Training Day

This weekend I was extremely fortunate to be able to participate in a professionally run cycling training camp. 43 TX4K team members and a few alumni and family members got to spend two days with state, national, and world champion cyclists and coaches who were absolutely amazing in their knowledge, ability, and dedication to helping us learn. From the most basic beginning rider technique to the to the more advanced rotating paceline (what the pros do in the tour de France) they covered it all according to individual rider ability. I must make note, the men and women who coached us ALL donated their time, talents, and expertise. We did not have to pay a cent to participate. The camp was held in the small town (pop. 243) of Fayetteville, TX about an hour and a half outside of Austin and lasted from Saturday to Sunday afternoon. After we arrived in the town square and received our room assignments in Keiler's Lodge ( They had 14 rooms and we had them all) we met the coaches and began our training. We were split into 4 groups based on riding experience and ability (funny story about which group I started in and which one I ended up in) and received specific instruction on how we were to conduct a 40 mile ride. After that we rolled out for a long, hard ride . We got back a few hours a later, tired, hungry and stinky. There were three of us to each room ( Joe and Ben were my roommates) and I volunteered to shower first and got the only hot water. A little while later we gathered for dinner in the downstairs banquet hall where we had chicken alfredo and more instruction from the coaches. By 9:30 we were all pretty pooped and headed back to our rooms for some well deserved sleep. We were breakfasted and ready to ride at 9 on Sunday morning where we went another 40 miles with strict instructions to stay together and work on our group riding skills, which turned out to make this ride much more easy and rewarding than the ride from the previous day. We got back, showered and packed, had some closing remarks from the coaches and headed back to Austin. It really was a blessing to be a part of the camp. Cycling has been a hobby of mine for years but I now realize how much effort and dedication are required to tap the full potential of this amazing sport.