I’m in the process of planning a training camp for my friends and I who are doing IM CdA. I’ve never planned one before, so obviously I don’t much about it. We are all in SoCal and would like to get away for 4 days or so for some consecutive focuse long workouts. What sort of dates and locations should I shoot for? Any help would be greatly appreciated - E
I would attend this camp: http://competitionzone.com/coaching/ironman_CDA_camp.htm
All the planning is done for you!
5 - 8 weeks out. Warm location since IMCDA has been hot a couple times. I wouldn’t go for all hilly terrain but certainly have some hills available.
And fit the schedule with your current fitness at the time. You can do some crash training and some overreaching but don’t plan on Epic Camp type mileage if you are in Sissy Camp type shape.
But I’ve done this a few times with others and it is a hell of a lot of fun to have nothing to do but train, eat, and sleep. Especially if you go somewhere for it and aren’t sitting at home with the normal distractions.
i did a camp in El Paso last year and would highly recommend the area for a self done camp or join the one Francois and company are putting on…
Thanks for the timing suggestion. It does seem like fun to have nothing to do but train and chill. I agree, we will have to make sure that everyone is on nearly the same page fitness wise. It would be nice to fit in a big mileage week before the end of april, because the wifey and I are expecting our first around cinqo de mayo. I have a feeling it’s going to be a LONG taper to June 26! - E
For the past couple years I’ve done a “Boys Only Training Weekend” on the WF course. Coaching hat comes off, I’m just another dude. We rent several of the cabins by the lake, potluck dinner on Saturday, one of the guys owns a wine import business so he brings up about 2 bottles per 
Usual schedule is:
Friday, arrive on your time, if you make it by 1pm we do a ride of the WF course. Awesome ride in March, as all the fields are green, etc. Brick off the bike, dinner.
Saturday: two years ago we rode out to the coast through Ft Hunter-Ligget, dropping down to the coast on Naciemento-Furgeson Rd. This is probably on my top 3 of Cali rides I’ve done. This year the road was closed to the slides caused by the rain so we rode up towards King City and flipped it. Brick run, potluck, much wine, red meat and maybe cigars.
Sunday: long run on the course, breakfast, clean up, drive home.
If I had four days and additional logisitics I’d do Thurs arrival, WF course. Friday ride to Carmel via Carmel Valley Rd. Stay in Carmel/Monterrey. Saturday ride back to WF via PCH, NF Rd. This will be an EPIC scenery day, one of your best ever on a bike. Sunday long run and split. I may try to make this happen for Boys Weekend this year.
Ernie, I had never done an organized camp, but usually get together with some friends somewhere just for the sake of piling up some big miles. it always amazes me what peer pressure can do to me. One idea is dev pauls epic or iron camp in lake placid. If you search this forum, you will find plenty of information.
As a final push for IMH this year, i decided to go to monty’s place in xantusia for 10 days. It’s the right training environment with no distractions, fair priced and you can get free training advise and lots of stories from one of the best guys in our sport.
Even if the terrain was completely different than what I had to deal with 5 weeks later: the heat, the altitude and the general roughness of the training there helped me a tremendously. You should consider this as an option. And perhaps even his pool is done by then…
stefan
Hi,
I’m also planning a training camp, a “Blue Competition” camp no less. I’m aiming for mid-late March & have basically decided on Athens, GA for location. Please contact me directly so I can share what I have found out to date.
As Kus said earlier, our palce here in Xantusia is a training playground. The workouts are tough, you build more red blood cells in the altitude, and the price is right. If you have any interest send me a pm and I can give you further details. Best part is you can drive here in an hour and a half from LA, and you would think you were in Tahoe or some similar mountain region… I’ll be hiting a few weeks hard myself this winter since I’ve signed up for the Ralphs 70.3 in march this year.
The mountains of Dahlonaga (Sp) GA would be fun.
Hey if you don’t want to travel very far why don’t you stay up in Mount Laguna. I have heard of sucessful running camps being held there and I know the riding is pretty nice as well. Its also slight altitude so extra benefits there. I guess you would stay in a camper or there may be cabins? You would have to make sure that there was no snow up there at the time of the camp.