Tuesday, February 21, 2006

It's the day after IronCamp West Coast's official end, and we are wrapping up all of the loose ends. We have shipped my bike home to MA and are doing all that left over laundry so my suitcase won't be deemed a biohazard by the TSA. Before we get too busy with the rest of work, I wanted to capture some final IronCamp thoughts...

1. Location, Location, Location. Monrovia was perfect. It's not home to an Ironman, but if IMNA ever wanted to put a race out there, it would rival IM USA for beauty. Just awesome. If you were on the fence about this year's camp, you gotta make the redux in 2007.

2. Rich Can Talk. Seriously though...the dude is a walking triathlon encyclopedia. A few hours of talking with him and you already feel faster. I think his perspectives on building a solid training schedule and on training with power were particularly useful. He just got a new Ergomo, so I think after his SRM and PowerTap experiences, he will be ready to school everyone at IronCamp East Coast on training with power.

3. Less Structure is More. We had a massive agenda for the weekend. We were ready for anything. Yet when the ball got rolling, we quickly pulled the plug on the formal schedule. I think most folks learned by doing, and pulling people aside during the camp for some one-on-one input was almost better than entire sessions.

So now it's time to regroup and to start planning for IronCamp East Coast in June. IC EC will be held in Lake Placid on the IMUSA course and will be an excellent chance for folks racing IM USA or IM Canada to hone their training for the maximum effect on race day. The weekend will include course rides, strategy, and will culminate with the option to participate in the Lake Placid half marathon on Sunday.

See you in Lake Placid!!!!