Wet and Wild - Flower

Well my fears have come true. Whatever idiot started the "Rainy Wildflower" thread on SlowTwitch last week I place full blame on him for this. 60-70% Chance of rain this weekend at Wildflower. Right when I first read the thread, I checked various weather websites and all were predicting sunny skies & mid to upper 70's. Then this guy had to go and jinx it.

I am NOT happy about this! Really, the rain on the roads and the run, which will be a mud bath if they don't re-route it, is not what bothers me. It is the camping in the rain. Now I like camping, probably more than the next guy, but NOT in the rain. It SUCKS!!

Ohh well, here's hoping for just a light rain/drizzle. It will be interesting to see what this does to race splits. More importantly though, here's hoping for a safe race for all. Keep it upright.

Farmers Markets & Tapering

Sunday I went to a local farmer's market. Good thing I rode that morning cuz I didn't leave until I had a few fruit samples, a Thai cicken stick, a Hawaiian chicken bowl, a chicken Gordita, and washed it all down with a Strawberry and Banana Crepe. UMM... Farmer's Markets are good.

Sunday was also the first real day of my "taper" for Wildflower. Not really a taper, just rode for about 2:15 on sunday, and ran the usual club tempo run tonight just slowed it down some. Tomorrow will be a trainer session and a slightly shortened swim. Then the "taper" really kicks in. I don't like tapering. If screws with my head and my body. Strange, never thought I would be complaining about rest. Tapers are not good.

But tomorrow night I also have a massage scheduled. It is going to be painful, again. But I know I will be feeling much better afterward. Massages are good.

Some People

I wonder what the hell is going on in today's world? Last night, on my way to meet some relatives at a local restaurant for dinner, I noticed an elderly women sitting on a grass strip on a corner. It was kind of an awkward place to take just take a seat, so it caught my eye. I asked myself whether the woman had fallen, or was just sitting? As I approached I watched as several cars stopped right in front of her and didn't so much as roll down a window and ask if she was OK, or give her much more than a single glance. As I continued to watch, while waiting to turn, I could see she was moving around a bit and seemed to be in some discomfort. Finally, as I made the turn, I looked and could see that her right leg had... well, had a bend where it shouldn't have a bend. I knew right away she had broken her leg. So I found the nearest parking place, about 200yds away and ran back to her. By the time I got there another guy had stopped his truck and was getting out to check on her. ABOUT F-ING TIME!!! Sure enough, she had badly broken her right tib/fib just above her ankle, bone was almost protruding through the skin when she tried to move her leg. I told her not to move and we called EMS and a couple minutes later we left her in the hands of the FD.
When sitting there with this woman, Rosalie, who had a cute British accent, and could not have been more calm and thankful for our stopping, I was amazed to find out she had been sitting there for like 20mins before we came. In fact some woman even saw her fall, stopped her car, got out and talked to her, then just left. Granted, as an athlete, former football player, and lifeguard, I have seen my fair share of injuries in the past, but I am telling you, there is NO WAY anyone could have seen this woman's leg and not IMMEDIATELY known it was broken. A 5yr old kid would have known something was seriously wrong!
So my rant is this: What in the hell is with some people? How in the F could you possibly watch this sweet old lady in the pink coat fall, then see she has a badly broken ankle, and then just leave her? I know in this day and age it is asking far too much to expect all, or even a small minority of the public to be stalwart good Samaritans, but I don't think stopping and calling 911, rises to the level of "good Samaritan". Even keep driving and call 911 for Christ's sake!! I would love to meet the woman who left sweet Rosalie to fend for herself... on second thought I better not, I could wind up in trouble. But seriously, that woman aside, how does an elderly woman in obvious peril sit, unaided for 20mins as literally 100+ people pass by within feet of her? To say the very least it was a disturbing reminder of the pathetic level to which the American public has descended.

Here's wishing Rosalie a speedy recovery.

New Kicks

Recently I have been stuck in a shoe dilemma. I knew I needed some new race kicks but was hesitant as to which ones to purchase. After Oceanside however, my feet looked like this

That was the final straw and new shoes had to be purchased before Wildflower. After some internal debating and some goading from Bree, I had narrowed it down to Newton's and K-Swiss. For a while I had been intrigued by the Newton's but given that one of the biggest problems I have is the soggy feet issue, and that I was just recovering from the nagging calf injuries, I figured the K-Swiss, with their drainage holes and traditional sole, would be the better option.

