Epic Campers Take Two thru Four at Taupo.

March 10, 2004, Taupo, New Zealand, Slowtwitch.com

The utility of epic mileage packed into twelve days was evident at Ironman New Zealand this year, as perennial winner Cameron Brown had to overcome epic charges from in front and behind to win his fourth IM NZ title.

Swede Björn Andersson gave the Kiwi something to think about as the 24-year-old rode to an 18-minute lead into T2. Brown is used to running into the win on this course, but he’s not used to having someone take time out of him while afoot. Andersson’s countryman Clas Björling did just that, running 2:42 to Brown’s 2:46.

Björling, also young for an Ironman at age-25, ran out of real estate and came home in 8:36:35 to Brown's 8:30:30. Andersson gamely hung on for third in 8:41:35.

Next across in 4th was Epic Camp co-producer Gordo Byrn in 8:46:37. Byrn’s Epic Camp partner, former Ironman champ, 44-year-old Scott Molina, acquitted himself well at 9:29:29, second master and 17th overall.

Clas Björling’s run was not a surprise to Cameron Brown, who closed on the run to finish a close second to Brown by just 23 seconds in the Auckland Half-Ironman Jauary 25th. This, in the middle of the most recent New Zealand Epic Camp, 12 days of back-to-back mega mileage.

The Epic of El Skid.

January 2003, Dan Empfield, Slowtwitch.com

Monty and I were talking this morning over coffee and he remarked that Scott “Skid” Molina has finally found his sweet spot in the tri world – or rather that he’s rediscovered it. It’s been the overriding theme of his adult life, he just finally found a way to make it pay as an over-40 athlete.

Fortunately for him other people will want to do what it is he’s charging money for, and he had to step back and rethink things before he came to his senses and figured it out. His diatribe, in the final installment of his Epic Camp diary, against the passive approach our sport has been taking toward risk management is right on target. We tend to dumb-down our camps and races and coaching advice. Maybe we ought to smarten-them-up instead. You can’t be so afraid that someone might die or become injured that you take an inherently dangerous activity and make it so safe that it’s not fun anymore. You can’t be so worried that you won't fill up your camp that you make it easy enough so that any customer can do it. That’s what makes no customer want to do it.

Bravo, Scott and Gordo! They built a product that isn’t for everybody! And in so doing they built a product that is going to be in great demand. You’ve got to be able to keep up, or you can’t go to their camp. That’ll make people want to become good enough to do the camp. That’s a step forward. That’s the idea.

Epic Camp is not a triathlon. It’s not an adventure race. It’s not a training camp per se. It borrows from the disparate elements of all of what makes these activities work for us. We want to go places – both physically and physiologically – we’ve never been before. We want to challenge ourselves in the presence of others. We want to see whether we’ve got enough mettle; see what we’re made of; see how we react in the moment of truth. We want to come out the other side.

Epic Camp is the Next Big Thing. Or at least it ought to be.

Jeff “Dr J” Shilt
Epic Camp Australia, 2005 Attendee

The camp embodied everything I enjoy about Ironman – the opportunity to participate on the same course, same day, and same conditions as the big boys. This was no different. However, it also revealed the talent and hard work these guys endure to be on top of their game. More importantly it demonstrated they are normal guys with sensational commitment and the mental toughness required to lay it out there on the line while training and racing.

Gordo and Scott’s organizational skills leave nothing amiss. We had tremendous support staff and great food. They were both likewise approachable and willing to answer a seemingly endless stream of questions, despite being shelled themselves from the training effort. I can’t think of a better combination of consultants to surround one’s self... a proven athlete driven to success and a world-champ who is still out there doing it every day. Their personalities are as different as their backgrounds, but the diversity and approach is complimentary.

The support crew is unparalleled. Peter, Mark & Dave were great chaps and provided physical, mental & moral support. I couldn’t imagine accomplishing what we did without them. Darren was tremendous. Not having attended a prior camp, I can’t imagine how they were able to get through one without an “uber mechanic”. His stories weren’t so bad either. Michella added a much needed female touch. I have no idea how she survived two weeks with 24 guys who clearly lost their minds, and manners, during that time.

