IronCamp Day Five / Wrap Up Post: Marathon Day

The fifth and final day of IronCamp East Coast 2007 was dominated by the Lake Placid Half Marathon. It's hard to believe that folks wanted to run 13.1 miles after four solid days of work, but they did. It must be some chemical thing driven by a wave of endorphins that overwhelms the common sense mechanism. Or something.

Regardless, over ten IronCampers were lucky enough to start - and finish - the Half Marathon. The run course covered part of the IM course...after a lap around Mirror Lake. The group had a great day for racing, with plenty of sun, cool temps, and minimal wind. No one was really racing, but everyone had a great time.

The rest of the campers - including super-tired me - did our own long runs. I managed to get in 1:45 before the wheels came off. I couldn't imagine going another step. I managed to get back home in time to shower, make myself more coffee and start the clean up process. There was a great deal of food and dirty dishes to take care of. And then there was the task of putting all the furniture back and making sure no one left anything behind. Despite our best efforts, I am pretty sure there was some gear left in Placid...but maybe the next group of athletes will be able to put it to good use.

Hard to believe that five days could pass so quickly...but i guess if you are spending 6-8 hours a day exercising, 8 hours sleeping, 2 hours eating, well, there isn't a lot of spare time to get bored. :)

We'll definitely be holding another IronCamp East Coast in 2008. Full details will be posted in the Fall. As usual, all of the slots willl be opened to PTS + CF athletes first, then the general public. Also know that we already have 25% of the slots set aside for returning campers who have expressed interest. If you want to come, be ready to pull the trigger so you get your spot!

The next IronCamp is a race-specific event for Ironman Wisconsin, held in early July. Visit www.ironcamp.com for full details.

IronCamp Day Four: The Last Big Day

After the debacle of yesterday's heat, I think most folks woke up with more than a little fear of what Saturday would bring. Thankfully, a system rolled through on Friday night and the resulting drop in temperature meant Saturday was going to be low-70s and sunny...in other words, PERFECT conditions for a final long effort.

Most folks headed out for a long ride today. The three-day campers returned to the IMUSA course for more punishment/revenge. The five day campers mixed things up by riding a modified course or other routes. My group of four headed out on a great route that took us out the in of the bike course and had us touring a lot of the area surrounding Placid before we returned to the course. It was a great diversion and a great way to finish up the big week. There was a short run - no real swimming - on the calendar today.


The night called for a big dinner. We had another killer cook out, with more food than people could ever want. Another big bowl of Shauna's killer pasta salad and this time, Rex didn't burn the chicken. :) Lots of beer and an Ironman Execution Talk by Rich and I were the final order of the evening.

Most folks retired early as they were either racing in the Lake Placid Half Marathon, doing a long run, and/or driving home on Sunday. A big day no matter who you were!

Today's ride put me at 400 miles in 4 days, a new personal best. I was not alone in raising my endurance benchmark, as there were many folks who were also pushing their previously established personal limits. There is nothing like seeing someone push themselves so far (not hard!), watching them bonk, figure stuff out, then come back stronger than before.

Stay tuned for the Day Five update...

IronCamp East Coast Day Three in Detail

Friday turned out to be killer hot...hotter than hot. Hot as in 97-degrees Fahrenheit hot. There were a variety of groups today, but most everyone either took it light on purpose or had to in the end. On the equivalence scale, I think one loop was equal to two today.

The day started out ordinarily enough, cool and slightly overcast. But you didn't need a weather forecaster to know things were going to turn ugly - it was humid at 6:30. Ouch. The Lake Placid area is subject to a great deal of weather fluctuation, and it was clear that the order of the day was going to be HEAT.

Unfortunately for the newly minted three-day campers, this meant that their first day was going to be a tough one. Five-day folks strongly argued that Wednesday, with it's sub-40s temp and damp conditions, was harder...but having done both I have to say Friday was worse. I think it takes several hot days to adapt...and this was the first of the year for many. The photo above shows me pulling people at 91 miles from the bike course...both were shattered and in desperate need of food and fluids. I had to make the executive call so they would be okay to ride tomorrow...they just laughed and said: what other coach would (1) drive out on the course (2) stop us from riding (3) and take us to get soda and a fried chicken meal??? I guess that might not be standard operating procedure. :)

After two days of two loops, I opted for the single loop ride. Rich and I ended up riding together. Well, Rich and Co actually dropped me heading out of town, but he was gentlemanly enough to wait after the descent for me. We rode the rest of the loop talking strategy, execution, and Pro Power Screens. Rich is planning an assault on IMUSA for his 40th b-day...look out doodes.

