AZ Camp Day 4

Dan, distinguished MVP for day 4 (and Naval Officer), says it all. I can't add a thing...


Day Four brought a definitive, though subtle, change to Triathlon Camp.

After three full days of strong efforts, everybody was feeling and moving just a touch slower this morning. Nonetheless, we once again embraced the 0700 reveille call eager to begin our most daunting challenge of the day; a two-hour trail run up to, and beyond, Seven Falls.
Coach Eric would lead the faster “A” group out front, and using his local knowledge, would help mark the trail for those who followed with distinctive pink chalk markings. It didn’t take long for the usual suspects, Kerri and Gus, to bolt out with Eric, and the “B” group to settle into a pace behind me. I felt more “A-“ rather than “B+” today, and thus chose to stay in view of the leaders.

Aside from the Grand Canyon, this is the only place in Arizona to my knowledge where there is year-round, naturally running water. So, you have to imagine that the trail up the creek and the canyon was quite scenic. Our foursome ran, walked, and hopped over a number of beautiful creek crossings, passing many natural pools and scenic rock formations, and we were enjoying our adventure quite well…until we discovered the “B” group high on the canyon wall above moving steadily along. We were faced with a choice, and Eric boldly led the rest of us on an impromptu rock climbing expedition in order to ascend up to the trail from the bottom of the canyon. As dangerous as it looked (and it was!), I think Eric missed his calling as a mountaineer, and we successfully scaled the rocks to the trail above what will forever be known to future campers as “Eric’s Ravine.”

We were well beyond one hour on the clock after scaling Eric’s Ravine, and we needed to get our heart rates back up with a fast-paced climb up the switchbacks opposite the canyon from Seven Falls. After exchanging best wishes and Kodak Moments with the other campers, our foursome pressed on a little further, around the bend into the reaches of the upper canyon above the falls. The trail looked like it could go on forever, or at least to Colorado, and we decided to turn around and save that for next year.

The run back proved to be just as enjoyable as the run up. After spending much time toiling through the creek bed at low heart rates, Gus and Eric were eager to fire up the engines and speed back. Kerri and I turned out to be perfect partners on the return voyage…my longer legs navigated the trails a little better, and her speedy legs pulled me along once we left the canyon and turned for home. Everyone enjoyed the trail run; definitely one of the highlights of the camp so far.

After a late breakfast, we continued on to the day’s other workout at the nicest, largest pool so far. Curiously, Coach Brian started taking over as the pilot of the camp van, and since he normally pilots vehicles that seat only one or two persons, his transition to 15-passenger vehicles brought some immediate, though minor, logistical issues. Nonetheless, we all arrived safely at the pool without resorting to afterburners or breaking the sound barrier.

The recipe for the swim workout called for large portions of yardage, including pulling, kicking, and (surprise!) non-freestyle strokes. Those hungry for yardage were fed a good couple of miles worth, and Bill Daniell came back to shoot underwater videos until the camera batteries died. The campers successfully managed to avoid the dreaded post-swim planking torture by beating Bill in a 250 yard race (Bill doing 1x250 and 10 campers doing 10x25). Things were looking pretty dire for the campers at the outset until the sprinters pulled it out in the end. Bill was a good sport about it, although he spent a good few hours later in the afternoon telling each of us, one-by-one, that we had “interesting strokes” during one-on-one debriefings of our videotaped strokes.

This was the first day of camp without a bike ride. The substitute activity was a field trip to TriSports World Headquarters. For me, I didn’t buy much, but it was great to actually touch and feel all the great stuff that I had only seen before in online catalogues and magazine ads.
Dinner was in Guadalajara, in deference to the Mexican Food lobby that was the #2 choice behind the steak eaters the previous night. But, the food was worth the extra day’s wait…and weight.

What I learned on Day Four:
(a) Never, ever follow pink arrows…even if you think they are right.
(b) You can have spectacular workouts, even if you only feel 95%.
(c) Pilots are deserving of your highest respect, even if they do occasionally try to kill you.

Storylines for Day Five (the LONG bike day):
(a) Kerri has been the superstar on the bike all week. She hasn’t cracked yet, and the smart money is that she’ll be the Queen of the Desert again.
(b) Gus is about to break out and do something ridiculously spectacular. He’s showed strength through the entire week as well. Whatever that something is, it may or may not happen tomorrow…but definitely in the next few months.
(c) We’ve had a mechanical on each camp ride so far (2 flats, one wheel and one chain). Can the campers break the chain of bad luck and make it through the big ride unscathed?
(d) Someone other than the one of the usual suspects will ride a smart ride, with a good pace and a good nutrition plan, and will have strength at the end to finish at the front. Who will it be?
(e) Is there a subtle battle of wills between the Air Force and the Navy? Is Brian getting irritated every time I wear a Navy jersey? Will he make me sing “Wild Blue Yonder” before he lets me into the van again?

Cheers,
- Dan