Ironman Wisconsin has always been a special event for me — I’ve raced the event three times, qualifying for Kona and taking 4th AG with a 10:05 in 2002, and I’ve been at the race to coach and support my athletes every year with the exception of Crazy Hot 2005. Endurance Nation has had 25-50 athletes in the event every year, and last year nearly 300 athletes attend our Four Keys Talk.
2014 marked my 10th training camp on the Ironman Wisconsin course. I know every inch of the course, from front to back, and it’s always fun to share that experience with other athletes.
Day One, Thursday Evening: The Four Keys of Long Course Race Execution, Wisconsin Version
We began the camp with a detailed discussion of how to race long course triathlon in general, and then how to apply these principles to the Ironman Wisconsin course specifically. I applied special attention to the topics of:
- How to ride hills steady and efficiently
- Conservation of momentum
Day Two, Friday: Race Rehearsal #1, and Advanced Racing Topics
The campers set off early Friday morning for a 106 mile ride on the Ironman Wisconsin bike course, executing the ride using the lessons learned Thursday evening. The ride was followed by a 4-6 mile brick run.
Having now experienced the course and executed it the “EN Way,” we next discussed:
- RR #1 Debrief: observations, questions, and lessons learned.
- Detailed breakdown of the course: I used a map created on Ridewithgps.com to lead and record a detailed screencast of how to approach every mile of the course, overlooked opportunities for efficient speed, and much more.
- Advanced Racing Topics: long course nutrition, bike setup, aerodynamic considerations, tire selection, cornering, braking, descending, and much more.
Day Three, Saturday: Race Rehearsal #2, and Advanced Racing Topics Continued
On the agenda for Saturday was a second ride of the course, as two tours of The Loop. A few hardy campers opted for a second 100+ mile ride. This was another opportunity for campers to refine their long course race execution skills, with the added benefit of race-like conditions, and direct observation of the 90% Rule, provided by hundreds of other athletes riding on the course as well.
That evening the long course race execution learning firehouse continued with discussions of:
- Long course run execution, using pace, heart rate, and RPE.
- Racing long course triathlon with power.
- Planning for your best 2015 season.
Future EN Gangstas serving up Wisconsin brat goodness!
Joe Motz getting his brat on!
We then adjourned for our camp dinner and beers at Gray’s Tied House in Verona.
Day Four, Sunday: Open Water Swim, Transition Walkthru, and Long Run
The last day of the camp featured an early morning open water swim in Lake Monona. I then gave the campers a detailed walkthru of the transition area and setup, sharing strategies for executing simple and fast transitions. The final event of the camp was a long run on the course, employing the long course run execution strategies that our athletes have applied to over 1000 Ironman finishes per year since 2010.
This Wisconsin training camp was the fourth of six camps we’ll conduct this year, in Texas, Lake Placid, Mont Tremblant, Madison, Lake Tahoe, and Chattanooga. What separates our training camps from the competition is the knowledge, experience, and attention to detail we bring to the task of teaching you how to race long course triathlon.
Go here to view our current schedule of long course triathlon training camps.
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