all seemed in agreement about this! I am sure everyone got sick of hearing me discuss my breakfast plans, which I did several times a day! I love breakfast! And I love it even more when I get TWO breakfasts! Like coffee and a giant cookie before a dive and then eggs and toast after a dive! Every night I excitedly discussed my planned menu choice for the next day's breakfast. No, seriously, every night. And more than once throughout the day. It would not be incorrect to say breakfast was one of the best parts of the vacation! One of the last things I said as we prepared to board the little boat to go back to Big Corn island to catch our flight (before anyone was open for breakfast!) was, "I am so sad I don't get another coconut cinnamon pancake."

After diving we would have lunch, then read in chairs or hammocks (weather-dependent). Some days I would go for a swim or an afternoon run. Sometimes we played games. Karin and I got massages.

That was it. Eat. Dive. Exercise. Eat. Read. Relax. Eat. Sleep. That is life on Little Corn.