There’s something truly special about having such a great group of people come to town and work on getting better. Not much is more inspiring or magnetic than effort and everyone that came to the C26 May Camp gave it their all.
Our camp motto has always been “No One Left Behind” and this year we added a new phrase, “Never Alone” because that’s at the core of what C26 is all about. Giving triathletes a community to meet new friends, grow, and become better triathletes.
Here’s the video highlights from another awesome camp in Nashville, TN. Special thanks to everyone for great energy and inspiring us to keep going.
Video highlights from the C26 May, 2019 Triathlon Camp
Below is the podcast we recorded the day after camp. We called it “Testing Your Limits” because many people come to camp do things they never believed they could do and always leave with more confidence.
This is how we do it . . . it’s Wednesday night . . . Party people on the westside throw your hands in the air. Or however that song goes. . . we start camp on Wednesday night.
It’s always interesting meeting everyone at Robbie’s the first night because even though I’ve been there multiple times it is one of those new and really tricky neighborhoods that I cannot navigate on memory (which you will see later is extremely rare later in this report). There are usually about 15 or so people waiting when I walk through the door where a Facebook-meets-real-life explosion typically goes off in my head. It’s like I sorta know everyone but not really, and really do know some people but it’s been a while, so I’m not sure if I’ve said something dumb on the podcast they’ve been waiting to confront me about for months. Ahh, the perils of internet-street-level fame.
As I move deeper into Robbie and Allie’s inner sanctum, people are usually face first in what always seems to be the perfect dinner for everyone. It’s a simple, yet jazzy fare that could easily roll as a vegan delight, or be quickly hopped up with side chicken for meat eaters. The salad/meat combo does really well for gluten sensitive campers and if we’re lucky, someone will bring huge cookies or cake for dessert. Of course everyone drinks their personalized liquid direct from water bottles.
After dinner, Coach Robbie takes the stage as we sit around on every chair they can find and jam into his living room. As you can see to the left, I’ve yet to figure out a perfect angle for a group picture, but I’m getting close.
We then go around the room with simple introductions and everyone says what they’re hoping to get from camp. Robbie goes through the camp plan and potential changes with any looming weather. This is usually when Hayden gets a little unruly and wants to spend more time with daddy forcing Allie to scramble for toys or another toddler diversion, including a trip upstairs through 3 or 4 campers as she navigates the staircase.
This entire opening night takes about two hours and we’re are typically back at our lodging (home in my case) before 9.
THURSDAY
I have extreme pre-race sleep anxiety. Anytime my alarm is set with a “4” at the beginning, that pretty much means I will not be falling asleep that night; and typically the night before camp starts is no exception. The weather threatened our first morning at the lake, so we shifted gears and went to Boost Fitness for a pool session. Said session was to begin at 6 am. Said session is also 30 minutes from my house, so said alarm was set for 4:45.
Around midnight I was really regretting not pounding some type of melatonin. I “think” I dosed off for a while around 1:00 but was up at 2 and this process lasted until I heard one of my weekend roommates up making coffee around 4:15. It was over. I hit snooze once and put on my sleepless-morning-happy-face, but knew that I would not be swimming one stroke that morning. I’m not in the best swim shape and swimming without sleep could have ruined me for a couple days. Instead I focused on getting cool video of cool people swimming at 6 am.
After a couple hours in the pool and some awesome personal instruction, we went for a light breakfast at LePeep in Belle Meade, which is the old-Nashville-money part of town. We immediately snagged 5 prime tables, clearly frustrating several people in tassle loafers and shawls. Not to be distracted, the sweaty and famished triathletes went to town on their post-swim meals. I sat with Erika, Jessica and Katie, the Richmond Crew. I’ve known Erika for a while, but it was the first time to chat with the other girls and let me tell you, they are hilarious if not edgy sarcastic.