Well Bree is no liar. I love these things and nobody is paying me, or giving me free pairs, to say it. They are awesome. Anyone in the market for new racing shoes, I highly recommend the K-Ona's

Bad Stomach... Bad Friend

Per my last post you can see my weekend plan included a Saturday trip out to the Desert for my buddy Scott's bachelor party. I was excited to go as the day would include a trip to the JW Desert Springs Marriott, which for a single guy, is, well... Heaven on Earth.

So Friday night Trish was nice enough to invite me over for some home cookin with her and Sean. Taco salad with brown rice. It was delicious.

Saturday morning = NO BUENO
I don't know what it was. It certainly wasn't anything with the food Trish made (it was GREAT and she and Sean felt fine), but my stomach was not happy. I think it may have been ALL the rice I ate. I normally don't eat much rice, and I ate tons on Friday. When I woke up all I could stomach was a banana and a couple gulps of H20. But I had to meet up for the morning run, so I went, hoping the running would settle the stomach. Long story short... 18mi later, without so much as a sip of water, I was finishing the run with the water I drank that morning still making sloshing sounds in my stomach. I made Sean and Bill stop about 6 times for bathroom breaks all to no avail in the stomach distress department. When I got home it was all I could do to eat a small cup of yogurt with some bran flake cereal.

I was supposed to leave about 10am, but with the stomach doing backflips and making noises like a mass of seething Revolutionaries, it was not looking good. Some 7-up-esque drink and a little down time was my only hope. By the time noon rolled around, my stomach had settled some, but every time I stood up it would take it as a signal to start its gymnastics routine again. So, I had to bail on the bachelor party. D, I think you sent me Karma overnight from Canada. I do not thank you for it.

Finally, about 2p.m. my stomach had calmed enough that I could head to the pool. After a brief and easy swim trying not to disturb my guts, I was off to the beach. A good visit with friends at my old apartment, was a great way to relax the rest of the day away.

Still not feeling all that hot, I ate a very small dinner of yogurt and some cereal.

Sunday was a big ride day. I awoke feeling MUCH better, had some oatmeal and banana, and was off. Sean, Bill and I met up after agreeing to Bill's insane idea of 5 loops of PV. Karma however seemed to have decided to join the group as well. 1st lap - Sean flats; 2nd lap - My aero bar forearm cup snaps off. So we stop at Bill's house and I wrap terry cloth towels around my base bar and duct tape them on to serve as pads. It was NOT too comfortable, but it sufficed. 3 more laps, 90 degrees in spots, 110mi and about 8,200ft of climbing later, and I was delivered to heart of Bonk town. Apparently Saturday's stomach issues and resulting lack of food intake had caught up to me. I just made it home. Shaking uncontrollably, black/green dots dancing across my eyeballs, and vertigo setting in, I wolfed down a banana, some Fluid recovery drink and some milk. Ice Bath and off to Burrito Recovery Heaven, a.k.a Riviera Mexican Grill. EXCELLENT!!

So, aside from getting in the miles, the weekend turned out to be less than stellar. I am a bad friend for missing the bachelor party & my bike is broken (I am sure due to karma for missing the Bachelor party). Spent some good time with a few friends I haven't hung with in a while though, and had a great Sunday recovery meal... So I guess the good outweighed the bad. But still feel like crap for missing the bachelor party.

Karma's a Bitch!

Words that describe this Weekend...

early, cold, long, long, hot, sweaty, long, great, food, fun, little, sleep, & long. In that order. In a less abbreviated form, my weekend schedule consists of the following:

Saturday:
1. Early - 18mi on 2 legs;
2. 2.5hrs on 4 wheels;
3. 9 hours enjoying the heat of Palm Desert;
4. 2hrs on 4 wheels;
5. Bed.

Sunday:
1. Early - 100mi on 2 wheels
2. Mexican food and "recovery beverages" with good friends;
3. Sleep - Long

Should be another good one. Maybe I will see Charissa out riding the roads.

Monday is going to be a big day as well. 17 runners from my club are running Boston, along with Maggs. Best of luck to you Maggs!! I suggest you keep your whale songs to yourself out there though. I don't think the East Coasters will know what you're singing and they may just institutionalize you.

