Day Three started out early once again. Mat and I rolled out the door to knock out the daily minimum run of 50 minutes before sunrise.

Hold on; before we continue;

There is a “camp within the camp” going on right now. The triathlon gents here at the camp have some scoring going on that is based around the rules for Epic Camp. This means:

one point for a 50 min run (minimum)

one point for 3300 yards (minimum)

one point for completing the day’s ride

various KOM and sprint scoring that goes 5,4,3,2,1 (those are set by the VQ camp).

one point for various swim sets within the actual workouts.

Ok; so, when you hear me say the “daily minimum” it refers to the scoring above.

After the run we got ready for an 8:45 rollout on what was supposed to be a 40 mile recovery ride. The only paradox was that Robbie mentioned that there would be a sprint midway through the session that is marked from 2 kilometers out. Hardly seemed logical, but it did sound fun at any rate.

The groups are divided up as A,B,C, and (get this) D. The A group rolled out at a nice leisurely pace and we all chatted for a good 30 minutes and just generally enjoyed the countryside. Then we see Robbie Ventura roll up and tell us that the B group has caught us and that we need to pick up the pace. So much for recovery.

From there the A group split into two groups and started working a fast paceline. I believe that we were theoretically supposed to move at the same speed, but it seems the second ‘A’ group managed to fall a bit behind and Mat was the only dude in that group. It might not have been a big deal, but with a sprint coming up soon he knew he would have to make a move to be ‘in it to win it.” Big M made a monster move to bridge to our group and he just made contact when we hit the “2K to go” cone. Unfortunately he pretty much wasted himself with that effort, but he still managed to work hard enough to situate me as the fourth wheel before backing off. Quite the honorable teammate.

The final 2K run up was mostly flat in the beginning, but then it kicked uphill for the final 800 meters. The group began to thin out and only Gordo, a dude named Rod Riley, and myself were left to duke it out. We were absolutely pinning it since there was no draft effect at this point and Gordo just snuck by me to take first. I came through in second and Riley in third. I cannot speak for Riley, but I know it was a huge effort for G and I since we both posted new PRs for our one minute power outputs (526 for G, 523 for me).

After clearing the stars that were circling around my head the group headed back at a nice steady clip and the ride was completed in exactly two hours. Since it was early we headed to the pool to knock out a few sets. Mat, Gordo, and I swam a main set of 12 x 100IM/150free continuous (as in 3K straight) which was tough for me since I “learned” fly late in life. Then Gordo and I tacked on another set of 1000 straight with a band around the ankles for one additional point.

The final session of the day was a Functional Training set in the parking lot led by Mr. America’s Gardie Jackson who proceeded to absolutely drill the attendees (or was it just me?) with his challenging session. I don’t think my beer at lunch helped anything either (but not too many places serve Carlsberg in the States so you have to hit it when its there).

The camp was a little less uneventful in the evening since there were no meetings or meals so the crew headed off to a steak house to top off before tomorrow’s ride (100 miles).

Until later,

jd

The second day of the camp kicked off early since we all wanted to head over to the pool for a morning swim. I was a bit disappointed to hear the alarm at 5:20, but we do what we can to keep each other honest. Gordo came up with the main sets this morning for the amigos. The send offs varied, but our lane (Mark P, Gordo and I) went with (times in yards):

400 w/up
4 x 200 on 2:45
3 x 200 on 2:40
2 x 200 on 2:35
1 x 200 on 2:30
2 x 200 on 2:35
3 x 200 on 2:40
4 x 200 on 2:45
200 c/d

The set flew by and I expected it to be a lot less enjoyable than it actually was. With that out of the way we all headed back to hotel to have a quick breakfast before the 8:45 rollout.

Today’s session was not a long ride, but it was still quite a difficult one. It was all about summiting Mt. Figueroa: a 10 mile climb with 7% avg grade (as much as 18%) with rough roads and sections of dirt/sand (4100 vertical feet).

It took about an hour to roll out to the base of the climb so everyone should have been thoroughly warmed up. After stripping some additional clothes and eating a snack we got ready to start the climb.

