RUNDOWN
- John's Birthday - Choice of 4.5hrs Training - Swim, Bike and/or Run
- I'd do the 100 x 100m + 10km run
- Big Points for Birthday Swim Set 100 x 100m
- 4 bonus points for completing
- on 1:45 = 3 points, on 2:00 = 2 points, on 2:15 = 1 point
- so if you do on 2:00 you get 3 pts (3x3km) + 4 bonus points for 100x100 + 2 points for doing on 2:00 = Total of 9pts
HOW I FEEL
Super f'ing excited! Several months ago I heard John mention that we'd be doing a 100 x 100 swim set on his birthday. I've heard of people doing this — on New Year's Day, for example — but I've never been in a Master's group or swim squad when they've given it a crack.
While it definitely sounded intimidating — 10,000 meters?! 6.2 miles — I was confident that I could get it done on a soft send-off (i.e., decent rest after each 100) and I wanted to experience it. For me, this was equivalent to a runner getting the chance to run a marathon. And, while it was Day 10 of Epic Camp, I couldn't think of a better setting to give this monster swim set a go.
I woke up feeling good. My nausea was gone and I was happy to have logged some extra sleep. Today's training would start at 10am (for me at least), with a 9:30am departure for the pool. This extra time was huge. It not only meant more sleep but also meant that I had time to get a massage from Tim Pigott, one of the physiotherapists and supporters on the camp. (If you're in the UK, I highly recommend seeking Tim out. More info here.) Tim worked his magic on me and despite it being one of the more painful massages I've received, I felt loose immediately afterwards with little soreness. With the massage down, along with a big breakfast and several cups of coffee, I was ready to roll.
SWIM
The pool in Morzine is gorgeous, and thankfully was long-course, meaning that one length is 50m as opposed to 25m. Fewer flip-turns for us.
After a quick discussion with others doing the 100 x 100 (8 of us in total), Ben Moore and I decided to team up in the same lane. Right around 10am we got rolling with me starting and Ben going 10 seconds after me.
Still super excited, I quickly shot through four lengths of the pool before stopping at the wall to rest. When I came up, I realized that I had just started the 100 x 100m with a 200m swim. I totally forgot that we were swimming long-course and that I only needed to do two lengths to complete the 100. Whoops. The good news was that I was feeling awesome. I had a laugh with Ben and then got back on track.
We both cruised through the first 19 of the 100. After each, I’d say the number we were on and Ben would confirm with a nod. On number 20, we got to take our first slow 100 — John set the rule that every 20th 100 could be easy with extra rest. Our pace didn’t slow much on the 20s since we were already going conservatively, coming in around 1 min 45-48 seconds, but we did use the #20s to take on nutrition. I had a good bit of Fuel-5 and TME bars on deck since we were going to be in the water for at least 3hrs 20mins. (Yes, that's right, AT LEAST 3hrs 20mins...)
I think we were both surprised how quickly we got to number 20. Then, before we knew it, we were at 40. Breaking the 100 into 20 rep chunks definitely made things a lot easier mentally. We took a short rest, maybe 5 minutes or so, at 40. In addition to eating another bar and drinking some fluid, I actually got out of the pool to warm up for a minute or two. Despite it being a warm day, I was getting pretty chilly being in the pool.
From there, we kept cruising. Once we hit number 60, Ben and I new we had it. We were still venturing into the unknown, but things were flowing really well and I had a good sense that my body would hold up. Just two more chunks left. At 80, I got out again to warm up for a couple of minutes.
The last 20 laps came easily. The last 5 almost seemed like a victory lap or formality. Bizarrely, I never felt all that muscularly fatigued. I was mentally tired, but physically I pretty much felt as good on the first 100 as I did on the last. Guessing this was due to adrenaline and the soft send-offs.
Photos from Left: Pool view from eating area; Ben & me post 100 x 100
For me, the 100 x 100 was more a mental challenge than physical. (This would have been a different story if I had been more aggressive with pacing. Big ups to the 1:45/100 crew!) Doing it as part of a group and in a beautiful setting also made it a lot more tolerable. All-in-all, I'd say the session was one of the easier 3+ hours spent training on the camp.
In addition to me and Ben, JB also did the 100 x 100s on 2:00 and finished soon after us. John, Shannon and Lou did theirs on 1:45 (?!), Adam did his on a mix of 2:00 and 1:45, and Murry did his on 2:15. The eight of us were pretty giddy after the massive set. Lots of high-fives and laughs at the absurdity of it.
LUNCH
After a quick shower, a few of us headed into town for lunch. We'd heard good things about Satellite Coffee, so stopped in. Within seconds of looking at the menu, I knew that this would be my favorite restaurant in France. Tons of fresh veg-heavy options with a middle-eastern slant + awesome coffee. I couldn't make up my mind, so went with the falafel plate and the veggie pita. They did not disappoint.
Pics below: Ben sleeping standing up, Adam K sleeping on counter... Just another day at Epic Camp; Halfway through my dank eats
RUN
Soon after lunch, Ben, Stefan and I set out on an easy run to complete the 4.5hr training day. Going slowly around Lac de Montriond, we had a good chat about nutrition. It's always interesting to hear what has worked and what hasn't for others as far as diet goes. For the most part, triathletes seem more interested than most on the topic and are usually pretty knowledgeable as a result.
PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY
This one goes to John. He turned 40 today so made it a big one. He started moving at 6am and didn't stop until 6pm. He started the day with a 30k ride, then knocked out a 10k run (sub-40min), then made it to the pool for the 100x100 (on 1:45), and finished with a 90k ride. Needless to say, we had a birthday cake waiting for him properly to honor the effort and celebrate the occasion.
