Fat Camp 2012 a/k/a a glimpse into the twisted mind of Moose Herring

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Boone, North Carolina with my fellow Hammerheads for fat camp 2012.  This is the brain child of Moose Herring and is a four day intensive sufferfest in the beautiful mountains of Moose's homeland.  I have been hearing stories about camp for several years and this was the first time that the boys invited me to attend.  For the past several years I have seen the guys at races in the weeks following camp and always marveled at how fast they were on exhausted legs.  I must say that I was both excited and nervous after seeing the training itinerary.  We left last Wednesday at lunch and arrived in Boone on Wednesday evening.  We stayed at Zap Fitness (www.zapfitness.com) which is a facility that houses post-collegiate elite runners with Olympic aspirations.  The location is both secluded and beautiful and allows you to focus on the training at hand with minimal distractions.  The facilities are great and provided us with everything we needed to have the perfect training experience.  One of the highlights was access to the Zap Chef.  Chef John was awesome and had dinner prepared for us every evening at 6:30.  The meals were extremely filling, nutritious, and delicious.  Coming home every night to a prepared meal after destroying our bodies was a real treat.  It almost made me feel like a professional athlete.  In addition to the ridiculous dinners, John baked cookies for dessert every night.  No bullshit these were the best cookies I have ever eaten in my life (sorry Lummy).  I would like to thank Pete and Zika Rea for the opportunity to use Zap as our home base for a few days.

Day 1- Wednesday May 23

Technically the first day of camp is on Thursday but we got out to Boone with enough time to get a quick warm up workout in.  We ended up doing a six mile run at a comfortable 7:45 pace.  It was a nice workout to work the long drive out of my legs.  After the run we headed out to an awesome local restaurant and I fueled up on a delicious wheat neapolitan pizza.  Pizza is my typical pre-race meal and mentally I was treating this as the longest race of my life.  We even had a bit of time to check out some of the views in Blowing Rock and snap a group picture.

Day 2- Thursday May 24--The First Official Day-- "Even Recovery is Painful at Camp"

Top Of Grandfather Mountain

The itinerary for Thursday called for a three pack of workouts.  We started bright and early at the Broyhill fitness facility for a pool swim.  We swam for about an hour and I got in 3500 yards.  After a quick change into our bike gear we headed out to the parking lot to set out on our first ride.  The ride on day one involved climbing Grandfather Mountain.  The ride covered 44 miles and took 2 hours and 27 minutes.  The ride was difficult and I was amazed at how challenging the climbs were.  Moose and one of his hometown buddies got some separation on the way up Grandfather and attacked at the Eastern Continental Divide.  I made a decision after that first attack that my goal for camp was to stick on Moose's wheel for the rest of camp.  This is his home turf and he is a monster climber.  I would do whatever it takes over the next few days to stick with him on every ride.  After descending down the mountain we had a couple fairly long grinding climbs and I was able to stick with Moose and his buddy for the remainder of the day.  We were able to get separation from the rest of the group and it gave me some confidence that I would be able to climb respectably for the remainder of camp.  My first taste of the real craziness was when Moose had us climb Edmisten Road.  I knew we were in trouble when Moose's buddy looked at him like he was crazy and said "I never climb Edmisten".  I thought "Shit, if this dude doesn't climb Edmisten, what the hell am I getting into?"  Edmisten was literally straight up but it was short. It was like running into a brick wall and I honestly thought that my heart would explode and/or I might fall over.  Little did I know that this would be just a taste of what was to come.

