EXPERIENCETriathlon's annual Summer Camp was inspired by Ironman Wisconsin, which is held every year in mid-September in the beautiful state capitol, Madison. And so it was off to Mad-town we went - an even baker's dozen of athletes and coaches - to enjoy a gorgeous weekend of swimming, biking, running, and camaraderie.
Friday afternoon, the crew met on the Terrace outside of the Student Union for a short, chatty run along the lakeshore path. We passed the local rowing club, the band practice field, and even a couple of newlyweds posing for pictures on a beautiful summer day. Afterwards, we commandeered a picnic table on the waterfront and grabbed some food from the various eateries located within the Union, while Coach Joe filled us in on the schedule of activities to come. Unsurprisingly, we had a full weekend ahead of us!
After a relaxing Friday evening, everyone tried to get some good rest, because we knew Saturday was going to be a long day. Sure enough, we were all up and chowing down by 6am, looking with a bit of apprehension at the lowering clouds. The forecast predicted some rain, but then, we were starting the day with a swim, so it didn't really seem to matter if we got a little bit more wet...
Ironman Wisconsin starts out with a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Monona, right outside of the Monona Terrace. Of course, we were not about to tackle that distance! But we headed out to the location and swam out of the same beach where the racers will be swimming later this summer. It was a cool and blustery morning, so we got a lot of practice swimming in choppy water. There were lots of locals there watching the crazy triathletes, who were the only people brave enough to be swimming that morning!
After a good amount of swimming, and drinking a bit of lake water for good measure, it was time to go for a longer run. We changed in the Monona Terrace, which is a very interesting building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that contains a lot of photographic memorabilia of the famous architect. Then we all ran along the bike path that skirts the edge of the lake before turning inward toward downtown Madison. By this point, the sun had come out and the day was warming up nicely. The chill of the swim was banished, but the heat never became uncomfortable - it was a great morning for a run!
With the run behind us, it was time to head back to our hotel for a quick transition clinic by Coach Joe. He demonstrated the flying mounts and dismounts that top triathletes use to shave some time off of their transitions from swim to bike and bike to run. That was very interesting to see, and several of us immediately began to try the flying dismount. Well, let's just say that while it would be hard to describe our efforts as "flying," we also managed to avoid any crashes. Success!!
Next up on the agenda was a looooong bike ride. The bike course for Ironman Wisconsin is built around a very hilly 40 mile loop, and today was our chance to give that loop a try. At this point in the day, the wind had picked up, but the rain was long gone. The ET campers split into two groups - one that would attempt the long, hilly route (48 total miles, including once around the loop) and one that would go for a shorter (though still quite hilly!) ride nearer to the hotel. It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon for a ride, even if we did get to ride up hills into a headwind! Talk about a mental toughness clinic - this ride was all about proving to ourselves that we could do this... and we did. Coach Joe was great about keeping the eight of us that did the long ride together throughout, while letting the stronger and weaker riders find their own paces. We saw plenty of other people riding the loop, and everybody we talked to was very friendly and supportive. When one of our group had a flat, Joe took the opportunity to give a clinic on tire changing, and every one of the twenty or so riders that passed us asked if we were OK, or if we needed anything. What a great example of generosity and teamwork! It's great how the shared experience brings strangers together. I don't think I'd have had quite so many helpful people offering support if I'd had a flat tire on I-90...
What with the flat tire, and the hills, and stopping to appreciate the postcard-quality views, our bike ride took a bit longer than scheduled. When we returned to the hotel, we were all tired and ready to clean up for dinner. Once again, our camp organizers had something special planned for us. It was off to the Capital Brewery, one of the best local microbrewers in the Midwest, for a BBQ dinner catered by an award-winning local chef. We had pulled pork, barbecued ribs, tasty sides, and frosty beverages. Plus, it was a great venue to sit down and get to know each other, sharing stories of the past and plans for the future with our fellow triathletes. It was the perfect end to a long day of exercise - eating, drinking, and socializing with friends.
Sunday was the last day of the camp, and after the long workouts the previous day, it was much more mellow. After a short, pleasant ride down to University Ave, we stopped at a Starbucks for some coffee and a quick seminar on proper nutrition and hydration. Then it was back to the hotel and on to Sofra's Family Bistro in Middleton for a big breakfast and some more informational seminars. What a great way to end summer camp! The food was fantastic, and we had plenty of privacy to listen to our coaches, both Joe and Suzy, talk to us and answer our questions on topics like training with power meters, periodization of workouts, USA Triathlon rules and regulations, and mental toughness training.
All good things come to an end, and finally, it was time for us to head home. Another great ET summer camp was in the books, and we were all leaving with tired muscles and happy memories. What a great experience!
Be sure to visit ET-Photo to see pictures from this awesome training weekend!
