After attending "She Does Tri" camp (http://www.shedoestri.com/), I emailed my triathlon club about the experience (http://www.midmdtriclub.org/). Since I have started training in earnest, I decided to keep blogging about my experiences. (If nothing else, my family and friends will be able to keep up with how things are going). Here is that first post about my tri camp experience:
If you aren’t familiar with “She Does Tri”, it is a tri camp that waslaunched this year by David Glover (25-time Ironman) and Krista Schultz (elite triathlete). My “bios” don’t do them justice, so check out the She Does Tri website (they have links to their blogs and websites there).
I enlisted a co-worker who has done sprint tris in the past to attend with me. Traveling with a buddy gave the weekend a road trip feel. As a tri newbie, I was looking forward to soaking up all the insider tips and building my confidence.
We arrived at the Hampton Inn in Warrenton on Friday afternoon. David and Krista had a conference room for our group reserved for the weekend. It served as a classroom, exercise room, and home base. There was also an ample supply of Smart Water, Vitamin Water, Luna Bars and fruit. The afternoon started out with an icebreaker (a cross between “speed dating” and “twenty questions”), which got us laughing and meeting one another. Our group varied from individuals who hadn’t practiced recently in any of the tri sports to those who had competed in multiple tri’s.
David and Krista held their inaugural camp in March, so they made a few adjustments with our group. They added a strength training and stretching session with Colby Schreckengost of Next Level Performance Training . This was a great way to keep our bodies moving in line with our brains. Dinner was catered, with side dishes by Bill and Catherine Goodrum (Warrenton locals, friends of Krista and David. Bill is a triathlete and phenomenal chef, and Catherine is a budding triathlete). Over dinner, Krista and David gave us an intro to triathlon. The presentations were very interactive. They were receptive to the questions and let them guide the discussions.
At the poolSaturday started with a yoga session led by Catherine Goodrum (did I mention she is a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist?). It was a perfect start to the day. Breakfast included a continuation of the Intro to Tri talk. Then we were off to the Warrenton aquatic center (a beautiful facility). Brad Rex (retired pro triathlete, triathlon announcer and all-around very cool guy), and Katie Davison (team leader for Team Luna Chix DC, triathlete, and swim fanatic) led the swim clinic.
We were divided into groups by comfort level (“I want lots of supervision in the water”, “I am comfortable in the water but keep an eye on me”, and “I am very comfortable so don’t worry about me, Mom”). Brad, Katie, and Krista then ran us through drills in the pool. After drills, we were filmed both above and under the water swimming. As a finale to the swim session, we ran through a swim start drill (all 18 of us swimming from one side of the pool to the other at once…churning water, inadvertent kicks, and all). Over lunch at the aquatic center, we reviewed our videotape and got great feedback from Brad.
The next stop was the Warrenton Cycling Center. There, we practiced changing a tire. (This was a good pre-ride exercise, as several people had tire or tube issues that were identified at this time). Tim Dingus from WCC also provided some of the SAG support (along with David), during our ride. From the cycling store, we went to our bike start. The ride was 23 miles, through rolling hills. There was a water break at the halfway point, and again at the turnaround. Signs were posted along the oute, but there was a ride leader for every three to four “campers”. I was ervous about my clips (lots of spin classes but little road riding with my new bike), but managed not to fall at all. My new bike zipped down the hills, and the uphills felt good, so I was excited. Kim Larson (two-time Ironman and Team Z member) was our group leader. She is also a USTA official, so she had lots of input on tri rules. Talking with her along the ride was very helpful.
The second new addition to camp this time around was a Brick. After the ride, Krista gave us the option of a ten minute run, or completing a 3 mile run. The day had gotten quite warm, but everyone put in a good effort. I ran the full 3 miles (too stubborn not to). It was mental at the end, but Sarah (another camper and Team Luna Chix member) pushed me at the end. It was a great sense of accomplishment to know we had completed all the aspects of the sprint tri that day.
The evening ended with dinner catered by Bill and Catherine Goodrum at their home. Natalie King, PTA, spoke to us during dinner about body mechanics and stretching. She is an avid cyclist and triathlete, as well as physical therapy assistant and co-developer of the AMPT program for triathletes (check her out at http://schrierpt.com). We fell into bed on Saturday.
Sunday was forecast to be 90 degrees, so we hydrated well. Krista (who minored in Nutrition in college), gave us a talk on nutrition during breakfast. Next we headed to the local high school track for a speed workout. Brad gave us a talk on the mechanics of the feet and shoe fit. Krista talked about training for the run and monitoring heart rate. The workout gave us a lot of tools for improving our run. After a shower and check out, we met up for the conclusion of the day. David walked us through transition, and then took us outside for practice (complete with a simulation of the dizziness experienced when coming out of the water).
Dave Greenfield of Elite BicyclesThe final speaker of the day was Dave Greenfield, president of Elite Bicycles, former pro-triathlete, and former Jamaican national triathlon champion. His knowledge of the sport, passion for bike fitting, and humor made his talk a great finish to the camp.
Krista, David, and their support crew were phenomenal. We were surrounded by incredibly knowledgeable triathletes all weekend. Women-specific training issues were discussed throughout the camp, and everyone was so supportive. The attendees were enthusiastic and motivated.
