Again, the alarm rang at 6:30 am. I barely got any sleep, which is usual for me. I have a hard time sleeping, in general. I just found it surprising that I couldn't sleep after the two days of camp that I experienced. I was kind of dragging, but hoped I still had enough energy to get through the last day.
On tap for the day was a 30-mile bike ride, followed by an 8-mile run. That might not seem too bad considering what we'd been through over the weekend, but the ride was up a mountain. Literally - a mountain. They have 'em all over Chattanooga. Coach Andrew had given us two options: we could climb to the top, or turn-around about half-way up before it got "really steep." Though I was temped to go for the whole thing, based on the fact that I'm not the best climber AND I still had an 8-mile run to knock out, I chose to wimp out and only go half-way.
Unfortunately, it didn't really matter how long we chose to ride because the weather didn't cooperate with us at all. Not rain this time, but fog. As in CRAZY fog. At first, it wasn't so bad. But as we rode out of the city, visibility got worse and worse. Jessica even had to drive behind us in the FTP Mobile with hazard lights flashing, just so cars would be aware we were there. After about 10 miles, Andrew decided to have us all turn around and head back into town. It was just too dangerous to start climbing in the fog.
Now, some of you might be thinking, "oh - so you didn't really get your bike workout in that day then, right?" Wrong. While we did have to cut off 10-miles of our ride, Andrew had us sprint back the majority of the ride. It was our own little time trial for about 7-miles. It hurt and my legs were toast when I was done.
When we got back to the hotel, Nikki and I changed and headed out for the run. This time, we were going to be running the second-half of the IM marathon course. I'd heard a lot of horror stories about this part of the course and how it was just going to kill a lot of people because it was so hilly. I kept thinking that it SURELY couldn't be THAT bad. Surely.
Well, let me tell you - it is that bad. While they're not that steep, there are hills on this course that just last FOREVER. There was one hill we were climbing for a few minutes, when we hit a turn on our route. I was so happy to be turning because the road we were on went up for another half-mile or so. Of course, we turned the corner to be faced with a much worse hill. For those who live in Nashville, think of Percy Warner Park as a reference. It's BAD, and yes, it will kill a lot of people, especially on the second loop. I just hope I'm not one of them.
After surviving the run, Nikki and I cleaned up, loaded up the car and headed back to Nashville. I was tired, but not completely spent, which I was expecting to be. Again, my training has been gradual and my body has pretty much adapted to anything that I've thrown at it (so far).
Overall, camp was a great experience. Yes, we had some issues with weather, but what are you going to do? It was a lot of fun getting to know my FTP teammates better, and I learned a lot about the IMCHOO course and how to race an Ironman. A huge thanks to everyone for making the weekend so enjoyable, even when I was suffering. I also have to thank Nikki for being an awesome roommate and training partner for the weekend. And, of course, a GIANT thank you to Coach Andrew and Coach Jessica of FTP for organizing the entire weekend. As previously mentioned, I had never been to a camp like this before and I had no idea what to expect, but I can't imagine a more organized camp. The schedule was clear and followed, the workouts were well-supported and we even got little goody-bags.
Who doesn't love a goodie bag?
One final note that I hadn't mentioned previously. We actually closed on our house the night before training camp. That's right - Dudley and I bought a house and then I cleared town. He spent the entire weekend painting and moving, while I was out chasing this Ironman thing. So, I would be completely remiss if I didn't say Thank You to Dudley - again - for being an amazing husband and supporter. I wouldn't be able to do this without him.
43 days, y'all! 43 days!
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