The rest of the pros and coaches were great as well. Bjorn & Clas are super athletes, but super human beings as well. They were patient around the rest of us mere mortals and always willing to help in any way. I can’t wait to see these guys win their first Ironman. It is going to happen.

Johnno is a great athlete and coach who though, soft-spoken, can still walk the walk. KP is the spirit of Epic Camp – the guy pushes the limit at all times with a smile and a word of encouragement to boot. He is certainly a role model in many ways, clearly achieving that sense of life balance. Mike Ricci (D3 Multiport) is a solid coach and athlete, always offering insight and support.

I would be amiss without acknowledging the support of the other campers throughout the two weeks. I enjoyed training with these guys, observing them struggle, and accepting their help and encouragement through the tough times. Mike P, Mike H, Clive, Vernon, Fritz, Kevin “Strawman” R, Spencer, Peter H were great training partners. Mike Peters was able to keep the red jersey out of my reach for entirety of the camp until Molina exposed our Achilles tendon during the swim events of the decathlon. Vernon let me hang on his feet during many of the swim sessions and was kind enough to keep me company in the water. Terry played smart and didn’t over train during illness – this took an amazing amount of fortitude and wisdom to resist the temptation of hammering some tough sessions out with people of clearly less speed and talent. Mike Hanreck was super in giving the Epic veterans experience and guidance in what to expect – it would have certainly been more difficult without him. Fortunately he was able to tolerate the Shilt “spread” in our shared quarters. Seth was the superman of the camp – that guy is mentally and physically unparalleled, including perhaps the G-man. He gave the camp that over the top feel.

I feel like the Shilt boys did all right. It was fun to watch John hang in with “big boys” in the pool – I think he actually got faster again. Personally I was surprised to achieve the volume of training I endured. Current medical training and traditional thought would forbid this approach. My ability to actually do the volume with the base I came with is mind boggling. I sincerely thought that accomplishing 50% of the daily volume would have been an accomplishment. Never again will I put artificial limits on my training or completing a race. This lesson alone outweighs any physical benefit I received.

Both of us learned important pacing lessons and our mental toughness took a definite leap. I achieved my goals set before camp-to depart stronger than I arrived. I would have never dreamed that I could have accrued so much training while staying healthy. I asked Molina early in the camp what my goals should be regarding intensity vs. volume. He responded neither – he said the goal was to do things not previously felt possible and realize that there are other crazy people out there that enjoy training as much as we do. Hopefully these new found strengths will push us through the next plateau... Stay tuned for New Zealand 2006.

P.S. Hopefully I will have more to bring to next camp than my free show shooting ability... I guess I came by my new nickname honestly... Dr. J

Peter Hancock
Epic Camp Australia, 2005 Attendee

Gordo and Scott...

Thanks so much for providing me with an opportunity to really extend myself. It’s amazing what you can achieve when you are provided the environment and opportunity, and are willing to work hard. I enjoyed training more than ever before, and Scott, I have to say there is probably nothing more entertaining than the full blown Molina whinge as we rode out of Jindabyne towards Thredbo on that day we transitted from Cooma to Jindabyne. It’s good to know that even the best get a sore arse! You’re welcome in Melbourne for a beer anytime!

Gordo, I was like a sponge on the long run we did after the triathlon that day and really enjoyed listening to your ideas and general philsophy on training. I like that you’re willing to try things. “It’s an experiment” usually said with a wry smile. Something I think that can be incorporated not just into training, but into life.

It’s great that you haven’t “dumbed down” the camp, and kept it really tough. It’s the toughness that draws the best out of us!

Thanks again, and look forward to seeing you all either in Kona, or at Epic NZ.

Michael Hanreck
Epic Camp New Zealand, North Island, 2004 Attendee

The performances of the other campers over the last two weeks at IMM and IMNZ is proof Epic does exactly what it says on the tin: “The purpose of Epic Camps is to provide elite and amateur athletes with an environment within which they can achieve personal excellence.”

Since returning from the hardest training of my life I’ve felt motivated and found a new commitment to training. Living with some of the best pros in their tough week gives you an education not available anywhere else. Apart from being a little stronger physically many small mental changes have happened the sort of things that you always knew about but hadn’t got round to. 3-4K swim sets are normal, getting home from a long ride and focusing on recovery and even getting some enjoyment from the turbo trainer.