The rides are divided into four groups (A,B,C,D) based on ability levels, but we had a mass start for this particular section. Things got rolling from the get go and and I knew from the start that I would not be able to hang with the front group today. Mat and Gordo looked to be in the hunt for the KOM points so I wished them well (in my head) and settled into my own pace. From there it was pretty much a solo mission and I spent most of the time wishing I had a 27 on the back (and even a 34 on the front), but I felt good at any rate.. Gordo and Mat took 1st and 2nd place in the KOM camper points and I rolled up a few minutes later to take the third place KOM points. They both rode very, very well and I was really psyched to see the two of them stamp their authority on the day. It was also great to see three_triathletes_take the top three spots for the day. Nice to know we can hang with some roadies.

After a hairy descent we rolled back to Solvang in beautiful, sunny weather. We only covered 50 miles (3:15 ride time), but I still logged a TSS of 200 so it was pretty solid. Mat and I ran about 5 miles off the bike and called it a (good) day.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here were the times from Tuesday’s Time Trial for our group.

Mark P 17:56
Justin 17:57
Gordo 18:03
Mat 18:11
Alan 20:xx

Wednesday is an easier day before the final two big days.

All for now,

jd

I have about 20 minutes (this is Wed Morning) before I head out the door for this morning’s swim so I’ll give a brief recap of what went on yesterday here at the Vision Quest Camp in Solvang.

Each day has a series of challenges and goals for the campers. The first day included a 5 mile Time Trial after a 30 minute roll out. All the triathletes of the group were seen out very early in the morning logging a run before the 8:30 roll out, but hopefully none of them ran too hard. I know I was keeping things in check since I have had zero intensity lasting over a few minutes so far this year.

The Time Trial was only five miles in distance, but it was longer in terms of time because of the nature of the course. It began with a gradual false flat, then rolling, then finished with about a one mile climb. Everyone on the course had a power meter (supplied by Powertap if they did not bring their own) and we all posted our times and power averages for future placement in group rides.

Mark P, Gordo, Mat, and I all finished within about 20 seconds of each other which was exciting to see. I don’t have the official times, but our watts were all over the place and it made for fun comparison. Mat posted the best power-to-weight numbers while I posted the best time-to-watts numbers.

All in all, it made for a good start to the day. From there we divided into different groups and headed out for another 40 miles of riding. The first 20 were pretty chill and then it went full on to the Solvang city limits. Having all those guys around never fails to bring out the best in me. I was gapped at the end and had to put in a monster surge to get back on. Don’t think I’d be getting that stimulus on the ol’ trainer in BoCO.

After finishing the ride we kicked it around the hotel before knocking out a 3500 yard swim at the Santa Ynez YMCA (as seen in “Sideways”).

All in all, a good first day. The Camp that Robbie Venture and his crew are putting on is_top_notch. Everyone from Boulder is certainly enjoying themselves and I’m sure all the Midwest crew is as well.

More tomorrow,

jd

I took off to Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona over President’s Day weekend to visit Brooke’s friends and family as well as have a visit with my coach. My brother used to live in Phoenix (48th and Elliot for those in the know) from 2003-2005 and I spent January-May there in 2004 and 2005. The first night I was there Brooke and I stayed (and went out) in downtown Phoenix. The urban lifestyle is growing down there which is pretty cool to see since I often considered “Phoenix” to really just be a conglomeration** of individual municipalities. It is a very similar situation to the downtown/midtown revival in Houston and, if done well, it can certainly be a lot of fun.

The second and third night we stayed in North Scottsdale near Scottsdale Road and Carefree Highway. It is quite a different setting up there with a plethora** of gated Golf communities and mansions mixed amongst the cacti (I had Showtime’s “Weeds” theme song going through my head). The topography of the north valley is quite beautiful, but it is getting more and more crowded every time I go there. Folks have always told me that a lot of the (cycling) rides from Scottsdale go north on Sdale road and then west on Carefree Hwy. That is, straight up, sketchy in my mind considering the lack of shoulder and the double wide 65 mph traffic, but I digress.

One fortunate advantage of being in the ares was the 1) weather, 2) a plethora** of oxygen and 3) a (running) track only a couple minutes from our host. I headed over there on Sunday morning and knocked out a set of 200,400,600,800,1000,800,600,400,200 of I pace (see ‘Daniels Running Formula’) intervals. It was great to be able to run at a faster pace than 5500 feet allows, but it almost felt as though my legs had been through a race when Monday morning came along.

On Monday morning I went to Breakfast with Joe Friel, Jim Vance (had not met him before; good guy) and Brooke. We chatted about some of the happenings with Endurance Corner as well as what is developing with Joe’s company (and my sponsor), http://www.trainingbible.com/. One our conversations (outside of business) addressed susbtrate usage at subthreshold intensities (since this is what we often address with out physiological testing at EC) .

