Epic Camp- Junior Year

EPIC CAMP DAY 1

* For more quality stuff direct from the camp check out the Ironman Talk Pod Cast at www.ironmantalk.com or go to Epiccamp.com and don't forget to check out Endurance Corner!


I figured that Epic Camp would be a great way for me to get back to the blog scene. I have been off since Kona and know that my website is down. Long story...trying to get it sorted. Until then I will keep this updated.


I think that this Epic Camp might be the hardest camp I have attended yet but for reasons that may not be obvious. The first is that it is going to be some REALLY LONG riding and I am not in the usual shape I have been in at this time of year. Since I did Hawaii I took a decent amount of time off from training and feel the effects to say the least. However, I do think that I am stronger, in general, than I ever have been. The second reason is that I have purposely taken myself out of the points completion. That was a hard thing for me to do. I like being competitive and I know that beating people (or trying to) is a huge motivator for me. I know there are plenty of Zen reasons to do this sport but when it comes down to it, I just want to try and kick your ass.

When we got to the pool this AM for the traditional 2K Time Trial in the pool there was already a sense of things being "off" for me. For one thing the pool at QEII has been short course forever now and that bugs because I actually loose time with my text book flip turns. And since I wasn't going for points there was a part of me that thought "well maybe I can just focus on my form or something.." Of course Gordo would disagree with that when he found out that I took it out in a 1:12 LOL. I have no sense of pace in the pool (Goal #1 for the year).


Not to focus on the negative aspect of the AM I decided that I might try getting a better push off the wall on my turns. JD gets on me about that in Boulder because I almost NEVER make it to the flags LOL...It was hard to do this today as well because I had Mr. Tobby Radcliff sitting on my feet the entire time typing his race report. To think he got to be 5 seconds faster than me because he sat on my feet the whole way! SHAME ON HIM LOL...I'm just jealous because I didn't pick a better lane. My whole plan was to go over to Gordo's lane and sit on his feet and try to stay on them. I think I could have. Maybe I will get my shot later in the camp?


Once we got back for some grub and changed up we headed out for the ride. It was a 180K ride to Akoroa and back. It's a hard ride as it has 2 decent climbs and rollers after the first climb and right before the second climb. As if that wasn't hard enough Epic throws in two KOM point races and then a 30K (turned out to be 42K) Time Trial on the bike at the end.


As we rolled out I came close to going down twice so I decided I would pull back and not sit in the bunch. It would give me some time to see how the new guys I don't know ride. But then I thought that maybe I would just do the entire camp like that. No drafting for 8 days. And then I got pissy because I realized that I was having that conversation because I wasn't in the points game.


When we got to our first re group at the base of the hill I decide to commit Epic Camp suicide and leave early for the climb so I was REALLY going to be out of the points race. Mark P just got off a plane and was driven to where we were and left early as well so we had a moment to catch up. Little did anyone know that he would SMASH everyone on the TT later in the day. Just got off a plane from the states.....that is a stud.

Once I got to the top I just kept going and was the first person to the lunch stop in Akoroa and then decided "screw this" I am not going for points on the second climb why not just leave now and go back. My stomach wasn't feeling that great and I wanted to try not eating too much real food on the rides so I packed up some Gels and hit the road again.


My climb up the other side was minimal to say the least. I don't feel like I have any climbing legs at all and thought I needed a larger cassette on the back. Apparently it is not the cassette and I need some larger quads LOL....


Once back to Little River where the TT would begin I decided that I would do it because I need some form of competition to stir up my mood and bring some excitement to me for the camp. Plus, a hard ride on the bike wasn't breaking my rules for and "injury free camp".


I took off setting my pace for a 33K Ride. We weren't sure how long it was going to be. Long story short it was 42K and I blew my wad and ended up with abductor cramps and having to soft pedal the last 3K or so. Not a big mood lifter. It was really windy and I felt like sheep pooh.

I had a big moment of diarrhea before the TT and just felt bonked on calories so maybe that was what it was. IT wasn't the best way to kick off a camp but luckily when I got back Bevan and Eliot went for our 50 min run and that felt pretty good and was filled with some nice laughs.


I'm sure things will come round and I will gain things on this camp that I haven't gotten from the last two. I am feeling a quiet camp is in the works for me. Not feeling that social for some reason and all these long rides give me plenty of time to think about all the other non triathlon related stuff going on in my world. Which brings me to my mini camp goal which is to try and switch conversations to something other than triathlon as much as possible. I know it is a triathlon camp but DUDE there is only so much that can be said. JFT.


Do something good for yourself tomorrow.

bdc