MPI IMFL Training Camp

Last weekend me and Matt had the chance to help out with a training camp for Ironman Florida that my coaches at Multisport Performance Institute put on.  There were 10 athletes from 3 different states (one all the way from Missouri) that attended the camp, none of whom had raced the iron distance before.  The camp ran from Friday through Sunday and was held in Panama City Beach.  It was basically a primer for athletes that are preparing to do the Ironman Florida race in November either this year or next.   It was a chance for the athletes to see the course, get some tips from veterans who have done the race before, and get all of their questions answered. 

The first event planned for Friday was a run along the first part of the race course.  Unfortunately Matt had to work that day, so we weren't able to make it in time for that.  We got to Panama City Beach around 6:30, just in time to meet everyone for dinner at the Boatyard Restaurant.  During dinner, we were able to get to know the athletes, enjoy some great seafood, and go over some of the logistics of the camp. 

At 5:45 on Saturday morning, me and Matt met Coaches John and Mark down at the beach to get ready for the first open water swim session.  We carried the kayaks down to the water and put the buoys in to mark the course.  Around 6:30, Mark and John gave a lecture on open water swimming and then the athletes were able to get in the water and practice what they had learned.  While they were swimming, me and Matt were in the kayaks watching over everyone and giving people a place to rest if they wanted to.  The water was absolutely beautiful, crystal clear and we even saw some dolphins pretty close by.

 Once everyone got into dry clothes, we all caravaned about 25 miles away to the middle of the bike course.  Everyone set off for a 60 mile loop, which was the back half of the course and me and Matt were the sag wagons.  We leap frogged the riders in a van and a truck and stopped at different places so they could refuel, fill up their water bottles, or get any help they needed.  It was a good ride, only one rider got a flat that we were able to get changed quickly.  Everyone did great and seemed to really enjoy it.

By the time we were through with that, everyone was starving, so after getting quick showers, we met at Mellow Mushroom for lunch.  Now that everyone's stomachs were full, we were ready for something a little less intense.  We headed back to the condo for a lecture on the race week schedule and all of the little intricacies that go with racing an ironman.  Afterwards we did a walk through of the transition area and went over how everything goes from changing tents, to picking up T1 and T2 bags, to other details that go into racing the iron distance. It was a great opportunity to discuss some things that the athletes otherwise would probably never have thought of.

Now that our food had settled and the sun was starting to go down we were ready to get back at it for the last event of the day.  We drove over to the back side of the run course and ran the loop through St Andrews Park.  It was just a couple of miles and we kept it pretty easy, I think everyone's legs were pretty beat up from the ride earlier.  Since I hadn't ridden, I was feeling pretty good and decided to add on a couple of extra miles.  Matt patiently waited for me to get through and then we decided to pick up Subway for dinner and take it back to the condo.  We were beat and Matt wanted to catch some of the football games. 
We met at the same time on Sunday morning to set up everything for the open water swim.  Mark and John gave a brief lecture on entry/exit of the water and then the athletes got a chance to practice.  Once in the water, Mark and John discussed and demonstrated how to draft and then gave the athletes an opportunity to practice.  They finished the session with a relay race that ended in a photo finish :-).

The last session of the camp was a ride on the front half of the bike course.  We took off from the hotel, which is where the transition area is on race day, and basically rode an out and back course.  Since the course was a little simpler, we only needed one sag wagon and I got to ride.  The whole group stayed together for the first 8-10 miles before we started splitting up.  I stayed with Coach John through the first half, tucked right behind him for most of the way.  It was a good hard effort for me, though I'm sure it felt like a piece of cake to him.  The way back I took it a little easier, stayed with another guy for about a third of the way, and then just rode alone.  We did about 50 miles total.

This camp was fantastic.  I heard nothing but good remarks from the campers about how glad they were to get the experience of seeing the entire course and the opportunity to learn from Coach Mark and Coach John.  I learned so much from being a part of it and know that I would feel much more confident after having gone through it if I were planning on doing the race.  We were pretty tired by the end of it, but we had so much fun.  The athletes were all a blast to be around and had great attitudes.  Good luck to you all as you race this year and next!!