May Camp
We just completed our first training camp of the year and now training for next season has really begun in earnest. Our May camp started at Jim Mullen’s Premiere Physical Medicine Wellness Center for VO2 testing and a flexibility assessment. It is great to establish baseline fitness early in the season to know where we stand. Tests throughout the course of the year will also help to assess improvement as we strive for higher and higher fitness during the year. We also measure flexibility mainly to determine if the flexibility of any particular muscles were a performance-limiting factor. This gave everyone an understanding of where he or she is tight and what should be stretched to potentially improve performance.
The next day Garrott, Brian, Bryan and I jumped in a local mountain bike race on trails developed by Brian Fish’s father. Garrott and Bryan have a fair amount of experience but Brian and I found ourselves techniquely outmatched by other racers. I could hammer to keep up but too many times I found myself off the bike and losing time. Brian and I had a fun battle going on in which time was gained or lost on the other depending on who managed to stay up and incur the least mechanical problems through a given section. He was able to put to me over the last few miles and we finished the 24-mile race exhausted and covered in mud. It was an amazing experience made even more interesting by the snow and mud. It was definitely a fun way to kick the year off and get excited to train.
Over the next couple of days we roller skied on the back roads of Wisconsin lake country around Hugus’ cabin where we were staying. With the first over distance and specific strength workouts of the year under our belt it was great to ice in the lake and even get in a nice sauna last night.
It is time to start putting in the hours. Enjoy!
