EPIC camp is now complete. Sigh. It is bittersweet – I sure was happy to see the smiling faces of my three kids and my husband when I returned home last night but… EPIC camp is now complete. UNTIL NEXT YEAR!
It was truly a fabulous experience. I am new to much (most!) of this – I have never trained high-volume before, nor have I attempted a long race (this year I will do my first half IM) and I only got back on my road bike at the end of December after a significant hiatus. In light of all this, EPIC camp enabled me to build confidence and a firm sense of independence while riding, all whilst testing my abilities and focus. It also provided me with a window into how I and others manage intense training. I have learned that while for the most part I am positive and upbeat, when I don’t fuel sufficiently, I get mentally fatigued, a bit cranky and it is harder to stay positive. In learning this about myself, I have gained respect for those who simply turn inwards from time to time with a focus on meeting their needs in order to reach their goals.
Funnily enough, EPIC camp also introduced me to new meanings of well-known sayings:
1) “Suck it up, Buttercup” was a favourite of my mother’s – it is also a favourite of Tara’s. It is a keeper. By the end of EPIC camp I learned to stop cursing the wind and just BE in it, I learned climbs and malfunctions are a part of every journey and they make the journey all the more fulfilling, and I learned a bumpy road only rattles you if you let it.
2) “You snooze. You Lose.” is another keeper – what aspect of life does it not apply to? Some (as in, Joe 
) may think I snoozed on the ocean swims and therefore lost out but I disagree. This camp allowed me to tackle a significant, and fairly long-standing, hang-up swimming in a wetsuit. As non-EPIC woman as it is, after the first ocean swim, I aimed to take advantage of morning swims in the pool to finally get comfortable with swimming in a wetsuit. I must say, this was my first experience with a Zoot wetsuit. Tara lent me one of hers at camp and while I own another $600+ well-respected brand, I will be giving it away and not looking back! Furthermore, Suzanne swam with me one morning and gave me feedback, which I needed and listened to. Thanks to the ZOOT wetsuit and Suzanne’s supportive observations and advice, I can now say that I actually look forward to open water, wetsuit swims at the lake. Thanks to progress at this camp, EPIC 2015 will see me in the ocean and strong (and as an aside, I will also have learned the butterfly to prevent further humiliation!). I am committed.
3) “Shit happens.” Indeed it does – we get lost (okay, I got lost), we have mechanical difficulties, we get mentally worn down, we get injured, we miss ‘the boat’,… the list is endless. Usually there is a good reason for it (which one only considers and recognizes in hindsight) and there is ALWAYS a lesson to learn from it.
4) “SMASH IT!”. While this is a new saying for me, and it was not natural to shout out at first because I associated it with crashing my bike or some other event worthy of pant shitting, I understand it is a popular saying amongst those who visit Daz and Debs at TriSports. I quickly learned that it is akin to “KILL IT!” or “SHRED IT!” – just get out there and give it all you’ve got! After 9 days at the villa with Daz and Debs, “SMASH IT!” has a firm place in my heart and I will be raising my kids on it.
I do not know how to properly thank everyone who contributed to my EPIC experience but I shall try, beginning with: Kevin and the kids for their support as I ventured away from daily life as mother, wife and professional, to feed my soul in a new and addictive way; to my new amazingly EPIC friends and coaches who made every day, every meal, every challenge SO much more enjoyable; to Tara, Bruce and Maya for bringing a bit of family life for me to enjoy while being far from my own; to Suzanne for her mentorship and support (especially in the pool which I really needed); to Debs and Daz at TriSports Lanzarote for making me at home in their villa and their daily support and encouragement; to GU for THE BEST chomps and electrolytes which I fundamentally needed to “SMASH IT!” hour after hour, day after day; and to Zoot for the outstanding and generous contribution of hi-tech, comfortable and flattering gear AND for designing a wetsuit that, for the first time ever, has me truly excited about open water swims (!).
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! See you next year!