This is where I’m usually reminded of how cool the people are that come to camp. The first night is a little about nerves and meeting new people. The first workout is acclimating and getting over wearing tight clothes in front of said new people. The post breakfast is where the true triathlon athlete spirit and unabashed hunger comes out. People will plow down anything right in front of anyone (including little old ladies sipping tea) which, if you think about it, is a very personal moment. We seem to cross a threshold at this point and from there on, the guards are down.
The next session was at Percy Warner Park, easily one of the most beautiful, yet daunting running venues in Nashville. It’s nestled at the end of Belle Meade Boulevard (think Thurston Howell III and his wife Lovey) and retains a certain kind of elegance even when it’s muggy and drizzly like it was this morning. The assignment? Run for an hour and thirty minutes.
The route we take is called “The 5.8” and it’s 5.8 hilly ass miles. You start going straight up for about the first mile, before finding some relief on flats and downhills that eventually drop you into Deep Wells. It was foggy and misty and absolutely stunning in a cinematic sort of way and I was really regretting not shooting video instead of running. But, I’ve been on a little roll with the run and it’s very hard for me to pass on Percy Warner Park.
The problem with Deep Wells is “It Is Deep” ie… at the bottom, which can only mean one thing. It’s time to climb again. And we did. Mile 3 is an absolute torture device that never seems to end. Up straight, up right, up left, up right . . . and even though I’ve run this track dozens of times, for some reason I always think that’s the last hill. It never is.
There are about 5 more, in fact, most manageable, but one is kind of a bitch. By the time you get to mile 5 (these are all rough estimates so please do no put them in your Garmin and hold my feet to the fire after you run it at camp) it’s all down hill, but the first 1/2 of that mile is Quad Buster Central. Early in my running life, this was the section that gave me a not so pleasant, but firm introduction to my IT bands. The last half mile is also downhill, but at a perfect grade for running and a welcome way to bring it back to the car.
But wait . . . that was only about an hour. There’s still 30 minutes to go.
Instead of retracing the course, I opted for a few more miles on the flat-ish Belle Meade Boulevard. Aside from its pretentious nature, it is a great way to look at big houses and wonder why and the hell you didn’t end up living in a mansion like that, which I did wonder about and pin pointed the reason to the time when I had a nice mutual fun started out of college but decided to pull all the money out and travel around partying in Florida. But, anyway, that’s neither here nor there, just a point I thought I would get into the open for therapeutic benefit.
I think that, for some reason, not living in one of those mansions made me want to prove something, so as I re-entered the park, I ran directly at the stairs. As I did, I was saying strange things like, “uh oh,” and “look out!” to anyone who would listen. Instead of going back to the cars, I scaled the Roman-Ruin-Like staircase and ascended to the heavens. I felt surprisingly strong as I screamed back, “Who’s with me!” and “Let’s Do it!” I’m pretty sure no one even acknowledged me or thought I was losing my mind so I barreled up the steps alone, with no mansion to speak of, but possibly a greater reward waiting at the top.
Well, I can assure you there was no such award, and the ease of my glide turned into cement filled shoes about 100 steps from the top. But . . . I made it . . . and . . . I put my hands in the air and looked down upon those mansions like I was now in control. But I wasn’t. I was just a sweaty guy at the top of a staircase with no mansion.
Despite two tough challenges right out of the gate, spirits were high. We even had a few campers finish loop one, then turn around to run it in reverse. Let me tell you, that is no picnic. One loop is around 600 feet of elevation on its own, so logic would tell you that two loops would be around twice that, but only God and the two-loopers’-hamstrings know the real truth.
It was super humid and Coach Robbie gathered all the soaking wet runners for the next day’s instructions. “In the morning, we’ll hit the lake first, then . . . “The Lab.”
But before tomorrow, it was a short session on Strength and Mobility from our friends over at Innate Performance. Steven and Louisa have both run and coached Division I cross country. Steven ran through some great exercises to keep the hip flexors loose and said most endurance athletes aren’t over-trained, they are under-recovered. With that he went through ways to recover properly and gave us his top three: Sleep, mobility, and nutrition. That’s when Louisa gave campers some top line nutrition strategies to stay on top of this crazy game we call triathlon.
