Last weekend I was in Phuket, and now am back in Toronto. There is nothing quite like going from +30 degrees Celcius to -3 and snow. But I must admit it does feel a lot more Christmas like when you are bundled up in a coat and scarf, and see Christmas decorations all over the houses.
Phuket was awesome. The race was very nicely organized. A unique swim that started in the ocean for 1400 meters, then a short jog on the beach, and then 600 more meters in a freshwater lagoon. The bike course had some challenging and technical hills early on, and then lots of flat stretches through quaint villages and a bit on a highway. And finally the run was pretty fun, taking us through the resorts, and over some grass and sand paths of the golf course. I did not feel too sparky, but enjoyed the atmosphere and the idea of doing a race for fun, with no expectations or pressure.
The highlights of my trip were definitely the pool villa we stayed in at the Banyan Tree Resort. I just need to say we had our own pool, right outside our living room door and I am sure you can imagine how awesome the rest of it was.
I did meet a few other athletes that I had not had a chance to race with before. And even more memorable was meeting a baby elephant. At first he just wound his trunk around my wrist- kind of like holding hands. But before I knew it he coiled his trunk around my neck- and gave me an elephant kiss. It was pretty much like sucking on a vaccum cleaner tube! I am not sure who was more caught off guard and surprised, me or Chris who stood by stunned.
Of course my least favourite part of the trip was the super long flight home. But I was lucky, since the first snow storm of this winter waited till my plane landed before starting.
I will now be creating my own little heat camp, in the basement, on my trainer. Nice and warm, and can step outside and enjoy the winter scenery any time I get a bit too toasty.