Friday night was dinner out, with most of us heading over to Nicola's over Main Street for dinner and beer. It was just what the doctor ordered. The stronger peeps (read: not me!) rolled over to the Lake Placid Brewery for beer and to find the EpicMan folks who had done the swim, two loops of the bike and one loop of the run all in one day (not for me, thanks!).

It was off to bed with thoughts alternating between dreaming of day four, and dreading it...

IronCamp East Coast Day Three
Here are some brief notes from Day three...I am too tired to type more!!

Group Swim Time!

IronCamp Goes Shopping

Campers were pulled from their second loops
in favor of chicken fingers and french fries.


It's popsicle time!

Stay tuned for Day Four updates as folks go for 400+ miles...

IronCamp East Coast 2007: Day Two

Today was a crap shoot, as the master plan Rich and I set up was trashed by the group in favor of everyone doing their own thing. We had two different groups doing the following:

• 112 mile ride (2 loops) and a 4 mile run: some folks did this for the first time, others did a repeat of yesterday for a total of 224 in 2 days (ouch).
• 56 mile ride, 4 mile run, and swim: a bunch of folks did this today, but in their own order. The freight train rolled the course at 24mph, with stragglers finding their way in through out the day.

Everyone was self supported, and the weather cooperated, so it was a great day all around. We ended up having a cook out at the main house...burgers and beer were the main course and people ate like it was the last food on earth. Nothing like seeing petite women who spent the day crushing the bike course just eat like champs. I think they even went out for Ben and Jerry's!!!


Tomorrow looks like an early swim and then multiple rides...looks like we are going to have sun and 83-degrees!!!! Can't wait!

Happy Training,

Coach P

ps: full camp photos are here: http://flickr.com/photos/coachp/sets/72157600328256701/

IronCamp East Coast 2007: Day One

Today was the first day of our 2007 IronCamp East Coast. This is our biggest camp to date, with more than 20 athletes coming to train for 3- to 5-days on the Ironman USA Course. Exciting to have such a big camp, but also pretty crazy at the same time. We have 21 athletes with the furthest coming in from Ecuador for a week of great hill riding. Coach Rich Strauss of Crucible Fitness fame is here, fresh off a camp in Louisville. It's quite an awesome crew.

The day started out cold and wet, and dropping out of Placid for a 112 mile day (with a 4-mile run) is not a fun exercise. We were bundled to the hilt...after a short tour of Placid itself, we were out on the open road. Right away some folks realized that not having booties was a VERY BIG mistake. Their solution -- make your own! With some newspaper and cellophane tape from the post office, they made their own booties...check out the pic below. This, folks, is being resourceful!!!


Thankfully, the day brightened up and folks were able to enjoy the full day without just being cold and wet. The big group splintered quite a bit, but everyone enjoyed the day...look at all that greenery!!!

Stay tuned for Day Two, where some folks do 112 for the first time, others will Run / Bike 1 loop / Swim and others (Coach P, etc.) will do another 112 just for good measure. It doesn't get any better than this!

Happy Training!

Team IronCamp

IC Insider Update

Just a quick note to keep you IC groupies in the know. Camp progress has been way better than expected, following our (mis)adventures in early February. Looks like we might have had a bit too much fun (read all about it here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

ICEC 2007: June 5 - 10
Things are shaping up nicely for our June camp in Lake Placid, NY. We have about 18 folks signed up for a five day extravaganza. Should be a blast, with plenty of epic riding in the area. Full camp details are here. Recently found out there are two other camps going on at the same time, the same week. FYI they cost 2x as much as IronCamp, yet have 50% of the coaching staff, only 25% of the mojo and won't be able to match the fun we're going to have. Plus we are staying in some killer condos, not a stuffy hotel. You make the call...we have up to 7 more slots available. Email me if you are interested!

ICWC 2008: Feb TBD
We are about a week away from opening registration for ICWC 2008 and we already have 11 intrepid souls signed up. I think we can only handle 4 more folks, so if you want to reserve your spot ASAP, email me or email Rich right away so we can get you in.

