LORNE CAMP 2014.
Well this was my third visit to Lorne for the Tri-Alliance preseason training camp.
I warn you this is a long post. But I felt the best way to share what it is like to live like a professional athlete for 4 days was to diarise the weekend for you.
As always we arrive Friday, if you arrive on time, the first ride is a nice cruisey ride along the Great Ocean road. Unfortunately this year I was a little late and missed the roll out.
So for me it was time to check into the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club, get a good bunk and get myself ready for the first run of the weekend. I love this fist run (mostly because it is easier as the legs are fresh). A nice trail run through the forrest and along the river. The first half of the run is undulating and very scenic. It truely is one of the best places to run. As the trail ends and we find a main road we regroup and head up. And when I say we head up, I mean UP!!!! This is where technique comes in handy. Slow and steady concentrating on good technique and making sure you reach the top. And what goes up must come down. The run down from the top of the hill past the houses is a challenge. Ensuring you don’t build up too much speed and not allow your legs to absorb all the impact. As this is only day one. The night ends with dinner at the Lorne Hotel and then a team meeting, so the coaches can put each athlete into one of four groups, before an early night.
Saturday morning starts with a great breakfast to ensure our bodies are well fueled and then on the bike by 7am heading towards Apollo Bay. The weather was perfect and 20 minutes into the ride we can see the sunrise over the ocean. It is absolutely amazing. Then we hit the first of a few tough, grinding climbs. Our group split into a few smaller groups as we work our way into Apollo bay for a quick stretch and refuel break. We work together well on our return to Lorne where we enjoyed the compulsory 15 minute leg soak in the ocean. Throughout the day we have the opportunity to listen to experts on nutrition, running technique and the importance of having good core stability. The super healthy lunch is always a winner. You just can’t eat enough while on this camp,
Then it was time again for another run. This time out along the waterfront and up the very steep residential climb. Slow going but again I rely on technique to chip away at the incline.
You guessed it. Another leg soak and then the fantastic warm shower and dinner at the Lorne Hotel. Don’t forgot your 20 cent pieces to run the showers.
Sunday morning. All 5 alarms set in our dorm room go off at once. A little more sleepy then Saturday, but we all rise and get ready for the longer ride. An hour and half out towards Appolo bay and then the return to Lorne. This time we don’t stop at the surf club but continue up Deans Marsh road to Benwerrin. Now considering our legs already have 6 and a half hours in them, within 24 hours, this climb is a tough one. A slow grind ensuring you keep the legs rolling over. This is a good time to say that every peddle stroke is done in the large chain ring on the bike with the purpose to build strength in the legs and set up our base before the season commences in November. Benwerrin is 427m above sea level. Without doubt the best bit of this ride is the decent. Fast…….. Today’s ride was 4.5 hours and you guessed it, we arrive back at camp and soak the legs in the ocean again, prepare ourselves for lunch and another great nutrition session with our resident nutritionist Margs. Half the squad head for a swim following the peir to pub course and the others do some technique work in front of the surf club. Due to being unwell earlier in the week, I avoided the swimming and opted for a snooze. And I am glad I did. After everyone completed their swim and had a little downtime it was time again for our group runs. By this time I was feeling fairly tired and my back was seizing up from the hours in the saddle. So my run was very slow and a bit shorter then I had planned.
Monday morning…… Seriously…. Who set their alarm for 5:30? I still don’t know but they were not popular in our room. Dozing again and then it’s 6am and we are getting up. A bit slower than the last 2 days but none the less we get up. Breakfast to fuel our bodies and the trash talking begins. Our last ride for the weekend is a recovey group ride. An hour out towards Appolo Bay. Then the fun beggins. We are set off in groups of 2 or 3 on a Time trial back to base. With those behind us chasing and hoping to claim the winning prize, Bragging rights for another year. Well there was only about 30 seconds between the groups and everyone wanted to get back fast so the pain would be over. Within 4 minutes we are in a peloton and flying down the first hill. However the next hill pulled most of us up short and we watched the lead 4 take off, which was fair as they were sitting behind coach Sarah who was in her element of racing. It can be a lonely ride back to Lorne on your own with nothing but your legs screaming at you to stop as they have had enough and your mind wanting to shut off and sleep. But you start to hear riders behind you and start to see one or two in front. So you speed up and try to push through the pain. I started working with Dinaksha over the last 10kms and this seemed to work well for both of us. Taking it in turns to drag the other up the climbs and race each other down. And right on the last small climb to the finish we finally caught the 2 in front of us. What a rush. Now that it’s over we feel great and everyone is smiling. Except our legs of course.
The last thing for us to do is an aquathon, clean the surf club and enjoy the last big feed. Time to travel home and enjoy a good night sleep in our own bed. This weekend is certainly a challenge and not easy. But trust me when I say it is well worth attending. The training spike we have all received from this hard work will reap many rewards when the season beggins.
I am looking forward to the next camp and getting more of the winter base training under my belt.