Day 6/7. almost there..

We started our 6th day of camp with a 3k swim at the multi generational pool in Henderson.  After the long day yesterday on the bike the swim was great active recovery.  After swim we had our final group breakfast then headed back out towards Lake Mead for our final ride together. 

The ride was rather uneventful on the way out but the pace picked up on the way home.  Several breakaways were chased down and the pace was upbeat considering we were nearing the end of the camp.  I can tell a number of people are nearing the end of their physical and mental capacity.  Early season big weeks of training like this provide a great base in which to build for the upcoming season.  Within the group we have people racing Galveston in 4 weeks, St. George in 6, Kansas 70.3, Eagleman and IMCDA.  I'm confident that everyone was stretched physically and mentally and learned a number of tips throughout the week.

Everyone went down to the Strip on Friday evening for dinner and saw a show. Several people left Saturday morning and a few of us went out for a 40 mile spin. The Leadman tri was going on and we went down to watch the end of the swim and the beginning of the bike.  With whitecaps in the lake and very heavy winds I was glad we didn't race today as I'm sure the racers are having a miserable day out there.  I know we were miserable riding the last 20 miles into a strong headwind.

Total miles for the week

9k swim
350 miles bike (plus I'll ride again tomorrow after everyone is gone)
16 run

This was my longest week of training since 2004.  After a succession of injuries including a broken back I couldn't be happier with the week.  I felt strong everyday with the exception of the last 20 miles today.  My body started to tell me "enough" today. My legs were tested this week and I'm happy to report they passed the test with flying colors.  I was proud of my clients Michelle, Kelley and Sydney who all rode very strong this week. Spending time with my clients teaches me how they respond to the pressures of a big training week.  I asked each of them to challenge themselves physically and mentally and from what I observed each of them accomplished that objective.

 With Galveston coming up in 4 weeks I'm happy with my level of fitness in the pool and on the bike.  I wish I had a few more long runs in me but I've done what I could.  tomorrow, Sydney and I will head home making a stop in St. George to preview the bike course.  I'm not looking forward to riding but it will give me 400 miles for the week and I always welcome the opportunity to do a little scouting of courses so I can provide the information to clients who will be racing their in the future.

For those of you interested we will do more camps in the future.   Please contact me at Pete@milehighmultisport.com for more information.