Weekend Update

Well despite all my hoping and praying, the Wildflower long course did not miraculously flatten or get any easier on the bike or run. It has remained just as spectacular aesthetically speaking however.

Sean, Bill, Ryan and I arrived in Paso Robles about 11pm on Friday and pretty much went straight to sleep. Or at least Sean did, as he had just woken up from his hour nap on the ride up. The rest of us were soothed to sleep by the gentle sounds of his snoring. Morning came and it was not so welcoming to us Southern California kids. 38 degrees was not exactly what we were expecting. Surprisingly however, once we were out on the road, it wasn't anything some arm and leg warmers couldn't handle. All in all, it was a solid outing and provided us with a solid training brick and some valuable course recon. Amazing how much you can forget in a year.

Easter Sunday came and I knew I needed to get on the bike for 2 reasons: 1) to get a good recovery spin in the legs; and 2) to build up a little hunger for the Easter brunch to follow.

Charissa has inspired me to start taking more pictures when I am out roaming around this awesome Earth of ours on my bike. So I bought a saddle bag that almost exceeds most airlines' carry-on size limit, and have vowed to bring along the camera more often. She has also inspired me to bike commute, but that is another post. So here are some eggs from my Easter ride around Palos Verdes. Not a bad morning.

Below is the view from San Pedro to Pt. Vicente:

This is a little bay in PV. Nice but it never gets any surf.

After a quick shower, Brunchtime! Fresh fruit, and a bagel with egg whites, cheddar cheese and smoked salmon. MUY BUENO!!! For a while now (actually since the moment my last bite was consumed) I have been craving some more of Bree's ridiculous Banana Bread (WHEN she comes out with her cook book I could be in REAL trouble). This time, instead of raisins, I opted for strawberries as my add-in. If I do say so myself, it was incredible and made for a great breakfast this morning.

Apparently the long day of work and travel on Friday, combined with a solid training brick and more travel on Saturday, and (for some inexplicable reason) a 6am Sunday, had taken its toll. The slice of banana-strawberry bread I had about at about 4:30 turned out to be dinner (a good one at that). See, at about 5 I laid down to watch a little TV. Next thing I knew, it was 9pm. No reason to get up, so I was down for the count again, all the way through til 5am. A SOLID 12 HOURS!!! I was proud.

Hope all your weekends were just as enjoyable.

I got my A$$ Kicked!!

By a girl no less. I finally caved and decided that nearly a year without a massage was enough. I had been putting off going to see a local massage therapist of whom I had heard rave reviews, but I decided now was the time. See, my last 2 massages, almost exactly a year ago, had left me less than satisfied (and I mean that in a totally non euphemistic way so don't go getting ideas about my recreational activities). But I decided to take my chances and $100 and try again. So Wednesday at lunch I went over to see Renee Avis, the aforementioned masseur. WOW!!

Renee specializes in sports massage and used to work primarily on local professional athletes (Kings, Lakers, AVP...). Due to their unpredictable schedules she opted to cater a little more to the general public. Fortunately/Unfortunately, I told her I was an athlete and at her prompting, ran through a little of my training racing schedule with her so she could get an idea of the punishment I put my body through. Then the fun began!!

OHH MAN!! This was pain! The good pain, but still pain. For the first 20mins Renee focused on my calves as I had informed her of their recent up-rise in response to the training demands. Now, lets get one thing straight, by no means am I a person who thinks he has a high pain tolerance. In fact I think people that openly assert they have a high pain tolerance often turn out to be the biggest pansies. Those who truly have a high pain tolerance, don't know they do, cause the pain doesn't really bother them. I feel pain, it hurts, I don't like it. That is not to say however, that I am a total puss. But, I will readily admit I was on the verge of tears for much of the hour & fifteen. I almost asked her for a stick to bite on.

I have never had a massage where you are put in all these different, contorted positions so the masseuse can access different "concealed" muscles and tissues. Having my joints manipulated while under extreme pinpoint pressure was an entirely foreign and enlightening experience.

Basically it came down to this: My body was JACKED from almost a year of rather intense training without any real maintenance or TLC. This session helped a great deal, but I know I need more.

