Living The Life At Spring Camp By Adam Gorski
Coffee - Eat - Ride - Eat- Ride - Eat - Sleep - Repeat
In the past I have taken a few vacations to ride my bike at the end of a long cold winter because like many of us, I inevitably have a strong desire to feel the wind on my face come spring. Last year I discovered the ultimate bike vacation: Spring Training Camp. The remarkable thing about camp is that it is essentially a vacation for you and your bike and it enhances your ability to make the most of your riding. Traveling to camp means you are away from home and this helps narrow the demands that are put on you. At camp you only have two jobs: 1) ride your bike and 2) recover. The latter actually being more important. I (and I am assuming that many people share this trait) rarely recover the way that I should - with rest, proper food, quality snacks and hydration. Spring training camp has great food for pre and post ride eating, and great snacks for consumption during long bike efforts. Another great thing I discovered about camp is how rarely I get to take advantage of things like sleep and massage. These are luxuries at home. I am guessing that you are in the same boat. Spring camp is a unique experience where you can focus on yourself, on your riding, and do this with the warm company of other friendly people. There are no worries about cutting the grass, keeping your home tidy, cooking dinner, walking the dogs, and checking and answering work email. Instead there is just you, your bike, miles of road to explore and fabulous food and company to enjoy. What follows is a day in the life of me, Adam, at camp.
6:30am: Coffee is ready. This is arguably the most important part of the day for me. As we transition into breakfast chatter over the previous day’s ride and today’s journey are at the forefront.
9:00am: One last cup of coffee before the morning ride which departs at 9:30. Here is the best part… As we go outside we are greeted with sparkling clean bikes. Eric, our wonderful mechanic, has prepared each of our bikes for the day. Each bike is cleaned, tuned, and ready to go. Everyone grabs their bikes. Today’s routes have already been sorted and explained so that everyone knows what to expect for the first ride of the day. The morning ride is a few hours on the bikes exploring the hills and valleys of Wisconsin being guided by us coaches. The ride is followed and supported by Larry and Eric in their respective Team vehicles just in case there is a mechanical issue or more importantly, someone has the desire for more fresh made food and/or beverages.
12:00pm: The first ride of the day is done as we are heading back to the cabins to eat lunch by 12:30. Lunch is a great opportunity to refuel and refresh yourself before the afternoon ride which will give you the chance to stretch your legs your legs out, in a manner of speaking.
1:30pm: The afternoon ride departs. The beauty of our structured Spring Training Camp is that no matter your fitness you are able to get an adequate workout, and do so at your current fitness level. Riding through the scenic back roads of Warrens, WI makes Hill repeats enjoyable. I can’t stress the allure of the back roads we have found by riding around the area. This enjoyment is only enhanced knowing that you can’t get lost on the ride and there are follow vans with food and drink in case you need to stop.
3:30pm: We are finishing our afternoon bike efforts and are heading back to the cabins. As we do so, the discussion of massage comes up. The discussion is not focused on whether massage is a good idea or not, but is focused on when each person is going to put their name on the list for the night. My stomach is growling by this time and I am ready to relax and replenish. Luckily dinner is not far off by the time that we return. After a hard day of riding food can be an amazing thing, and our food at camp would be exceptional even without the hard riding.
7:00pm: Dinner is done and people are starting to wind down. This is where I have seen many relationships strengthened and new friendships formed. Camp becomes a community experience that goes beyond your relationship with your bike. The conversations are always interesting, and to no one’s surprise, generally start with the day’s training and transition into power files. It becomes amusing to see how the discussion evolves from here.
The night goes on and there are fewer and fewer voices to be heard. You wholeheartedly believe it must be 1am until you look at the clock and it says 10:15pm. This seems to happen quite a bit during the riding season. We all know there are a few more days of freedom as we fall asleep that night.
It is funny to recall last year’s Spring Camp. It seems weird in retrospect that the first thing I did was look at my Training Peaks files leading up to and during the camp before I started to write this. I am grateful I left so many notes for each day. The beauty of cycling is that with just a few comments made to your training log post ride you are able to go back and remember in fine detail all of the specifics about the day. This is especially handy in January when it is 25 below and you are doing a threshold test for class. Your mind can go back to a magical road and you no longer feel the discomfort in your legs as you maintain 100%. We are only a few weeks away but all I can think about are the rolling hills, wooded climbs and great company that we will be immersed in for those wonderful days.
