Since I forgot how to cook for myself after being at The Cycling House over the past week, I thought I would use the time when I would normally be eating lunch to compose a quick roundup from my first annual Triathlon Camp here in Tucson. First off I just have to say that the camp went well beyond my expectations, and I had a ton of fun with our group. I’ve always known that Owen, Brendan, and the rest of the TCH crew put together a quality experience for their campers, but seeing it firsthand really brought it home. Every detail was looked after, yet the atmosphere remains casual and relaxed. Of course it didn’t hurt that the weather cooperated brilliantly and we had 6 days in a row with temperatures in the mid 70’s…
The first couple days were all about getting to know the crew and spinning out the cobwebs for the people who were coming from winter lands (see: Todd and Julie from northern Ontario). With a couple easier rides in the Oro Valley area, including a nice loop in the Saddlebooke development, we stockpiled plenty of healthy calories from the kitchen of Fit Food by Jess and lounged around the palatial horse property. Well, not always. There were options for core workouts, a few trips to the nearby Oro Valley pool, and some nice evening runs in the sandy washes dotting the landscape. This was, after all, a triathlon camp, albeit it with a cycling focus.
After everyone started soaking up the nutritious meals and copious vitamin D, we hit it a little harder with solid rides out west to Gates Pass, and then everyone’s favorite day tackling Mt. Lemmon. Each rider made the summit, and as a bonus, my parents jumped in and joined our group for the day. We wrapped up a good week of miles with another classic out to San Manuel, and an easy splash in the sun (except for an underwater 50 that nearly caused me to black out).
As the camp wound down and the athletes departed, I was already thinking ahead to the next one. If you are looking for a chance to log some good miles in the middle of winter, be treated exceptionally well, and walk away with a little more fitness and a big grin, The Cycling House may be the right fit for you.