When it ended (the best part), I felt strangely beat up and renewed at the same time. Renee told me not to be surprised if I felt a little "off" after the massage, because she had likely released a bunch of toxins and acid into my system. FLASHBACK: Last time I had a massage it was right before Wildflower. I had the massage at 6pm, the girl told me to drink LOTS of water before bed and through the night. I went home ate dinner, had a glass of water, and the next morning I promptly began feeling as if i had the flu. I had to leave work. I went home, did not leave for Wildflower as planned, and laid on the couch all day feeling like I'd been on a 3 day Tequilla bender in Tijuana, chasing it with nothing but the local water. I didn't leave the couch, for anything except the all to frequent... uh hemm, bathroom visits. BACK TO THE FUTURE: Sure enough, about 2hrs later I felt the same feeling coming on. But this time I was prepared. I had been drinking water and immediately upped my intake, popped a few tums and some Advil and willed myself resilient. A bit later... the ill effects (pardon the pun) passed and I was home free.

When I was leaving Renee told me not to feel guilty if I didn't want to work out that evening, but it was track with the club, and I wanted to go. I wasn't sure how I would react, especially with the calves in their current unappeasable state and only a few days removed from Oceanside, but the proof of Renee's effectiveness was, "in the pudding." 1st 1600 = 5:32; 2 X 800 in the 2:40's; and 2nd 1600 @ 5:26. I was surprised.

The only disappointment of my visit to Renee was her revelation yesterday in a follow up phone call, that the strange numbness / tingly feeling I have been having in my calves is likely from a impinged disk in my L4 or 5. I am not happy to hear this. Not one bit. While that issue will need further thought and decision making, I have already decided that I need to implement more of this therapy / suffering into my training regimen. Thus, I am committing to another session before Wildflower.

Speaking of Wildflower, I am leaving in T minus 6hrs and 45mins to head up to Lake San Antonio and ride and run the course. Can't have too much experience with that beast. A solid crew (Sean, Ryan, & Bill) will be joining me. I think I may have to give Bill a road map as he is likely to leave us all behind even before Nasty Grade. My goal for the day will be to keep him in sight, or at least within cell phone range. I think I actually have a shot at the latter.

Adios & Happy Easter

KONA Bound!!!

Ok so I know I used this title before, but in a big surprise, the opportunity to use it again, with its real triathlon significance, came up sooner than EVER expected, and I am taking it.

Oceanside, California 70.3 - 1st Male 25-29 = Kona Slot!!!

Race report:
The morning got off to a good start when I ran into Charissa in the T-0 line. We had a great talk while waiting/trying to keep from freezing to death. And I knew she was ready to rock.

So you always forget one thing right? What did I forget???? The straw to my aero drink. When did I realize it? About 10pm Friday night. Who saves my ass? Bree with a great idea to get a slurpee straw from 7-11 in the morning. Incredible idea Bree. So that was the ONE thing I forgot, ohh except for than little minor piece of equipment known as a TIMING CHIP!! I get in the swim corral, get right up to the arch bend down to stretch out the hams, and see the dude in front of me has a timing chip on his ankle and I do not. I freak out realizing my chip is in my bag, on my dad's back, god knows where in the crowd. I AM F-ED!!! Thankfully the nice IM staffer grabs me and says, calm down idiot, I'll give you a replacement. Wheeww... Disaster averted.

Into the water for the line up. I was dreading how cold it was going to be, but actually the water was warmer than the air and felt good to get into. Short warm up out to the buoy and off we went. I got out early and grabbed onto some feet, but soon realized we were getting caught so I took off. My plan was to race the swim all out, so this fit better anyway. I made a whole series of winding turns on the way out, but was still in good position at the turn. The sun wasn't quite out at 6:53a.m. so I decided to wear my clear goggles... MISTAKE # 3. On the return swim, we were looking headlong into the sun, right on the horizon. I couldn't see shit. So after veering left many times, a couple yells from a kayaker and running head long into a buoy, I was out of the water 2nd in my wave in 27mins.

T2= what a mess..... 3:24 yes, you read that right. Wet, cold hands & numb feet were a pain in the ass to get into shoes and gloves.

