#IMCHOO Training Camp

3 days, 160 miles on the bike, and over 20 miles on my own two feet.  Yes, I’ve lost my mind!  Just kidding, I loved every moment of it.  My coach offered up a chance of getting a preview of the IM Chattanooga course by doing a training camp, and I hopped on.  I’ve always said I’d never do an inaugural IM b/c I’m too scared of “what if’s”.  I like the data, statistics, and reviews to have as a backup.  First year of any event means things go wrong, kinks need to be worked out, and you’re at the mercy of a higher power.  The other reason I chose to do this camp is that one of my campaigns had a date change…..to September 25th, which means I will be getting to IM much later than normal.

Friday’s schedule was run 7 miles easy on the waterfront and then get some food and head out for a loop of the lollipop on the bike course.  The run was uneventful other than the rain and low temperatures.  We did an out and back along the waterfront portion of the run course (false flat) on a trail similar to our Swamp Rabbit Trail in the Upstate.  I made myself go slow, look around, and enjoy the views.  I could certainly get used to running next to the water every day.  The homes across the river were gorgeous, and the peacefulness comforting.  I got back to the hotel nervous about what was to come, and happy with what I’d already seen.

The Friday ride was 45 miles, and was the loop portion of the lollipop.  We left the stick off which is approx. 11 miles, but did it the next day.  Both days we road were rainy and sometimes down right cold.  Friday was a tester day, and Saturday was the whole bike course day so I’ll just fast forward to Saturday.  Saturday morning I rolled out about 7:30am with the same group of girls I road with Friday.  Katie happened to be with this group, but the other 3 girls I’d never met.  We all broke out into groups for safety reasons which was smart due to the rain.  The first day it took me a while to get comfortable, but by now I was used to how the others road and although I was cautious I was relaxed and enjoying myself.  The 11 miles of what I call the stick of the lollipop is pretty much flat.  Before you get out of town and get to the highway portion you go through some back roads, and cross multiple sets of railroad tracks.  If it rains race day hopefully someone will carpet or put rubber down on some of the tracks, I think mile 4 or so has a pretty bad set.  The tracks there require you to come out to the middle of the road to get the proper angle on them.  Wet or not, these tracks could be dangerous w/a lot of people trying to cross at once.  The gaps on the tracks are pretty big.  The great part is once you hit the highway you don’t see them as much and the views of the mountains are GORGEOUS.   Around mile 11 you hit the loop of the lollipop and get into a more rural area.    I could totally get lost in myself out there, the course is beautiful.   The roads are in good condition, mostly rolling hills, and the animals are a great distraction.  Mile 31 is one of the notations I made in my mind, the hill isn’t too significant, but long and steady.  The kicker is, once you get over it you can’t coast down the hill b/c you make a SHARP left hand turn halfway down it.  The 2nd time around the hill definitely feels a little more significant, but not horrible.  I do remember that after that turn there are some FUN rollers that and some bad pavement on the right.  Around mile 54 or 55 is your next hill of notation.  The funny thing is, the first day I didn’t even notice it and the 2nd day Katie mentioned it.  She was right.  Once you crest that hill you have a long downhill w/another sharp left near the bottom to start the 2nd loop of the lollipop portion again.  The rest of the bike course isn’t anything other than rollers.  I really enjoyed this course, and the company.  I came across 3 fawns, rabbits, a turtle, cows, horses (clydesdales too!), goats, bulls, bison, and steers.  I’m hoping my bull at Captain Wood and Hog Jowl is still there race day, the two of us had a lovely conversation.  The course as of now is about 2 miles long, there will be minor changes made to fix that from what I was told, not sure how or where yet.  The elevation gain is right over 5,000 ft and loss over 5,000 ft.  The bike course could be a ton of fun, but my advice would be not to trash yourself and have too much fun b/c those quads are going to be needed for the run course.  Major props to the girls I was with, some of them had never gone that far and they were troopers.  Laura, Cindy, Elaine, and Katie you all made my day singing in the rain pretty entertaining.

 

Sunday was the run course day.  The miles along the waterfront stop around mile 4.5 and you head out onto the highway.  Race day the highway will be coned off, but since we value our lives we decided to not run that portion.  Mile 4.5 to mile 8 is mostly flat anyway, so there’s not much to really see.  I just picked the true course back up on mile 8 where you go over the veterans bridge.  Once you cross the bridge is where the real action is.  You’re immediately greeted by a long gradual uphill and then a nice downhill and all over agin on Hixson Pike.  Once you get onto Riverview Rd.  you actually get to see some of those beautiful homes I admired from the other side of the river.  The Riverview Rd loop is  a refreshing change of scenery and good on the legs.  Once Riverview Rd is done the same hill I was so happy to go down is one that you go up, the only reprieve is that there’s a downhill to follow!  The downhill is nice, and takes you to the Pedestrian Bridge that has a Great Dane dog statue to high five when you cross it.  I actually met a real Great Dane named Moo the day I ran.  Yes, I stopped to talk him.  I don’t remember anything significant after that.  The hills across the bridge are going to hurt the 2nd time around for sure, but up and over I will go like the thousands of others.

Take aways from the training camp:

*Jan and Laura are the coolest for letting me crash the party and stay with them

 

 

 

 

 

*It’s good to get out of your comfort zone

*Take time to enjoy a workout, look around, embrace the pain AND your surroundings

*Appreciate what God has given you the ability to do

*Never forget to SMILE!!

I was definitely ready to get home to the fam, but completely satisfied at what I’d accomplished over the 3 days.  Watching others succeed at things they don’t think possible is always inspiring.  The smile that comes across the face, the feeling of elation, its all a reminder of how far I’ve personally come.  The support and hospitality from Lisa and Tim Anderson was AWESOME, and major props to Katie Malone for putting camp together.