As with any new sport one adopts there comes a point in time when we ask ourselves how we can go about getting to that next level. Many of us have very hectic lives having to balance work, school, and family on top of getting our weekly workouts in. Since our time is precious we want to make sure that every hour we spend out on the bike is worth while and improving our fitness. We begin to look at other aspects of our training such as what we are feeding ourselves, what our sleeping schedule is like. However, the more specific concerns are our goals on the bike. Whether it’s to tackle the next big hill or mountain, going that extra distance, or perhaps simple improving our fitness on our weekly rides, we end up seeking guidance. There are hundreds of books and publications out there tackling just about every subject and training plan so how do you make sense of it all? The best plan in my opinion is going to a clinic or camp with professionals that have the experience and knowledge to help you make sense of it all.
Until this past weekend, one would have to travel to either Tucson or perhaps Colorado or California to attend such an event. On top of that, the cost is more than many people can afford ranging up to $4,000 in some cases not including the travel costs. It was the vision of Ricardo Vega to bring such an opportunity to our community here in El Paso at a cost that people could afford. Ricardo had had the experience early in his career of being a certified coach by Carmichael Training Systems along with an old friend and colleague, James Herrera. James had gone on, moving high up in the company gaining invaluable experience coaching some of the top cyclists in the USA, before starting his own coaching company, Performance Driven where he continues coaching. Ricardo had taken his experience and returned to El Paso to open up his own bike shop, Revolution Cyclery in 2004. He had hoped to one day expand the cycling community here at home where the weather in El Paso is opportune year around for such an event and our rolling hills and mountains can be utilized.
I’ve been cycling about a year and a half now and although I feel I’ve made huge improvements I felt it was time to seek coaching opportunities. I began brainstorming with Ricardo and another cyclist from the El Paso bicycle club as we got the ball rolling on organizing a camp, which would be the first for our city. Within the last year alone I had noticed the number of women taking up cycling had nearly doubled! Cycling can be a pretty intimidating sport since its one of the many that is male dominated. We felt because of this it would be a great opportunity to create a clinic that would cater to women only. Ricardo contacted James, as we began work on what would be three months of hard work and planning. After a few bumps in the road, the dates were set for January 9-11, 2009. A great way to kick off the New Year!
I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from the experience since I had never attended such a clinic before. Ricardo, myself, and James worked very hard in the weeks leading up to the event to make sure that every participant would have a blast and leave with a fantastic experience and knowledge no matter what their level of fitness or how long they have been riding. It proved to be a challenge having to accommodate so many levels but it turned out beautifully! We knew we would have some kinks to work out the first time around but luckily we had a very enthusiastic and dedicated group of about thirteen women to start us off.
The camp kicked off on Friday evening where we had a short meet and greet and quickly jumped into James’ first lecture on the basics of cycling - positioning, equipment, and training. I had gone that morning for a 55 mile ride and then having to get things ready for the evening; I hadn’t realized just how exhausted I was once I got home. However, I was blown away just by that first night alone! The lectures so far had far exceeded any expectations I had had. James was such a great public speaker and was wonderful at answering questions with great detail and background knowledge, while Ricardo had the mechanical know how which complimented the lectures nicely. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were to be able to have such valuable coaches at our fingertips, ready to guide us. We had learned a ton and it was just the first day!
Saturday ended up going over schedule. We began early in the morning, and had scheduled a ride leaving at 10 am. However, following the lecture James and Ricardo took the time to personally fit each rider on their bikes. This was a wonderful surprise and steal for us since usually something like this cost close to $100 on its own while that’s what the entire weekend was costing! Of course, no one complained that we ran over time and didn’t end up leaving on our ride until nearly 12 o’clock. I had created maps of our planned rides for the riders to carry but due to weather and the drills they wanted to cover we ended up scrapping those plans. No one seemed to mind, especially myself, because we worked on drills such as cornering on a 90 degree turn, as well as group riding – pace lines, single pace lines, and rider etiquette. It was pretty cold, in the low 40s and overcast but no one seemed to mind. Unfortunately, one of the riders, Ida had fallen on a bad shoulder during one of the climbing drills and had to abandon the ride but overall everyone did very well. We arrived back at the shop close to 3 pm, a full two hours later than what we had posted on the itinerary. Everyone was having so much fun; we had a quick bite to eat at the Bagel shop next door before leaving for a short break before dinner that night at the Italian Kitchen.
Dinner that night was wonderful. Although we didn’t load up on carbs like most magazines on endurance sports would suggest, we had a wonderful dinner which included a lecture on nutrition and recovery. It ended a little late so few people stuck around long, instead wisely choosing to get home and in bed to prepare for another day of riding and lectures. Just before closing for the night, James and Ricardo announced that instead of climbing up Anthony Gap like they had originally planned, they thought it would be a much better challenge and workout to climb up, over and back over Transmountain! Naturally many were pretty nervous having never climbed it before but I thought it was a wonderful idea. I had yet to climb with my new crank set up and was anxious to see how I’d do…and yes a bit nervous but what better time than with two coaches and 12 other riders encouraging you on?
Arriving early the next morning, I was realizing just how exhausted I was and hoped it wouldn’t interfere with my ride that day. We had a late start yet again but yet another great lecture this time given by Ricardo on basic bike mechanics – adjusting the rear derailer, flats, etc. We ended up leaving for the ride closer to 11 am this time while James announced that there would be a "king of the mountain" prize for the first rider to crest the summit of Transmountain each way. I wasn’t sure if I could do it but I was going to give it my best try! We gathered for a few group photos and took off. Luckily it was a beautiful day, sunny and little to no wind at all. Ricardo took the more advanced group while James worked with the others. I had never done a specific workout up this climb, usually I tend to just get to the top any way I can so this was a bit of a challenge. They had us do a muscle tension workout climbing up the Westside of the mountain, while doing an aerobic workout climbing back from the Eastside. I was feeling rather strong and ended up winning the prize on both sides of the climb. J It was so amazing to see the beginners tackle Transmountain, some after only a couple of weeks on the bike! It took me months to give it a try, so that was incredibly inspiring to witness. Goes to show you that you can do anything you put your mind to, with that extra support and encouragement!
Overall, the weekend proved to be invaluable! The camp was a huge success for the coaching staff, for the shop, and most importantly for those who participated. After getting back from that last ride no one wanted to leave. We had met new riding partners, and had had such a great time we were sad to see it end. However, because of the success and great turn out, Revolution Cyclery along with Performance Driven are in the process of planning out a camp schedule for the entire year. I personally have to thank James Herrera and Ricardo Vega for their tireless efforts in pioneering such an event in El Paso. It was a lot of hard work but definitely worth the effort. We are very fortunate to have such great coaches and professionals that are so passionate about cycling in our community. Although James works and lives in Colorado Springs, he is committed to continue traveling to El Paso for future camps. Until next time…
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