Bike: My plan was to take it easy for the first 25 miles (R.R.R- It was my mantra). Once we got to the hills I planned to put it all out there. Then I saw the first hill. I literally laughed out loud to myself. It is a joke, and as Miranda Cafrae described it, looked like you were biking to heaven. Another little problem on the bike was nutrition. Make that Mistake #4. I took 2 bottles of Infinit (220 cals per) and a gel flask with 4 power gels (440cals). Well once I really started pushing, I couldn't seem to hold down much of what I took in. In short, I probably threw up about 7 times on the bike. Not full scale pukes, but just a few big mouthfulls of fluids and gel after seemingly every time took it in. I snagged a bottle of gatorade from the Marines, and a gel in T1, but I realized today after looking at my flask, that I had about 1.5 gels left. So total caloric intake was probably about 900 calories. Minus whatever I left on the road and my shoulders.... ewww. The final miles back in took forever, but I was off the bike in a VERY surprising 2:26

Run: It started just fine. I came out of T2 and passed a guy just a few hundred yards out. When I saw Sean he said I was the 3rd amateur and 3 mins down on the leader. I was feeling good, until we hit the soft sand. This I did not expect and my 1:20 goal went right out the window at that point. 4 times we had to cross this 1/4mi sand section. BRUTAL! I caught # 2 just at the first mile marker and it turned out to be a friend of mine (Casey Jarvis, who took 5th in our age group). He kindly informed me I was 2.5mins back of first and gave me a nice boost to try and catch him. The sand felt like it had really killed me, but I crossed the 3 mi marker at 16:30. I was hunting that 1st runner. Given that I started in the 2nd wave of 25-29ers and hadn't been passed on the bike, I figured, he was from the 1st wave but I couldn't be sure after my pathetic T1, so I told myself I had to catch him. At the turn around for lap 2 I was still under 6min/mi pace, but things were starting to get questionable. I knew my nutrition on the bike had been far insufficient and I didn't know how long before i crashed and burned. I knew my stomach couldn't handle anything more than gatorade while running that pace, so that is all I took...not enough. At the final turn around, I saw first place and knew I had closed the gap some, down to maybe 30secs -1min, but I was fading... FAST. I painfully watched as he slowly began to pull away from me and there was nothing I could do to respond. I had to just hope he was in the first wave and wouldn't cross the line 3mins before me. I was dreading the last soft sand crossing like no other. I seriously didn't think I was going to remain upright. I have never felt that utterly weak and helpless in my life. So I death marched it in with a run split of 1:24, and kept the gap just barely under 3 minutes. This meant one thing... KONA!!! And the celebration ensued.
But not before I took a much needed "swim" in the med tent pool.

Charissa, as I knew she would, hammered the course and earned herself a Kona slot as well. Hawaii will be even better with her and Steven going.

I am sooo pumped and I have a few big thanks to doll out to the following folks:

Sean & Trish: You guys were awesome supporters and are incredible friends. Your help on Saturday and the days leading up was critical. Sean, the PT treatment on Thursday may have been the key to my race. And your help, info, coaching and support on Saturday was vital. I know I would not have gotten the slot without your help out there. Our trip got me in a Kona state of mind, and definitely gave me even more hunger for the slot. You guys are F-ING RADICAL!!

Brandon: Your pointed insight into the course was invaluable. So bummed you couldn't race, but your being there even sick as a dog means a great deal.

Lynn: There are very few people in this world who will drive a couple hours, to give a guy a brand new Dura Ace cassette and install it for him, free of charge. There are even fewer who will do it when you have NEVER even met the guy. But you did just that. I am beyond grateful for your kindness and extreme generosity. That cassette was HUGE in my race and really helped my bike split.

D: Your belief in me and my abilities and your positive reassurance has been a big positive force for me these last couple weeks. I can't thank you enough.

Bree: Your insight, tips and pointers were huge. RRR (it was my mantra on the bike). The Slurpee straw saved my A$$!! I am sure I would have raced myself into even a bigger hole had it not been for your expert advice. Truly priceless.

The Pearson's: You guys are awesome. Ryan and Chris, training with you guys has been a monstrous help to me and you both keep me fired up on racing. You both had great races yourselves and should be proud. Now lets go CRUSH Wildflower!! The Mr. & Mrs. - the carbo dinner and inspirational words definitely set the stage for a great day of racing and both your on-course and post race support were great. Happy 34th anniversary, quite an accomplishment.

Minnow - Yes I could hear you... I think almost the whole course did. You were great.

Cat: You guys were a awesome surprise. From the volume one would have thought there were 20 of you guys.