The biggest bonus that I did not imagine is the way all my training buddies have been motivated. It is amazing how even reading about Epic can get you putting in a few extra hours in the middle of winter. I’ve come back to find a group of excited and driven athletes to train with. If reading about it does that imagine what being there is like.

Finally the things you probably know, but are still worth a mention. Support are great, we had four people working hard to keep nine of us going. The way epic keeps moving puts incredible stress on the support team but your bags food and seatpost all seem to be there when you need them. Scott & G know what training long is, the points system and structure of the week and days allow you to push yourself hard, nobody else could organize this kind of overload better.

Kevin Purcell
Epic Camp New Zealand, North Island, 2004 Attendee

It has been my pleasure to attend each Epic Camp. Epic camp New Zealand North was up there with the best. Gordo and Scott – along with Super Wy – have got the formula for a 12 day aerobic overload refined so that the camp will give any and everybody what they are looking for. That is – all they can handle.

In this edition, we had well thought out huge balance that encouraged high volume in a way that my body could assimilate. Swim, run, bike – we did a lot of all of it – and in a fun and challenging way. The company of the campers is always first class, as are the accomodations. The food – that goes way above and beyond what anyone would expect.

Thanks amigos!
Kevin Purcell (Coach KP)

– Following Epic Camp, Kevin paced his best race yet at IMNZ '04 and scored another Kona slot.

Rob Allison
Epic Camp Colorado, 2003 Attendee

EC proved to be an experience for me that opened my mind to a new level of training and performance. Day in and day out, training is stressful on the body and mind, but I learned that when you take away external variables it is possible to handle the overload of training that we achieved. The confidence and fitness that I came away with from EC served as a building block for my season and boost for my IM training in general.

Training along side Gordo and Scott as well as other talented athletes was a great experience in my mind. I learned more from them in 12 days than I have in the past 4 years about IM training. Doing the training was far more valuable than reading any book or hearing any lecture. I think that there are many athletes out there that can benefit from EC training. The philosophy of an elite athlete is one that you can only appreciate once you experience it. Gordo and Scott are two of the best at teaching you how to train and you live it at EC.

I’ll never forget riding in Colorado. The beauty and the weather were unforgetable. More important, however, was the fact that I could train 35 to 40 hours per week and enjoy it. There is so much that is unspoken about EC and that would be impossible to explain. It was a chance of a lifetime and I took it. I will never regret that.

Roger Martin
Epic Camp Colorado, 2003 Attendee

Some of you reading are really more interested in results than you are in some abstract philosophical notion of self-discovery. You’re a closet pragmatist, almost embarrassed that it should matter to you whether you’re really “getting your money’s worth.” Let’s get to the bottom line, you say. You want to know whether it was “worth it” from some economic standpoint. In other words, you want to know whether your money could have been better spent on a new bike or a swim coach or perhaps a wild night of indiscretion in Las Vegas. The short answer is that it was definitely worth it. Unfortunately, in order to get the “long answer,” you need to do the camp yourself. Only your results matter, not anyone else’s.

So that’s not a very satisfying answer, is it? Sorry. That’s just the way life is, isn’t it? You never have enough information to be certain. You always have to make decisions based on incomplete information. This is one of those decisions. It’s OK to be uncomfortable and apprehensive about whether this is the “right” thing for you to do in your training or with your money. It’s that very discomfort that you will overcome if you have just a little faith in Gordo and Scott, and do the camp instead of rationalizing why you shouldn’t.

Kevin Purcell
Epic Camp Colorado, 2003 Attendee

To others who are considering an Epic Camp experience:

EC CO ended yesterday and the training/accomodations was top shelf. Over 60,000 feet in climbing, over 30,000 yards swimming, hours of running and some strength training in the gym. The last and twelth day included summiting Mt Evans at 14,000 feet after climbing Berthoud Pass (over 10,000 feet of vertical gain on the day). For me, this was done in the middle of 224K of cycling with 8:45 of ride time.

I learn a lot from every member of the camp, but training with Molina and gordo is especially eye opening. Add Clas Björling to the mix and those three can persevere during training at levels I have only been able to think about – and it is done in a constructive, intelligent way. They are fearless when it comes to endurance thresholds. What I learn watching them cannot be taught through books or e-mail (IMO). Some may be able to find it within themselves – but I have a hunch for most it needs to be witnessed and experienced – in person and under fire.

