The game plan was to hit all three disciplines today:
90 minute swim
4 hour bike ride
30 minute run
After our morning coffee run we headed over to the Oro Valley pool - which is about 20 minutes from our hotel. Check out this picture I took of the pool this AM.
It is hard not get motivated to swim here. Swimming is right up there with going to the dentist with me. I never swam competitevly as a kid, and only started to swim when I turned 40. Every year I put in just enough swimming to get through an Ironman swim in July. So as of this morning I had not swam since last July. The swim workout started out slow for me, but one of the camp coaches (Brian) jumped in the lane next to me and started to make some suggestions. This was a great day to try some new things and sure enough these suggestions started to work. For the first time in awhile I actually feel like I might have something positive happening for me in the water. The coaches put everyone through a solid 90 minute workout in the pool. This group of athletes has a great attitude and everyone seemd to enjoy the swim.
The temps continued to ride and by 11:30 AM we were in the low 70's. Time to get on the bikes. Today's ride was going to take us to Colossal Cave - which is a nice 26 mile steady climb from the hotel. A few of the athletes were christening their new bikes today - which was very cool. We headed out on the ride and after about 5 miles you are in southwest countryside with city views to your right and mountain views to your left. I have done this ride now for the last four years and I really enjoy it. I know the roads and realize that the hard work is done in the first 90 minutes. Here is the elevation chart for this ride and as you can see again this desert ain't flat.
The group spread a little but regrouped at the Cave - before heading back. The coaches told us that we were not going straight home - instead we would be making a stop at the Saguaro National Park to do 2 loops of the rolling 9 mile road that winds through this beautiful park. I got my second wind on the downhill ride from the Cave to the Park and the miles just clicked away. Once we got to the park we headed out on the loop. This photo shows just how great this park is:
We headed back to the hotel with the entire ride being a little over 60 miles. A quick change into running shoes and we were out for a 3o minute run. My legs actually felt pretty good on this run which surprised me as I thought that after the ride I was done. A good sign of my current fitness level.
I am a good tired right now - a solid day of training in the books.
Heading out to dinner shortly.
Camper Jeff M.
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