Rain or shine, there are some definite perks to training in Clermont, Florida. On runs as short as 20 minutes I would cross paths with at least five pro triathletes. It was kind of cool feeling like all-day training was a completely normal “job.” Even cooler when I ran into Olympian Sarah Haskins and she complimented my running shoes!
Mizuno Wave Sayonoras pair perfectly with the SMASH LavaBerry Kit!
Hands down (or maybe feet down?), my favorite running spot in Clermont is the Clay Trail. The nine mile loop features hills, flats, and an amazing soft surface that’s still compact enough for fast running. If I lived in Clermont, I think I’d run here every day.
And if there was one good thing about the cold temps and rain, it was watching Coach suffer on the pool deck while I swam in the perfect 82 degree water!
Eventually the rain stopped, the sun came out, and there was still plenty of time to explore the rural Florida roads and log lots of quality time in the saddle.
Yay, sunshine! My attempt at an on-the-bike selfie!
April, cruising in at the end of our last long ride
The fun times kept coming as I headed back to ATL with a quick stop in Macon to visit my super athlete, Lauren!
Hard to believe five days earlier Lauren’s driveway was covered in three inches of snow!! Joining Lauren for a blue-sky, 70 degree run was the PERFECT way to break up my six hour drive!! Not to mention she sent me home with some delicious gluten-free blueberry muffins!! Talk about the perfect road trip food!!
Big thanks to my Clermont housemates, Sara McLarty, Jillian Peterson, and Andrew Hibbit, and everyone else I met and trained with down in Florida! I had great time, got in some good training, and look forward too seeing everyone at some races this year!!
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So bummed to have missed you in Clermont, but I’m glad you had a great weekend of training! It’s always beneficial to get away and do something different to mix things up.
Mari! Sad to miss you too, but I think I saw one of your athletes riding on Saturday! Hope you all had a great time and the weather improved for you!!