Today I find myself in the same situation I was in when I returned from Epic Camp New Zealand. That is – more fit than ever before. But perhaps as importantly, I am able to see beyond certain barriers.

I am changed when I spend time with gordo and Scott. I cannot verbalize it any better than that because some of the change is an abstract mental advantage that is difficult to quantify. I am one who enjoys training at high levels of consistant quality with a certain degree of tough physical challenge, but Epic Camp takes me beyond the point I am able to take myself -- mentally and physically.

We JFT’d... And had a great time in some of the most scenic and tough terrain on earth.

IM Canada is in two weeks and then on to race in Kona and some quiet time with my family.

Andrew Charles
Epic Camp New Zealand, 2003 Attendee

Back in the real world in Australia it seems like forever since the camp ended. I can honestly say the camp was one of the greatest sporting endeavours I have ever been involved in. As well as getting to see the effort elite athletes put into their training the knowledge I gained was invaluable.

Probably the best aspect (apart from the training benefits) was the friendships formed during the two weeks and the way in which everyone worked together both during and outside of training to make sure everyone enjoyed and benefited from the experience. There were times when I suffered more than what I do during an Ironman race and I loved every minute of it. The way in which Gordo and Scott planned and operated the camp was fantastic. I would recommend the camp to anyone who was passionate about Ironman racing. I’ll be there next year (if you’ll have me) and I’ll probably have a few friends with me. Best of luck to all of you who are competing in IMNZ.

– Following Epic Camp, Andrew took 30 minutes off his personal best at IMNZ and qualified for Kona.

Chris “Macca” McDonald
Epic Camp New Zealand, 2003 Attendee

Epic Camp for me was an eye opener to what one is able to achieve, to put yourself in an environment that will take you places that you couldn't take your self. The camp and campers alike were above all expectations. I gained so much knowledge on racing, nutrition and having fun from all the athletes on the trip. Putting myself in this environment has given me the strength and knowledge to take it to the next level.

I would recommend Epic to anyone who likes to push their limits. I sure will be back to push mine once again!

– Following Epic Camp, Chris went on to a Top 5 finish at both IMNZ and IMOZ and qualified for Kona.

Kevin Purcell
Epic Camp New Zealand, 2003 Attendee

Epic Camp – there were triumphs. There were times when I was pulled by the group into overcoming perceived limits. There was some suffering, learning, helping and being helped. Bonding and new friendships with fellow mates. Scott and Gordo’s Epic Camp and the campers themselves surpassed what I had expected – and I had large expectations.

Scott and Gordo won't make it happen for you – you will make it happen. There are plenty of chances to have your metal checked – and re-checked – and the group will help you pass the tests. Being tough in the last half of an Ironman means rising to the occasion when you are in pain.

Over to you.

Following are Kevin’s thoughts on what it takes to partake in Epic Camp. Kevin is also an Ironman coach and Kona qualifier.

Endurance base and IM speed are closely linked. One should have both to fare well at Epic Camp. One’s endurance may be even more critical than his IM time. I think I have a good endurance base. I have been carefully building a base for three years with Gordo. I was riding 20hr bike weeks back in October before IMFL. The four weeks prior to Epic Camp were 30hr weeks (no swimming due to an arm injury) that included about 600K a week on the bike (22-24hrs of riding/wk).

At Camp, I was usually able to hold a steady effort on the bike on some long and tough rides. Still, my speed at steady is not the same as an elite/pro’s speed at steady. When I stayed with the front group all day on a 240K ride I ended up working harder than steady at some points. Consequently, in the ensuing days, I was faced with either training too hard or riding some of the time off the back. These can be tough decisions to make in a group setting.

My advice would be this:
     1) Own sufficient endurance base or pass on the camp.
     2) If you have the endurance but are not able to ride repeatedly for 7hrs as an elite would then leave your ego at home and be prepared to back off a notch on occasion. Not every ride. But be able to tell when it's time. If you cannot, you may end up sick or injured and your trip will become far less satisfying. I played my cards correctly and had a very rewarding experience.

– Following Epic Camp, Kevin went Top 5 at IM Brazil and qualified for Kona.