Ten athletes and three coaches in an isolated house in the back woods of Wisconsin. No, it's not the latest reality TV show. It's the 2008 edition of the best weekend of the summer - ET Summer Camp!
Friday afternoon: a pleasant three mile run down a back country road, with the sun shining above and promising great weather ahead. The pace was relaxed, though we had quite a nice little hill right in the middle of our out-and-back course. We'd be back to tackle that hill again - this time on our bikes - in the days to come.
After the run got our body temperatures elevated just a bit, it was back to the lake house for a cool-down swim in the aptly named Pleasant Lake. The water was great, the day was beautiful, and spirits were high. With two team members to escort us on kayaks, the rest of us headed out to the middle of the lake. Here is where one difference from last year's summer camp was seen: we split into two groups, with the more advanced group swimming all the way across the lake and back, and the second group not going quite as far. This approach was used in all of our activities, allowing some ETers to get a more challenging workout, while making sure that nobody was forced into a workout that was uncomfortable for them.
Friday evening was a great time for the group to relax and hang out, getting to know one another better in a nice, mellow environment. Nothing too crazy - we have a big day tomorrow!!
Saturday dawned clear and calm. Or so people told me - I was pretty out of it from lack of sleep. I am sure it was from excitement over the day to come, and not because the ladies were laughing all night long at Rachel's conversation with Suzy's wetsuit. I mean, it's an attractive suit and all, but really? Weird things happen at camp, just like when we were kids, I guess.
Anyway, coffee solved all of my problems (when doesn't it?) and when I could see more than two feet from my face, I saw nothing but eager faces. First on Coach Joe's agenda was a quick trip over to Kettle Moraine State Park for a hilly trail run. Some of those inclines were quite a challenge to run (both up and down), but the scenic vistas awaiting us at the top of each made it all worthwhile. The park provided several alternate routes to suit the tastes and abilities of all, and we split up and met afterwards in the parking lot, ready to head home for breakfast!
Breakfast was tasty, and with food and drinks freely available all weekend, it was very easy to keep on top of our nutritional and hydration needs. And the discussion on these same two topics Friday night was well-timed! After fueling up, it was time to hit the hills of Wisconsin for our long (three hour) bike ride. Again, we were split into two groups of different target distances, and even within the groups we had different paces going, meeting back up at the planned turns. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for biking, with plenty of rolling hills to challenge us, but not anything beyond our abilities. We rode around Pleasant Lake and Whitewater Lake, and met up at the sandwich shop for a bite to eat, bathroom break, and an excellent presentation from Coach Joe on periodization and how it relates to our exercise plans. Many great questions were asked and answered - some exercise for the brain, to balance out the rest.
Finally, we rode back to the lake house for another swim, highlighted by some entertaining and artistic acrobatics on the diving board and water trampoline. After that were some more workshops, including a bike cleaning and maintenance demonstration by Coach Greg, who was awesome enough to drive up super early Saturday morning, spend the whole day working out with us, and then head back home Saturday night. As always, his coaching and his company were greatly appreciated. Later, we were treated to one of the more unique and enjoyable camp experiences to date: an outdoor sunset yoga class specially put together for team ET by Sharon D., who drove up from Naperville to meet us and to help us relax after a long day filled with swimming, biking and running. It put the cap on a great day - and the day wasn't over yet!
Saturday night was our barbecue cookout, with lots of good food and tasty adult beverages. Coach Joe's camera was working overtime, and plenty of great memories were captured. We played some silly games, which were great for blowing off steam (and providing opportunities to talk trash, of course). New ETer Howard even brought his guitar, and provided us with an impromptu serenade (under Coach Joe's window, of course!). It was a shame Saturday had to end, but it was a blast while it lasted.
Sunday was the last day of camp, and the first order of business was a sunrise swim on the beautiful, calm surface of Lake Pleasant. As it turns out, when the lake is calm, there is no mechanism to clear the weeds, etc, from the surface towards the edges, as usually happens. Who knew? Certainly not us, as we blithely dove in and swam out into the midst of an unexpected mass of well-aged vegetation. Oops! Let's just say, the smell was memorable, and good for a few laughs after we got out. After that, it was back on the bike course, and back to our sandwich shop for some coffee and good conversation. This bike ride was much more laid back than the previous day, going less time and distance, to give our bodies a chance to recover. People were starting to look a bit tired by the time we returned, but the smiles were still there, and a feeling of camaraderie with this team of talented and well-motivated athletes. This year's camp was a smashing success, thanks to the combined efforts of the coaches and the camp organizers, who exceeded all of our expectations!
Check out all of the photos from this great weekend on ET-Photo!