Great session, but now it’s around 3:30 and getting back to the East Side was going to be a nightmare. My roommates punched my address into Google Maps, but I calmly said, “I’ll take this one, boys,” and led them on a perfectly executed re-route that not only saved us time, it allowed for a concise exploration of the fascinating explosion we affectionately call downtown Nashville. The guys were very impressed with my navigation.
Around 5 o’clock, reminiscent of senior citizens, my house guests, Chuck, Ross, and Jason started getting cranky for food. I quickly put on my post-afternoon-nap-happy-face and we jumped in the car for a trendy little Mexican joint called RosePepper. I’d like to say we got wild and met a lot of crazy hipsters that showed us the nightlife around East Nashville, but instead we debated the reasons why Nashville is home for so many bachelorette parties why people don’t fall off the shelf more often at Top Golf.
We got home around 8:00 and I was ready to yuck it up with my new sorta college buddy roommates, but these guys were all business. After about 30 minutes of watching baseball, we all went to bed and I listened to old episodes of the Crushing Iron podcast to put me to sleep . . . but it didn’t work. In fact, I found them captivating, inspirational, and extremely motivating. I could not wait to get to the lake in the morning and shoot more video of people working their ass off!
To be continued . . .
Attitude is King – Camp ReCap Podcast
Have you been thinking about an Ironman, half or any kind of triathlon, but don’t know how to start, please consider us for coaching. We’ve been through most every situation regarding this sport, including starting from scratch. We’ve also taken athletes from their “stuck point” and helped get them on the Ironman podium. We love working with beginners and athletes that want to push it to the next level. Check out our coaching page for more information, including philosophy and pricing.
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Crushing Iron puts on several Triathlon camps a year and these are highlights from April, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. We had nearly 20 athletes in town and they all came with a great attitude ready to work. Hear their feedback on camp and see highlights from Natchez Trace, Percy Priest Lake at Anderson Beach, and the abandoned airfield we lovingly call “The Lab.”
If you’d like more information on camps or coaching please click and don’t forget to check out the Crushing Iron Podcast released every Monday and Thursday. Motivation, Information, and Good ole fashioned rambling.
Today was Day One at the Crushing Iron (C26) Triathlon Swim Camp in Nashville. We were greeted with a perfect morning for instruction, friendship, and good ole fashion work.
Coach Robbie starts with dry land instruction of the proper stroke technique. Then everyone swims short distances back and forth while others watch and give feedback. Everything is positive and by the end of this exercise everyone usually finds a couple things that will help them be a better swimmer.
After instruction, we hit the lake for some longer swimming and relays to implement what everyone has learned. At the end we recap and practice swim techniques while executing pack swims and cornering buoys.
All told campers spent about 4 hours and 30 minutes at the lake learning:
Swimming purposeful and powerful in open water
Staying square
Reducing Anxiety
Putting on and taking off wetsuits
Swimming Straight
Sighting
Cornering Buoys
Drafting
Race Contact Simulation
Proper breathing
Staying High in the water
Executing a Strong Catch
Camp continues tomorrow with a deeper diver into swim mechanics and practice under Coach Robbie’s supervision. We’re supplying videos of their swim stroke and on-site analysis in a positive learning environment.
Our June Triathlon Camp is sold out but we have one or two openings for August at the time of this writing. For more information, see our Camps page or email Coach Robbie at [email protected].
Here’s a little look at what it’s like to ride in what we affectionately call “The Lab” here in Nashville. These athletes are all from our April 2018 Triathlon Camp and were taking part in a “Power Hour” ride before busting out a hard 5k off the bike. Everyone brought an unbelievable attitude and effort into town and then all left stronger and more confident. For more information on Crushing Iron Triathlon Camps, please see the “Camps” tab on this sight. June currently has a waiting list but August may have an opening. We also have openings in our swim only camps.