Other IC Events
Rich is organizing two other race-specific camps this year. These are 3-day, execution-focused events that will have you ready to rock on race day. Think tactical insertion (he's ex-military after all!). :-) You can learn about them here.

More info soon...happy training!

Outcomes & ICWC 2008!
The average camper got in 20-25 hours of riding and anywhere from 375 to 450 miles on the bike. There was no running and swimming as folks barely had the energy to pedal, eat, and sleep! Hard to believe we managed to go a whole week with no flat tires or serious mechanical issues! The best part of the camp wasn't necessarily the scenery or the riding--it was meeting and hanging out with cool folks who enjoy pushing their bodies into the unknown.

IronCamp West Coast 2008
Very simply, we want to create an incredible training experience for our customers next year.
Consider the following:

• The largest cycling race in the US is kind enough to scout out, mark, and in some cases control the best roads in the state for us. We took as many pictures as we could but they really don’t do the tour justice. The most consistent comment from the campers was the wide variety of terrain offered by each stage. For example, Stage 1 climbed out of Sausalito through Muir Woods, with huge trees lining the road. We then dropped down to the coast and were treated to waves crashing on rocks, and quaint seaside towns (BBQ oysters!). The course then jogged inland up Coleman Valley Road, a narrow paved cow path through incredible pastures and dairy farms, then descending into lush green valleys, past world famous wineries and finishing in Santa Rosa, a major hub of the California wine industry. And this was just the FIRST day!
• The race is also nice enough to bring people out on the course to cheer you on as you tackle the KOM’s or sprint against your shadow or fellow campers in small towns. We called this the Yahoo Coefficient: as you neared KOM’s, sprints, or the race closed in behind you, the number of spectators, fellow cyclists, yahoos and characters increased exponentially. What other camp offers a 5k climb at 10-16% grade through a wall of screaming and cheering fans?
• Many prospective campers expressed concern about the high cycling volume of the camp so early into the season. However, during the camp we quickly learned that is neither necessary nor desirable to do every mile of every stage:
  • Each stage has a 3-7 mile neutral zone, which is simply a parade through town to the good stuff where the racing actually starts.
  • Most stages finished with a 7-10 mile circuit race around the finishing town. Once you go into that circuit it’s difficult to get around and link up with the support vehicle.
  • Admin miles solo or in a 2-3 person group are significantly different from what pros experience tucked into a 150+ rider peloton. The estimated times on the route sheets (what time the race is expected at each turn, sprint, KOM, etc) STARTS at 24mph. These guys are friggin’ flying and a 5’ water or potty stop means the peleton just rolled you up by about 2 miles. This definitely lends a sense of urgency to the day but don’t underestimate how hard it is to stay away from these guys when they light the burners.
  • These are hard friggin’ courses. They’ve found the hard stuff on purpose, not gone around it.

  The net is that an A rider (sub 5:30 IM bike split) can expect to ride 75-85 miles in 4.5-5.5hrs. A B rider will see 50-65 miles in 4-5hrs. Trust us, by the time you trim off the fat above and add admin time on the front and back ends of each stage, that’s enough. We estimate we can provide a high quality training camp for sub 6:15 IM bike split athletes.

• Many prospects asked us about swim/run opportunities during the camp. Our advice: don’t ruin an epically cool training experience by being a tri-dork. Just ride the bike for a week, it’s enough. Seriously, part of what made the tour so special was how many towns we were able to experience, as the organizers often finished in one town and started in another. This necessitated a portage of bodies, bikes and bags 40-70 miles at the end of the day, which typically began with wheels up at 7 or 8am so we could stay ahead of the race. Again, don’t be a geek, just ride.
• We’ve done it, we’ve figured out the logistics, and are confident we’ll have a very solid game plan for 2008: lead/chase vehicles, hotels, restaurants, communications, insert/extract points for A/B riders, jerseys, shirts…and ass cream, we’ll have it all dialed in!

Are you interested in the cycling experience of a lifetime, one that will challenge your legs and senses, creating special memories and friendships? Stay tuned to www.ironcamp.com as we develop our plans and publish registration details. I know that Rich and I are already counting to days to when the race publishes the ’08 course!