Beasts in California

Upon arrival in Visalia, I met my office mate and colleague, Whitney, a recent college graduate from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She was (and is!) a beast athlete. Think Ironman Triathlete. We were new dietitians in a new and extremely different work environment. So naturally, we became fast friends. We laughed at ridiculous office life, beached and shopped on the weekends, and ate lots of Mexican food. When old man Alex arrived in September, we continued to live life together and have loads of fun.

 

Whitney got a little homesick and decided to head back to Idaho. And rightly so. There is not much for young single girls in the bustling metropolis of Visalia, California. But what about me?! I miss my friend like crazy! Especially when the office gets crazy or awkward. Which is every day. Sigh.

 

It is sad to see a good friend move away. But it is great to see that friend again! So the back story was told to preface my recent weekend adventure, a quick trip to California’s Central Coast.

 

About 6 months ago, I received an email from Whitney with good news. She was coming to California for a triathlon! She would be competing in the Wildflower Long Course Triathlon, which is basically a half-Ironman. It consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run. And it is in the coastal mountain range. This triathlon is known to be especially grueling, especially the bike and run portions.

 

Did I mention that Whitney is beast?

 

Anywho. When my friend is close, I am there! I made arrangements to stay with friends in the sleepy coastal town of Cayucos, California, enlisted a partner in crime (another Visalia friend, Jennie), packed Prudence with necessary goods like snacks and sunscreen, and headed West. We traveled the evening before Wildflower because of the early nature of sporting events. Overacheivers.

 

Side note. Usually, Alex and I would conquer a weekend trip together, but he had made plans to drive to San Diego for a friend’s college graduation. Poor chap. Not.

 

Jennie and I drove the nearly 2 ½ hours to Cayucos and dropped our bags at the beach house. What to do next? Two hints. It was 7:30 PM and our stomachs were growling. Dinnertime.

 

Now a bit about the location. If you are one of my Midwestern friends, and I ask this question, “What is the first thing you picture when I say California?” Most likely you will have pictured Hollywood, Venice Beach, or the Golden Gate Bridge. A few creative people may have pictured Yosemite. These are all actual places, and great places, at that. But they are not Central California. Central California is farmy. And the Central Coast is rugged and breathtakingly beautiful and you probably won’t wear your thong bikini.

 

Another side note. I always wondered why J Crew catalogs pictured models wearing sweaters at the beach. In Florida, that does not happen. Unless you are experiencing hypothermia. But now I know why. And the answer is Cayucos, California.

 

There are several beach towns along the Central California Coast. Big Sur, that vast expanse of rugged coast line, begins south of Monterrey and ends in San Simeon. Hearst Castle anyone? Central California coastal towns extend even further, all the way to the northern tip of SoCal, at Santa Barbara. Alex and I have had the privilege of spending the most time in Cayucos (smack dab in the middle of the Central Coast) because our Visalia “parents” and bestest friends, Don and Jonna, have a beach house there. The beaches are beautiful and enticing, but the air temperature remains a mere 60-70 degrees and the water temperature is not much better. Plus there’s this phenomenon called wind. Hence the need for a sweater. Or two. And maybe a blanket. Made of wool.

 

Cayucos boasts a population of about 3,000 people, and most are retired folk. There are a handful of antique stores and great seafood restaurants, and best of all, several miles of sandy beach. My favorite spot is the Brown Butter Cookie Company. I don’t think that needs any further explanation.

 

So with ravenous appetites, Jennie and I settled onto stools at an adorable local dining spot called Duckies Chowder House. Duckies Chowder House features delicious clam chowder, fish tacos, and calamari. They also feature some fried things, and my favorite native California food, garlic fries. (They are a favorite of the San Francisco Giants and I have yet to taste a better version than that of Gordon Beirsch at AT&T park!)

 

Another great feature of Duckies Chowder House is its close proximity to the Cayucos pier and beach area. It is literally right there. While Jennie and I were newly arriving, and did not venture onto the sand, it would not be uncommon to pop in for some fish and chips after a long day at the beach. I have brought several people to this local haunt, and Duckies never disappoints.

 

After a filling dinner, and brief walk along the beach front shops, Jennie and I retired to the beach house where we spent a rare few hours lounging. It doesn’t happen very often, so I savor even two hours of nothingness.

 

In the morning, we dolled up, re-packed Prudence, took a brief stroll to beach (only a block from the adorable beach house) and headed inland to the San Antonio Reservoir. Now, I have been to Cayucos many times, but this trip to the San Antonio Reservoir was a first. I planned for 45 minutes to drive and park and get situated before Whitney’s start time of 9:10 AM. Well, that was a misstep. The reservoir is relatively close, but also relatively mountainous and slow moving. We barely made it into the San Antonio Reservoir Park before they shut down the roads in and out for the athletes.

 

Note to self, read the event website when planning your next trip.

 

Last year, Alex completed a sprint triathlon in Tulare, California, our neighboring town. It was short and manageable and tame. Wildflower, and I am assuming the majority of major triathlon events, is a whole different animal. While waiting for Whitney to transition in between stages, Jennie and I people watched. And people watched. And people watched. Triathletes and triathlete friends and family and fans are hard core people. They train hard core and, apparently, they party hard core. Such interesting sights and sounds!

 

Although we did not have time to participate, water sports would be a fantastic activity at the San Antonio Reservoir. I would love to come back for that reason. The area is, as I previously described, mountainous and rugged. And the reservoir is vast and enticing.

 

The Wildflower triathletes swam their 1.2 miles in that cool, enticing water and began their 56 mile bicycle journey around the reservoir. The website describes the bike course as, simply, difficult. From my comfy spot on the grass, I would concur. After finishing her swim and run, I high-fived my dear friend Whitney as she began the running stage and watched her begin to climb first of many hills along the course. Her only comment was, “It’s so hot!” Did I mention that 30 miles inland improved the outside temperatures 30 degrees. These guys were competing in blistering 90 degree heat.

 

Beasts.

 

Other plans had Jennie and I exiting the event before we could watch the finish, but I left super motivated. I am not the thrill-seeker type, but I am a fan of competition and those amazing endorphins that follow hard physical work. Maybe you will hear about Alexander and Abigail competing at the Wildflower Triathlon next year.

 

Grace and peace.