Med tent people and volunteers: Huge thanks. Race was awesome and the med tent folks were on top of it. Jon, now that I know your name, thanks again man... BIG TIME.

Mom & Dad: Words can't even begin to express so I wont even try.

Big MAHALOS to you all.

This time tomorrow...

(8:20am) I hope to be about an hour into the bike leg of Cal. 70.3. The time has come. The first real race of the season. Time to see if the marathon training helped or hurt. Time to see if my attempt to eat right has yielded any better performance (I highly doubt it due to my inability to conquer cravings).

This is going to be a big test. This race has a DEEP field of fast dudes. To be honest, I wish I felt better. I don't feel as "fit" as I would like to (will I ever?), and if I were a cartoon, the legs/calves would have some serious question marks hovering around them. My stomach has gone into full on butterfly incubator mode, and I just hope that is a good thing. Someone once said, if you don't have nerves, your heads not in it (or something to that effect). I hope he was a smart man.

So for now, its just more excruciating waiting before I jump into the frigid Pacific tomorrow morning at 6:40 for a warm up and then hear the gun at 6:50ish. I leave in about an 2.5 hours. That seems long.

KONA Wrap-up

I am back home (and not that happy about it). Aside from a 2hr delay spent couped up in the plane sitting on the tarmac, the trip was all smiles. Kona is truly an amazing place, I would think the same holds true even for non-triathletes. There is just something about it. Hard to put a finger on just what "it" is, words just fail to adequately capture and convey the "feeling" of the place.

The trip was simply AWESOME! Great weather, great workouts in breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, spectating an awesome race, spending quality time with great people and some of the best friends I could ask for, and meeting some solid, quality people with whom new friendships were formed. Can't ask for much more than that!

LavaMan:

An awesome race. The venue is insane and it really made me want to race. But just being there was a great experience. Its pretty intense when the likes of Macca, James Cotter, Tim Marr, John Flanagan, Bree Wee, Heather Golnick, Lisa Mensink and others show up for an Olympic distance race. But I guess thats racing life on the Big Island.

Macca took it for the pro men

Lisa Mensink snagged top spot for the women followed closely by Bree (I got some GREAT pics of Bree) my photog skills are lacking.
Sean ran his way to 4th in his Age GroupTrish had a great race in her first triathlon outing in 3 years!! Still all pretty and smiles after it all! Maggs won her age group and was the fastest Hawaiian and thus will be racing in the Best of the U.S. race at the O.C. International Tri this year. I'll be there too (not in the "Best of" class) and it will be rad to see her again and race with her.

The rest of race day was spent at a nearby beach that Sean, Trish and Joe Zenk (superstar canoe paddler, master architect, superb host, green thumb and all around awesome guy) had all to ourselves. With some cold brews and tasty snacks, it doesn't get much better.
After the beach it was time for a little race reward for Sean, Trish, Bree and another racer named Dave. Fish Taco's and a scoop at Huggo's made for a fun evening. Monday brought with it another opportunity to swim the Ironman course which I gladly took advantage of. I would seriously have NO problem whatsoever taking the run from Joe's place to the pier and taking that swim EVERY day. It is that beautiful. This day was made especially so by the appearance of a school of about 40 dolphins who decided I needed some company and hung around for some of the swim. After the swim Sean and I spent about an hour and a half taking a little tour of the island on the bikes working up a little hunger for lunch. And lunch did NOT disappoint. Harbor House grilled fish sandwiches and frosty schooners of Kona Brew Golden Ale were topped off with Acai smoothies. Nothing but smiles!

We decided to BBQ that night, and a feast it was, complete with Joe's ridiculous steak, chicken and sausage, Trish's fresh pasta salad, Bree's guac, veggie filled cous cous, and to top it all off, coconut chocolate chip cookies she baked that were the size of personal pan pizzas! NO joke. It was truly a great way to cap off the trip. The only thing that would have made it better, was a few more days!!

Now I gotta concentrate on Oceanside... Its only 2 days away, and I'm starting to get the jitters.

Aloha.

Ohh and P.S. -- Just as I thought, Brynn crushed her first half Ironman in 5:40 at Superfrog last weekend and took 3rd in her Age Group!!! This even despite the miles of sand running and blisters that made her pretty blue Zoots, not so pretty blue. Lookout Wildflower!