Today was the two year anniversary of my first half marathon and I celebrated by watching valiant efforts and fighting back tears. Well, I actually stood behind the finish line and watched a slow herd of battered souls chomp on cookies and chips while rejoicing that I chose not to run, but still . . .
Thousands limped by with huge smiles it took me back back to that painful day two years earlier when I embraced what may have been the proudest moment of my endurance life, including Ironman. I’d only been running about 4 months when I took the half marathon challenge, and it sparked a fuse that burned out of control.
That race hurt so badly I started laughing at mile 10, and getting delirious at mile 12. Somehow I crossed the finish line in 2:14 without walking. It was a major victory and I proved it by wearing my medal all day . . . then deep into a major-league afternoon/night of celebratory drinking. I could barley walk the next day, or week. Battle scars reminding me where I’d been.
But, enough about me . . .
Today’s weather was perfect and tons of East Nasties were on the course. I saw most of them and graciously took this group photo with my personal flip phone.
Admittedly I didn’t see much running until I left the finish line and walked along Woodland Street to witness the misery that is Mile 18 of a marathon.
My final destination was the Nashville Running Company water stop where I volunteered to rake paper cups out of the street for an hour. Tons of runners thanked me for the hard work, and while that never gets old, they had no idea how much I love grounds keeping.
The encouragement flowed from my lips as well, but it’s hard to seem convincing when someone stumbles by in a stupor and you’re screaming, “You got this!” For many, it was getting dicey, and considering mile 18 is often called the marathon wall, I’m sure the fact that it was all up hill didn’t help.
It was inspiring and I can’t say enough about how good it made me feel to see all of these runners pushing themselves to the limit. Throwing it on the line to be better people and create an endless stream of positive energy in my city.
That said, I do have a small beef that I need to get off my chest.
I get that people like to run with music, but I feel like it steals from your experience. Especially when the entire route is lined with live bands and tons of crowd support shouting inspirational bible verses or Michael Scott quotes. I mean, I’m raking my ass off and spewing goodness to all these wonderful people but half of them can’t hear me because they’re listening to Eye of the Tiger on their iPod. Talk about sucking the wind out of your cup raking.
Yet, here they were, 30,000 people, exhibiting countless hours of preparation and sacrifice. A truly moving scene, and I can honestly say I felt the same way long before I was a runner and was merely shooting emotional marathon videos that made people cry their eyes out.
There can never be enough inspiration in this world and few events showcase human spirit better than a major marathon. Every year it reminds me that life is for living and there’s no better time to pursue that freedom than today. I just wish the cranky drivers that complain about “their street” being closed for a few hours would figure that out.
*Note: I wrote this sometime last Summer and have no idea why I didn’t post it. Probably over- thinking as usual. Which is ironic considering the message here.
I moved to Nashville in 2003 and have (by accident) met a lot of people in the music business. I’ve run into Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman at breakfast, met Marty Stuart in a dark alley, and even got to hang out with Lou Reed in his dressing room. Everywhere you turn in this town you’re liable to run into someone, but I kept waiting for a chance meeting with the one person that genuinely impacted my passions in life.
Bernie Taupin is Elton John’s lyricist, and legitimately one of the few people (living or dead) I would want to join for dinner. His words have moved me since I was 10 years old. Back in college, my good friend Tim and I would would listen to Elton John until 5 in the morning while exchanging off-balanced high fives and screaming, “Taupin!” after a great lyric.
I’ve never technically pursued writing as a career, but it’s deep in my bones. I’m quite sure lyrics like these have a lot to do with that:
He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times said God is dead
And the wars begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today (from Levon)
I can’t light no more of your darkness
All my pictures seem to fade to black and white
I’m growing tired and time stands still before me
Frozen here on the ladder of my life
Taupin paints a picture. He creates a feeling. And somehow his words are universal. He is a brilliant example of someone who understands the human condition and I think there is a lesson there for athletes.
