He and I had breakfast in Kona this year before the race and we spoke of the possibility of doing a camp together. We followed up on it and here we are. When we both were looking at this week in Lodi to do some late winter training, we checked the farmer’s Almanac and the chances of rain were slim and the temperatures should be solid for training. We are now a little nervous as it looks like we may get some rain this week. Here is why coaches need to bring athletes to camps that they know can deal with different situations. The group we have here are my kind of people. We got rained on a little yesterday when we did a shakedown run and swim just to loosen everyone up from a day of traveling. Not one athlete said a thing about the fact it was raining. They are here to train and they really don’t give a rip about the weather- within reason.
We are living at the Wine and Roses hotel right here in the middle of the Lodi Wine country. The accommodations are awesome. Bob knows the folks here so we were able to use this hotel as camp headquarters, which is a blessing. The staff can’t do enough for us.
We kicked off the training this morning with a solid swim. Zach and I pounded out 5,000 yards. 1,000 continuous with every 4th 25 backstroke, 400 easy free, 10 x 50’s leaving on the :50, and then 8 x 200. The first 4 were leaving on the 2:55 and then we brought that down to leaving on the 2:50. We wrapped it up with a 400 IM, and then 600 or so of drills and such to get to 5,000. Zach and I have trained in camps before and we find that we make good training partners. Zach Poehlman is a navy fighter pilot based in San Diego and is ramping up for Armed Forces National Championships in Pt Mugu April 9th. Zach is on his first All-Navy team, but it won’t be his last. As his coach, I am very pumped to see how he goes next month. He is scary fit, ripped like you read about, and focused. Should be a fun week.
After the swim, we got something to eat and hit the 4 hour ride around the outskirts of Lodi. If you have never trained here, you are missing out. The riding is glorious. We rode flats, rollers, some soul suckers and everything in between. The group assimilated nicely as a group and rode in a tight pack. It is amazing the ground you can cover when the group rolls down the road together and not strung out all over the place. In the middle of today’s ride we jumped each other with some peppy climbs and such to make it interesting and Zach and I took off for some serious stuff for a few miles followed closely by Sal who wanted in on the fun. Sal Lancaster is one of my athletes that I have been coaching for a few years. Portuguese by birth , he came to the states as a young man and is an amazing success story. I will feature him one of these days in our newsletter and tell his story. The short version is that he is the nicest, most sincere guy in the world who speaks with a moderate Portuguese accent. He also has a quirky streak. He can be enormously silly and fun and it is always at the right time. He can split me in two laughing so hard. He can also whip up a ton of big boy pain on the bike when he wants to do that too. He was a lifesaver tonight beating back into the wind. I had been on the front pulling around 20 mph or so in stiff, harsh winds and was starting to bonk a little. He saw it and immediately dropped in to let me sit on his wheel long enough for me to steal a gel from our newest IMJ Coach, Kristin “Rosie” Barnes. Having Sal take that pull right then was all I needed to get home. I was able to recover and get it rolling again.
I am coming into this camp hoping to build some serious fitness. I have been working pretty hard with both United and the Navy and my training is really behind where it typically is this time of year. So much so, that I am flirting with not racing this year. My new role in the navy is the absolute dream gig, and I want to make sure I do that job to the fullest and our coaching business is in a place that if we continue doing some of the things that are pumping real life into it should bear great fruit for this and follow on seasons. This has left me training in the seams and I have not been as consistent at the level necessary to race successfully. I don’t like absolute statements, but I currently can’t see myself racing anytime soon unless my fitness dramatically improves.
That doesn’t mean I am not willing to come and drill it in these camps. The great thing about these camps is there is such a family environment that you can lay it out on a bike ride or run and the group will still get you home. I love that part about tight camps.
Tomorrow should be solid. Zach and I will swim 5-6K in the pool and then it is a casual 2 hour ride and a 1 hour tempo run. I am looking forward to the whole enchilada.
We will do our best this week to Train with joy or not at all!
As Gordo says- “live by the trials of miles, and miles of trials!”
Later,
Jonser
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