Every training camp is a different experience. No matter how much planning goes into the camp schedule and routes, we always feel like we are needing to be flexible due to uncertainty. The timing in the season, the campers, the weather.....there is just no way to predict how the camp will unfold.
But after every camp, we find ourselves saying "that was the best camp." I don't know how it happens but every camp turns out to be the most rewarding, exhausting, memorable and fun experience.
We planned the timing of this camp to occur two weeks before Ironman Lake Placid. We did this for two reasons. The first reason was to help our athletes break out of their normal training routine and overload the body in a safe, beautiful, challenging environment. With us watching over them, we could also keep our athletes in good health knowing that they were finishing off their Ironman training with a lot of residual fatigue. Secondly, in the case that Ironman Lake Placid was cancelled (we planned this camp back in the winter), we didn't want our athletes to go through another mental let-down and to feel like all of the training would go to waste. If the race was cancelled, we could still give our athletes an Ironman-inspired training camp.
Thankfully, Ironman Lake Placid is a go and seven of our eleven campers were able to put together a solid 4-day training camp to finish off a one (to two) year journey in route to the Ironman Lake Placid start line. As for the other campers, they will receive a nice boost in fitness, endurance and resilience from the intentional training overload.
Over four days in Greenville, SC, the campers stretched comfort zones, practiced their race day nutrition, worked through mental challenges, tested their physical limits and kept each other accountable during the low moments. There were laughs, smiles and tears and a lot of hills to climb. This camp was memorable for many reasons but it was extra rewarding to witness how several of our athletes have developed over the past few years. Although we were inspired by the work ethic of every athlete, it's extra special to see how the confidence, endurance, resilience and skills of our returning athletes improve year after year. It makes us so very proud as coaches to see how our athletes develop, as we know long-distance triathlon training is not easy and it comes with a lot of setbacks, obstacles and sacrifices.
~3.5 hours of swimming
~10 hours of biking (~10,000+ feet elevation gain)
~4 hours of running (~3000+ feet elevation gain)
Some workouts came as a physical challenge whereas others were more mental. But our campers kept showing up and they never gave up. There were no excuses, just focus, persistence and grit. Even with a few changes in the tentative schedule due to weather, our athletes never complained. And even on day four - the longest and most challenging bike session - it was as if our campers got stronger as the camp went on and finished the workout with strength and determination.
Now that our campers are done with camp, it's time for them to let their training marinate as they recover from the intentional training overload. For some, they will soon experience a breakthrough in their training as they continue to train for their upcoming events. For the rest, it's time to sharpen the body and mind for in less than two weeks, it's time to celebrate the journey at the start line of Ironman Lake Placid.