We finished out the day with the "firetower run".  This run is a 11 mile jaunt in Moses Cone Park that takes you straight uphill for 5.5 miles and then back down the way you came.  The run climaxes at a firetower with an amazing view overlooking all of the mountain tops we would be summiting over the next few days.  The run was tough to say the least.  The first couple miles are uphill but not too severe.  As you get higher the trail gets steeper and steeper.  Rob "the instigator" Green was the first one to push the pace.  He set a furious early pace that ended up with with the two of us gaining separation from the rest of the guys.  Somewhat surprisingly, I felt pretty strong after the days earlier activities and once we hit the steep stuff I was able to pass Rob and take the lead.  I attacked the hills and tried my damnedest to get to the top of the firetower first.  Unfortunately, Mike Cook had great closing speed and was able to run me down in the last mile.  Mike earned the days Steel Hammer Award which was well deserved for his perfectly paced run.  The run ended up being 10.7 miles in 1:24:43.  My average pace was 7:56/mile and we climbed from about 3500 to 4500 feet.

We finished up the day by heading back to Zap and soaking our legs in the icy stream that runs right by the campus.  This stream was miserably cold and was like taking an ice bath.  As I froze my butt off that first evening I exclaimed to the boys that even recovery was painful at camp.  The icy stream would become more and more welcome with each passing day as our fatigue accumulated.

Even Recovery is Painful!!!

Day 3 Friday May 25- Blood Sweat and Gears plus Mountain Dale (plus brick run)

When looking at the itinerary, Day 2 scared me the most.  The main workout was the Blood Sweat and Gears Race Course.  (http://www.bloodsweatandgears.org/).  BSG is a 102 mile loop that starts and ends in Valle Crucis.  The route is challenging to say the least and includes 13,000+ feet of climbing.  The most ridiculous part of the ride is the climb up Snake Mountain around mile 62 which tops out at a 20% grade near the top.  As if this course wasn't challenging enough, Moose talked all week about adding an additional climb up Mountain Dale.  There was some debate as to whether we would do the extra climb, and I decided that I would make a spur of the moment decision depending on how I felt.  This ride is a kick in the nuts right off the bat.  The ride begins with an hour climb up Shulls Mill Road.  According to Moose it has 83 switch backs.  It is a cruel way to begin a Century.  After Shulls Mill, there isn't anything too terrible until after Mile 50.  This ride is definitely back loaded with the bad stuff.  After Shulls Mill our group splintered quite a bit.  I ended up front with Moose, Moose's buddy Damon, and Tunstall.  We regrouped coming into the aid station at Todd Store.  At the store I was feeling pretty fatigued and was concerned about what was to come.  It was hot and I was starting to feel some cramps come on.  At the store I pounded a coke and some PBJ and a bunch of salt pills.  This seemed to get me back on track and allowed me to refocus my efforts on chasing Moose.  The real climbs start in earnest after Todd store.

Almost immediately we climbed "Big Hill" Road (I shit you not, this is actually the name of the road).  Big Hill had some pretty steep stuff and it was a struggle to keep Moose's wheel.  However, the deeper we got into the ride, the more confidence I gained in my climbing legs.  After Big Hill was the worst climb of the day, Snake Mountain.  The camp veterans had been talking about this climb for days and I was expecting the worst.  The climb involves a slow grinding 2-3 mile climb followed by 2 miles of hell.  As we approached the Mountain, I asked Moose how to attack the climb and he simply said "One pedal stroke at a time".  Climbing Snake was no joke, and making it to the top was exhilarating.  After coming over the top, I couldn't help letting out a victory yell.  For about the next five minutes I felt on top of the world....then I felt the lactic acid.  Moose, Tunstall, Damon and I regrouped at the top of Snake and descended together.  During the descent I felt pretty rough, but I pumped myself full of salt tabs and sports drink.  After all, we still had another 50 miles!!!  The next climb was George's Gap.  George's was very cool and reminded me the most of a tour climb.  It was crazy switchbacks with steep ascents.  With each switchback you could look over the edge and see the guys behind you.  It was so awesome.  Our group of four splintered going up George's, and me and Moose ended up alone at the front. Prior to this point I had assumed that the extra climb up Mountain Dale was going to be tacked on the very end of the ride.  However, I was sorely mistaken.  At mile 88 I asked Moose about Mountain Dale and when we had to make the decision as to whether we were going to climb it.  He looked over at me and said "Right Now".  Decision time was actually at Mile 90 and not at the end of the ride as I mistakenly believed.  My confidence was high after George's and I decided to go all in.  I knew I would regret not doing it when we were all sitting around the table BS'ing at dinner.  Mountain Dale was significant and was followed by a several additional climbs  (big props to Damon and Tunstall who also did Mountain Dale).  My least favorite was Bethel which was basically a long straight climb you could see all the way to the top.  I learned on Bethel that I much prefer the switchbacks.  At least with the switches you can't see the crap that is about to punch you in the gut.  I finished the ride strong and was able to stick with Moose all day.  It was a brutal day but so much fun.  I ended up being in the saddle for over 6.5 hours.  This is the longest I have ever ridden (and will probably ever ride) and I can't wait to realize the fitness gains.  