Connect with your mind and body, then let it flow.
So many athletes I know, including me, get trapped in the past, or the potential pain of the future instead of embracing the energy in the moment. It’s one thing to have a target, quite another to be consumed with the end and forget what it takes to get there.
Yesterday, I finally met Bernie Taupin and I was a bumbling idiot. He was in town in support of his painting exhibit and I had a zillion questions, but couldn’t come up with one. He was thinking about today and I was consumed with the past. It made for a rather awkward exchange and I feel like my confusion was symbolic of what often happens during training . . . or life for that matter.
I’m sure Bernie’s best lyrics (and paintings) come when he is in a zone. Writing without letting his mind get in the way of progress. He was probably the guy scribbling in his notepad while the teacher rambled on about stuff that didn’t matter. To Taupin, what mattered was writing, so he wrote.
The best artists don’t get caught in premature optimization, they get to work. They spend countless hours on their craft and trust that preparation will pay off when it matters. Athletes should look at training the same way. You can only do so much “planning” for the actual race. What happens on race day, is a direct result of what you do today.
———————
Here I am on the right with our reporter Stephanie Langston in the middle and the legendary Bernie Taupin with his art.
Sunday, was weird. There was no alarm or intent, I just woke up at 4 am and gave life my best shot.
I have to say, it was quite amazing.
My only “plan” of the day was to meet friends at 7:30 for a run, which is normally a daunting hour, but by the time I cleaned the kitchen, bedroom, and did some laundry, it was still only 5:30. I was smack dab in the “go back to bed danger zone.”
But I kept moving.
I woke Mattie and tugged her for a walk, took out trash, and did a little writing. I was closing in on 7 am and it really felt like I could pull this off.
From 7 to 7:15 I did a few leg warm ups and light stretching. I filled my water bottle and jumped in the car with a small sweat and actually prepared for a run.
What happened next was nothing special, but felt perfect.
We took off together and kept a sub 9 pace for 8.8 miles. We talked about current events and genuinely had a peaceful run.
We ended with a climb up Mount Nasty, which always pushes the blood a little faster. Your heart pounds and discussion goes away. It’s not for the meek, but you are always a better runner for having ascended.
I a little post-run coffee and muffin. Went home, cleaned a bit more, watched a few minutes of college hoops Game Day, then staggered to my room for an incredibly passionate nap.
My day felt complete and it wasn’t even noon. Everything after the nap was gravy.
The moral of the story: When you’re awake, be awake.
It’s not always easy to come up with a new blog, but some days they fall right in your lap. I woke up to a text this morning about Racer K from our coach:
“For the sake of the Fab 5 +1, +2, I’m going to heavily edit Racer K’s Athlete of the Week write up because he talks ALOT of shit.”
I was confused because I had already awarded Racer K Crushing Iron Athlete of the Week right around the time he was East Nasty of the Week. So, he’s won yet another award?? Yes, he has. The coveted RX Endurance (our training group) Athlete of the Week has now been added to Kevin’s growing list of accolades.
Following is Kevin’s story and how his perspective on Ironman has shifted this year. He talks about what he’s learned and how training with a group of people dedicated to giving their best effort has impacted his life. I have witnessed Kevin ride a roller coaster of training emotions and can honestly say the most impressive and inspiring thing about Kevin is that, no matter what circumstances he faces, he is always ready to work, and in constant pursuit of improving, both in training and in life.
RxE Athlete of the Week- Kevin Gammon (Racer K)
This week’s athlete of the week is one of our more intriguing athletes, Kevin “Racer K” Gammon. In many areas Kevin has come as far as any of our athletes since the beginning of the year. His swim especially has transformed into a strength rather than a weakness due to his hard work and determination. We have shared a few CTJ rides together on the Trace where less than 10 words are spoken. He often keeps to himself but when he speaks you should listen. I asked Kevin to write about whatever he wanted and this is what he had to say…..