Joe believed there were two ways to improve it: first with diet, and secondly by training at those (sub FTP) levels. I found it quite interesting that diet was mentioned_before_training which might be of interest to those finding it difficult to hold a good percentage of their Functional Threshold Power/Pace for extended periods of time. The simplest advice would be to cut back on your sugar and starch intake and increase your consumption of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and good fat. Its the same advice that gets stated time and time again, but it never hurts to hear it again and again either. You can read more about changing your diet by reading Paleo Diet for Athletes by Cordain/Friel. I think there are also some good articles out there if you do a google search, but I cannot guarantee that.

Basically: Eat real foods (i.e. not boxed and processed) and you will accomplish 90% of your needs.

After breakfast it was only a few hours before out return flight to Denver. We had a clear day on the flight home which allowed me to view all of Colorado; begining with the Four Corners and Cortez to Durango to Lake City to Blue Mesa Reservoir to Gunnison (where you could see Mt Crested Butte) to Buena Vista to Fairplay to Co Springs and finally to Denver. I think it is fantastic when you get the chance to view all those beautiful mountains from a different vantage point.

Well it looks like Boulder might have nice enough weather for riding today so I’m going to try and take advantage of that.

Until next week,

JD

*Did you know there is a rock called “conglomerate”? I think its the only one I correctly pointed out in my Geology 101 lab.

**I learned that word (plethora) when I was seven years old from El Guapo in the “Three Amigos.”

Endurance Corner will be hosting 2 camps this spring in Tucson, Arizona. The cost is $2250 and includes everything but your airfare to/from Tucson.

Camp 1 March 22-30, 2008.

This will be a balanced training camp with an emphasis on the bike. For athletes racing IM Arizona, we will schedule an “honest” race simulation ride on March 23rd and make sure the rest of the camp fits into your peak period.

Supplemental physiological testing, season planning, and consulting will be available if you arrive early on March 21st. This includes lactate testing for the bike and run. Please contact “Mat” “at” “endurancecorner.com” if you are interested in these additional services.

Camp 2 April 19-27, 2008. (SOLD OUT)

This will be bike focused training camp and the stronger athletes will ride 400-500 miles across the camp.

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Fitness: as a guideline, you will want to have a sub 13 hour IM finish and or sub 6 hour Half IM finish under your belt.

That stated, we will have two riding groups to allow for everyone to train their potential. Everyone will have a map for every ride if you choose to strike out on your own. This will take some of the pace pressure off the groups. There will be a sag vehicle that will provide sweeping and drink support.

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Accomodations are at the Days Inn on 222 S. Freeway in Tucson. This is ideally located for the bulk of our cycling, swimming, and running. The hotel has free wireless internet. I know a few people have requested single occupancy, and that is available for $210 for the week. Please contact Mat if you are interested. These requests must be made by Feb. 18th.

We will also have a central meeting place at Star Pass, where evening meals, massages, training debriefing and “tri talk” will occur every evening.

See you in the Spring,

EC Team

Many of you might have heard me mention Dennis Meeker in my blogs. Sometimes I call him Mayor Meeker; sometimes D Meeker 1; but mostly Denny. I used to think that Mayor Meeker was pretty appropriate, but now I think The Boulder Godfather (TBG) might be a better handle. TBG understands the value of favors and I imagine that everyone in this town is likely indebted to him in one way or another. If TBG arranged a Telethon in one’s day time, I guarantee he could generate millions based on the volume of donations from Boulder County only. The difference is that it would be done by reciprocal generosity as opposed to fear (as was the case with Brando).

You see, TBG understands the BRO culture. The BRO culture is based around one dude being there for another dude. Mr. Meeker gets that.

ME: Denny, we are riding 6 hours a day for a week. You in?

D: Ok

ME: Denny, its 5 degrees outside and we are going open water swimming.

D: Ok.

ME: Denny, my leg fell off so I’m going to need to use yours.

D: Ok.

Perhaps you have picked up on a trend here. Denny is there when you need him. He was the backbone to my (and BDC’s, and Gordo’s, and Mat’s) training in 2007. In fact he might have gone even faster in Hawaii had he not been so willing to help us (and everyone else) out, but Denny cannot help that he helps.

So now you’ll know who Denny is (or whatever I call him) in future postings.

He is:

The Man.

The Legend.

THE D. Meeker. 1.

jd