After the ride I finished the workout with a 30 minute brick run.  My body responded well and I was able to run 7:30 pace despite the heat.  Huge confidence booster for my Ironman marathon!!!

Day 4 Saturday May 26- Watauga Lake Tri Course plus Howard's Knob

Day 4 was filled with a series of shorter workouts on very tired legs.  The day started with a 45 minute drive to Tennessee and Watauga Lake.  We began with a 4300 open water lake swim in a pristine lake on a perfect morning.  Moose attacked the swim and really made me work hard to stay out in front of him.  We hopped out of the water and immediately jumped on our bikes for two laps of the Watauga Lake International Triathlon Bike Course.  This was probably the flattest ride of the whole weekend (which is not saying much).  It is a brutal 22 mile course with some pretty steep climbs in several spots throughout the ride.  This is definitely a triathlon I have no desire to ever do (it makes the Luray Triathlon look pretty tame and Luray is a bitch).  The first lap was ridiculous.  Moose, Rob and I broke off from the group immediately and attacked the first lap in a rotating pace line.  We sizzled on the first lap with each of us taking 1-2 minute pulls.  This pace lining put me deep into the hurt locker and I was feeling fried heading into the second lap.  The three of us agreed to take it easy on the second lap so we could do the forthcoming run at a hard pace.  That "gentleman's agreement" lasted until the first big climb when Moose blew the doors off.  I ended up really struggling on the second lap and could not hang with Moose and Rob.  This is the first time I really started to feel my body struggle.  After the ride it was time for a hot 10K run on the Watauga Tri run course.  

It was pretty hot and most of the course was unshaded.  The run course has some serious hills and is no joke.  Starting off the run, I was hurting badly, but my body responded well and I was able to lock into a good run rhythm in short order.  I think my legs were just happy to be doing anything but turning pedals.  I was able to descend my splits on each of the six miles and finished very strong on an extremely hilly course.  I was very pleased with my run effort and excited that my last two miles were my fastest (and mostly uphill).

Top of Howard's Knob...Soul Crushed

After finishing up the run, we headed out for a quick lunch before the center piece of the day's training, the climb up Howard's Knob.  In a cruel twist, Moose picked a spot for lunch where we could stare at Howard's Knob while we ate.  The Howard's Knob time trial is an uphill climb that is ridiculously steep. We parked at the stadium of Appalachian State and had a brief ride through town to get to the base of the climb.  The climb itself is only about two miles but is comically steep.  I have never seen anything like this in my life.  It is like a paved wall.  After riding briefly through a neighborhood we made a left turn and boom....you are staring at a wall of concrete.  You are instantly out of the saddle in the easiest gear grinding at the lowest cadence imaginable.  The road is so steep that you can't ride straight up it.  You are forced to swerve from one side of the road to the next.  Go forward a few feet/go sideways a few feet/ repeat.  At one point I looked at my Garmin and I was actually going 1.5 mph!!!!  There were multiple times when I could have sworn that I was just going to fall over for lack of speed.  I was able to stay fairly close to Moose and was the second member of the group to summit Howard's Knob.  This climb is soul crushing to say the least.