“It drives me crazy when people ask me to write about myself. When coach “asked” me to write this up my mind went in a million different directions. I didn’t want this to be your typical biography write-up because I already have a few of those out there. Luckily, after a short run it became glaringly obvious what I actually needed to type about. My journey with Robbie and the athletes of Rx Endurance has been centered on motivation. The past 8 months have been more mental in nature than physical. I believe that any progress I’ve made this year has been in my mind first and body second. Motivation is a tricky thing. Everyone’s motivation is different; there is not good measure of motivation. Worse, it can be fleeting and hard to repair when damaged. You can’t just “give” motivation; it has to be a spark from within. And yet it is the most important thing an athlete can have. Let me tell you where my motivation comes from and how RxE helped change it.
I started my trip seeking “things.” There are a lot of athletes out there, and I was one of them, that race “for the medal.” I have a wall full of them. I also wanted the magnet on the car. It is neat to be able to sit around and tell people you finished an Ironman. That can get you more free beer than you would think. A lot of people are like this and I’m not going to be the one to say anything is wrong with it. At least not on Facebook. Personally speaking I’ve found that if finishing was enough then I seldom improved. I just… finished. When I started working with Robbie I was still in this phase. That was, if I remember correctly, around last December.
Then you add in the people. The people at Rx Endurance are amazing. I can’t say enough about them and you will love hearing their stories. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than fighting with Mike at 6:00 a.m. trying to beat him to the buoy and back. My competitive history with Jim is well documented. I know it all sounds cutthroat. The reality is everyone in the group is very supportive of each other but we have a very healthy competitive attitude. Bragging rights can be great motivation. It’s no longer about the things, it’s about how you compare to others. This works great for a while and you can make leaps and bounds this way with the right competition. This is where my motivation came from and it was very limiting. What if Mike has a bad day? Do I still give 100% and pass him by or just enough where I can still give him a good elbow and take it easy? I think if you judge yourself based on the abilities of others then you lose the ability to define yourself. You’re really missing out.
The next thing in the mix comes from coaching. It doesn’t come all at once. It’s a more subtle influence and I think this has been the best benefit from my time under the RxE umbrella. Over the long months my training has become less about the things outside and more about me. What can I accomplish and what can I achieve? What else can I learn about myself along the way? My friends have become support and not competition. I really don’t care about the medals. I just love the sport. The actually race day is just a date on the calendar, I have no intention of stopping when its through. I want to be the best athlete that I can. More importantly, I want to be the best person that I can and live true to myself. I want to grow physically and mentally. Training for this Ironman and with this group of people literally changed my outlook on life. Motivation doesn’t increase in a linear fashion. I’ve had several bumps in my road (where coach promptly jumps in, I swear he has a freaking radar) but in the end I have never been this motivated to succeed.
Forget the medals. Forget the competition. Look inside yourself and run your own race. Always give 100% and don’t be afraid to fail to reach your goals. Everything else will work itself out. Just have a little faith. That’s where I’m at now. A big change from December. Totally worth it.
That’s my RxE story. I look forward to showing my growth this September at Ironman Wisconsin.”
As I move deeper into Robbie and Allie’s inner sanctum, people are usually face first in what always seems to be the perfect dinner for everyone. It’s a simple, yet jazzy fare that could easily roll as a vegan delight, or be quickly hopped up with side chicken for meat eaters. The salad/meat combo does really well for gluten sensitive campers and if we’re lucky, someone will bring huge cookies or cake for dessert. Of course everyone drinks their personalized liquid direct from water bottles.
Well, I can assure you there was no such award, and the ease of my glide turned into cement filled shoes about 100 steps from the top. But . . . I made it . . . and . . . I put my hands in the air and looked down upon those mansions like I was now in control. But I wasn’t. I was just a sweaty guy at the top of a staircase with no mansion.
