The 2014 IRONMAN Florida Training Camp, hosted by LifeSport Coaching, with coaches from LifeSport Coaching (http://lifesportcoaching.com/) (Chuck Kemeny and Marci Gray), Velocity Multisport Coaching (http://www.velocitymultisport.com/) (Jennifer Vogel), and Revolutions Triathlon Coaching (http://www.revtricoaching.com/) (Jeff Bowman) was held the weekend of September 12 - 14 at the amazing Laketown Wharf in beautiful Panama City Beach, Florida!. This offered a chance to swim, bike, and run the IRONMAN Florida course with first-class support from a dedicated and super-helpful group of volunteers. Evening educational/Q&A sessions and networking with the other 80+ athletes in attendance was incredible!
One of the personal highlights of the weekend was finally getting to meet the incomparable Shawna Block. Shawna is an incredible triathlete and fellow blogger. Having followed the blog detailing her IRONMAN Florida journey, I have consistently wondered if she could actually be as personable and down-to-earth as she reads in her blog. Somehow… she is! Shawna is probably one of the most genuine people I have met in my life! Please go get to know Shawna over at her Building Block blog at: http://buildingblockblog.blogspot.com/.
Now, before I get to the main point of this post, I just want to, again, stress how AMAZING all of the coaches and volunteers were. They did an AMAZING job of keeping up with the 80+ athletes on the 100-mile+ bike course, the 14-mile run course, and during the mass, swim start practice on the beach. We were kept safe and well-supported throughout the weekend. Just an amazing bunch and I am grateful for their time!
Did I mention that they charged NOTHING for this training camp?! Instead, they simply invited attendees to make a voluntary donation to a collection of three charities selected by the coaches! It was an awesome feeling to get so much from this camp AND know that I was also able to do something for some very worthy causes! In fact, if you would like to make a donation (Every little bit helps!) to these worthy causes, please click here before Friday, September 19, 2014: http://www.microgiving.com/cause/im-training-camp-fundraiser-for-cops-for-kids-south-city-multisport-club-and-dsaj
Now, on to the good and bad of IRONMAN Florida Training Camp. My goal on Saturday was to ride 100+ miles of the IRONMAN Florida course. At the beginning of the ride, I had a number of things I wanted to “focus” on during this ride. I wanted to get a really good feel for the course and memorize as many landmarks as possible. Cutting my rides/runs up into chunks helps me get through them and know when and where I need to put out and pull back on my energy usage. Knowing, “I have a pretty good downhill stretch after this turn!” or “There is a turn coming up after this stretch and the wind will be at my back!”, can be a big help on race day! Another point of focus, as always, was to stay on top of my hydration and nutrition. When it was time to eat, I was eating. When it was time to take a SaltStick, I was taking a SaltStick. When it was time to drink, I was drinking. I started off slower than I wanted to and picked it up after the first 11 miles. There, I made a few, very crucial mistakes.
My minor goals were given too much focus and I lost focus of the most important goals. I did not pay attention to what should ALWAYS be your main goal… knowing your plan and listening to your body. I simply did not stay within my goals for effort. For me this can be measured by heart rate and/or rate of perceived effort (RPE). In hindsight, BOTH of these were telling me that I was riding too hard.
The day of the bike at IRONMAN Florida Training Camp saw temperatures in the mid-90’s with a heat index well into the 100’s. Fortunately, this was not that foreign to me and I had trained in similar and even hotter. The problem I encountered was that, even though I stayed on top of my hydration and nutrition for my NORMAL effort, I was not taking in enough electrolytes for the increased effort I was putting out that day.
The heat and the increased effort depleted my electrolytes. Going up the steep incline of the bridge, at mile 89, I started feeling the first twinges of cramping. I went over the bridge at an easy pace and pulled into a parking lot shortly after. I was doing OK until I got off of the bike to stretch. I was immediately hit with cramps. My legs (quads) locked up, tight. I have a pretty good idea that this was related to electrolytes as I was cramping everywhere… legs, groin, arms, feet, and even my jaw. Fortunately, I was not completely disabled by this and was able to do some light stretching and quickly mounted back up. The final 11+ miles were completed much, much slower than my normal pace, but I was really trying to save myself for the rest of the weekend’s workouts.(Bridge Photo)
Of all of the negatives I brought upon myself that day, I still managed to find some positives. The biggest was that I did a good job of realizing I was in trouble and changing things up to minimize the damage. Continuing to push would have been catastrophic! As it was, I was able to get back, replenish electrolytes and ended up having a very respectable swim that afternoon and ~14-mile run the next morning! Even with a body still sore from the cramping!
I have worked very hard this year and have had some really terrific, long workouts. I think this lead to a certain amount of complacency. IRONMAN Florida Training Camp could not have come at a better time to give me a proverbial smack on the nose to remind me that I am not impervious to suffering if I go to hard. You can rest assured that no matter what happens during the rest of my training and on race day, I am going to remember to always put the main focus on my plan and staying in touch with my effort as it compares to that plan!
Fascinating read Ron and GREAT perspective!
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