Making it to the top of Howard's Knob is one of the greatest athletic feelings that I have ever experienced.  I certainly count making it to the top of this climb in a reasonably fast time among the best of my athletic accomplishments.  I was particularly proud of House who suffered to the top after a couple of tough workouts leading into Howard's Knob.  He just wouldn't quit and got to experience the rush of making it to the top of this monster.  The views from the top are spectacular and as you look down at App State it is truly hard to believe that you biked from way down at the bottom.

SUFFERFACE

Anyone noticing a theme to these pictures yet?

After a hairy descent back down Howard's Knob  we still had more work to do.  What's the best way to celebrate such a brutal effort?  Stadium Stairs of course!!!! (perfectly reasonable right).  After 15 minutes of running up the "stairway to heaven", I was completely cooked.  An unbelievable day of training after riding 111 miles the day before.  The day was ridiculous in every way, but I loved every second of it.  I just can't help it,  I love the suffering.

Day 5 Sunday May 27- Assault on Beech Mountain

The fifth day was focused on a 55 mile ride with significant climbing followed by a one mile victory lap around the lake in Moses Cone Park.  The ride started with a descent down Shulls Mill.  Going down was significantly more enjoyable than going up (like we had on Blood Sweat and Gears).  It also provided the opportunity to warm up a bit more than a lot of the other rides we did.  After the descent down Shulls Mill you hit the crappiest part of the ride.  It consists of two long climbs up 194 to the base of Beech Mountain and then up to the top of Beech.  The two climbs are seemingly never-ending with switchbacks galore.  The climb up Beech Mountain is famous for being the place where Lance Armstrong found his soul after his battle with cancer (http://www.guideposts.org/inspirational-stories/lance-armstrongs-inspiring-story-his-fight-against-cancer).  It was pretty awesome to recreate a ride where Lance found his mojo before his 7 Tour Titles.  Prior to the ride, Moose was jonesing to ride both sides of Beech.  However, he couldn't get anyone else on board for this ridiculous plan.  Because we weren't going to do the backside of Beech, Moose decided he was going to time trial up the mountain from the base of 194.  I knew I was going to have to put out a big effort to hold his wheel.  He was riding angry, and by the last day of camp I was at my limits.  I wasn't able to stick his wheel for the whole climb, but I kept it reasonably close and I kept him in my sights the whole way.  Moose did a great ride and put space between us when he sensed my weak moment.  I put out my max effort and had a great climb.  Despite the pain, I enjoyed the climb up Beech.  It was fun to ride the switchbacks and pretend I was Lance climbing up the mountain.  I had an imaginary dialogue in my head between Liggett and Sherwin as I dug deep in my "suitcase of courage".  After the climb up Beech we descended down and traversed Hickory Nut Gap.  Rob attacked in typical instigator fashion and it took my max effort to hang with he and Moose.  Ultimately, this was the straw that broke the camel's back and did me in.  For the first time all weekend, I broke physically and mentally.  This was unfortunate because we still had to climb up the backside of Grandfather Mountain. Let's just say it was a long lonely ride up Grandfather as the boys pulled away from me.  I still count the ride as a success because I was the second one up to the top of Beech Mountain and climbed from the bottom of 194 in less than an hour.

After getting back to the cars we changed into our run gear and did a one mile victory lap.  Rob couldn't resist and quickly raised the pace to an all out sprint.  Before I knew it, our casual victory lap became a one mile sprint.  I wouldn't have expected anything less and it was fitting to end the weekend by pushing myself past my limits.

Fat camp was an unbelievable experience and I count myself lucky to have been able to participate.  It was an amazing opportunity to take my fitness to the next level and I can't wait until my next race so I can measure my fitness gains.  Even more importantly, it was a great opportunity to hang out with an unbelievable group of guys.  I am fortunate to be a member of the steel hammer family and to have found a group of guys as insane as myself.  I am lucky to count these guys among my friends and look forward to future sufferfests and trips to the pain cave with the Steel Hammer Crew.

VICTORY