Reflecting back on 2010 Lake Placid Camp

I'm just now getting a chance to reflect back on the recent camp in Lake Placid. The weather this year (our 11th) was incredible. LP is such a great venue for Ironman, and for the active multisport lifestyle in general. I always look forward to heading up there for a few days of suffering in the hills.

Our next camp is in Louisville in preparation for the Ironman to be held there. This is also a challenging course, but not quite as hilly as in LP. The humidity can be stifling, adding to the challenge. There's still time to sign up for both our Louisville and Madison camps by going to www.coachtroy.com

The workloads at the LP camp are very high (it's a 3-day program)... and I feel it in my legs even today. Friday started with a 30 min. swim in Mirror Lake followed by a 2-loop ride (less the out and back) for about 100 miles on the roads. Most campers then transitioned to do a 20-30 min run around the lake.
Saturday included another 30 min. lake swim then the dreaded 'opposite direction' 56 mile loop (including the new out and back) and then 45 min run. The hardest part of the 56 mile loop is the stretch from Keene to LP, including the 10K climb. This 30-45 minutes of tempo shatters the legs, especially after a day of riding 100+ miles. Great training with a touch of suffering!

Sunday included yet another morning swim and then one loop of the marathon course, or 13.1 miles. Some diehard athletes stretch the run out to equal 18-20 miles, depending on their training schedules (and motivation). Overall... a great weekend of volume.

After such a large block of training, I advise the athletes to take a day or two off or to just do some easy 'active recovery' training in order to bounce back. Multiple days of higher volume training can really be tough on the body... and special attention needs to be paid to recovery and preventing overuse injury. I know that i feel a deep down fatigue after a large block of training... and my joints are sore. Ah, the joys of aging. :) The good news is that after recovery, one usually comes back to feel stronger.

While the training that takes place at our camps is great, the social aspect of getting to know the athletes is even better. Lots of friendships materialize at camps as you get to meet other like-minded people who share a passion for the sport. Good stuff.

Train smart,
Coach Troy