I am so glad I attended She Does Tri, and can’t wait until they plan the alumni weekend (aka She Does Tri part 2).
If you aren’t familiar with “She Does Tri”, it is a tri camp that waslaunched this year by David Glover (25-time Ironman) and Krista Schultz (elite triathlete). My “bios” don’t do them justice, so check out the She Does Tri website (they have links to their blogs and websites there).
I enlisted a co-worker who has done sprint tris in the past to attend with me. Traveling with a buddy gave the weekend a road trip feel. As a tri newbie, I was looking forward to soaking up all the insider tips and building my confidence.
We arrived at the Hampton Inn in Warrenton on Friday afternoon. David and Krista had a conference room for our group reserved for the weekend. It served as a classroom, exercise room, and home base. There was also an ample supply of Smart Water, Vitamin Water, Luna Bars and fruit. The afternoon started out with an icebreaker (a cross between “speed dating” and “twenty questions”), which got us laughing and meeting one another. Our group varied from individuals who hadn’t practiced recently in any of the tri sports to those who had competed in multiple tri’s.
David and Krista held their inaugural camp in March, so they made a few adjustments with our group. They added a strength training and stretching session with Colby Schreckengost of Next Level Performance Training . This was a great way to keep our bodies moving in line with our brains. Dinner was catered, with side dishes by Bill and Catherine Goodrum (Warrenton locals, friends of Krista and David. Bill is a triathlete and phenomenal chef, and Catherine is a budding triathlete). Over dinner, Krista and David gave us an intro to triathlon. The presentations were very interactive. They were receptive to the questions and let them guide the discussions.
At the poolSaturday started with a yoga session led by Catherine Goodrum (did I mention she is a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist?). It was a perfect start to the day. Breakfast included a continuation of the Intro to Tri talk. Then we were off to the Warrenton aquatic center (a beautiful facility). Brad Rex (retired pro triathlete, triathlon announcer and all-around very cool guy), and Katie Davison (team leader for Team Luna Chix DC, triathlete, and swim fanatic) led the swim clinic.
We were divided into groups by comfort level (“I want lots of supervision in the water”, “I am comfortable in the water but keep an eye on me”, and “I am very comfortable so don’t worry about me, Mom”). Brad, Katie, and Krista then ran us through drills in the pool. After drills, we were filmed both above and under the water swimming. As a finale to the swim session, we ran through a swim start drill (all 18 of us swimming from one side of the pool to the other at once…churning water, inadvertent kicks, and all). Over lunch at the aquatic center, we reviewed our videotape and got great feedback from Brad.
The next stop was the Warrenton Cycling Center. There, we practiced changing a tire. (This was a good pre-ride exercise, as several people had tire or tube issues that were identified at this time). Tim Dingus from WCC also provided some of the SAG support (along with David), during our ride. From the cycling store, we went to our bike start. The ride was 23 miles, through rolling hills. There was a water break at the halfway point, and again at the turnaround. Signs were posted along the oute, but there was a ride leader for every three to four “campers”. I was ervous about my clips (lots of spin classes but little road riding with my new bike), but managed not to fall at all. My new bike zipped down the hills, and the uphills felt good, so I was excited. Kim Larson (two-time Ironman and Team Z member) was our group leader. She is also a USTA official, so she had lots of input on tri rules. Talking with her along the ride was very helpful.
The second new addition to camp this time around was a Brick. After the ride, Krista gave us the option of a ten minute run, or completing a 3 mile run. The day had gotten quite warm, but everyone put in a good effort. I ran the full 3 miles (too stubborn not to). It was mental at the end, but Sarah (another camper and Team Luna Chix member) pushed me at the end. It was a great sense of accomplishment to know we had completed all the aspects of the sprint tri that day.
The evening ended with dinner catered by Bill and Catherine Goodrum at their home. Natalie King, PTA, spoke to us during dinner about body mechanics and stretching. She is an avid cyclist and triathlete, as well as physical therapy assistant and co-developer of the AMPT program for triathletes (check her out at http://schrierpt.com). We fell into bed on Saturday.
Sunday was forecast to be 90 degrees, so we hydrated well. Krista (who minored in Nutrition in college), gave us a talk on nutrition during breakfast. Next we headed to the local high school track for a speed workout. Brad gave us a talk on the mechanics of the feet and shoe fit. Krista talked about training for the run and monitoring heart rate. The workout gave us a lot of tools for improving our run. After a shower and check out, we met up for the conclusion of the day. David walked us through transition, and then took us outside for practice (complete with a simulation of the dizziness experienced when coming out of the water).
Dave Greenfield of Elite BicyclesThe final speaker of the day was Dave Greenfield, president of Elite Bicycles, former pro-triathlete, and former Jamaican national triathlon champion. His knowledge of the sport, passion for bike fitting, and humor made his talk a great finish to the camp.
Krista, David, and their support crew were phenomenal. We were surrounded by incredibly knowledgeable triathletes all weekend. Women-specific training issues were discussed throughout the camp, and everyone was so supportive. The attendees were enthusiastic and motivated.
I am so glad I attended She Does Tri, and can’t wait until they plan the alumni weekend (aka She Does Tri part 2).
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