Today was the perfect ending to an amazing camp.  It was the final and longest day - 150km of sweet West Marin cycling, taking in some of the best Marin has to offer in a single day.  The day dawned clear and stayed that way.  With warm descents and shady climbs, it was perfect for cycling.

The early starters left with a one hour advantage, and the main group caught them at the perfect time - just before a planned stop for some nice baked goods in Pt Reyes Station.  We then rolled down Hwy 1 to the biggest climb of the day of Bolinas-Fairfax rd, where the group split and did their best efforts on the steep climb - a repeat of the first half of Day 3's climb.  That was followed by the descent to Alpine Dam and then the return ride home via Fairfax.

Marin camp 2010 was a special one.  The routes, support staff and weather all were at their best.  More importantly, however, the group were cohesive and supportive of each other like none I have seen in previous years.  We did a lot of work on mental training as well as goal setting and getting the best out of each rider each day.  Several personal records were broken and riders discovered inner strength they didn't know they had.

Thanks to Jeb Stewart, StudioVelo, Cyfac, Quarq Technology, LifeCycle Adventures, and Training f/x for helping to make this camp the best ever.  Most of all, thank you to all who came and rode - your passion for our sport and dedication to improving your performance inspires us to give you the best of our knowledge, experience, and focus.  I hope you all come back in the years to come.

Here are a few photos from the day.  More to come soon.

Climbing in West Marin:

Riding along Tomales Bay:

Our bikes at the Bovine Bakery:

Climbing away from Bolinas:

This was a day without any particular assignments - ride as you like, and keep in mind that the biggest day is tomorrow.  We did the Alpine Dam loop with a nice out-and-back to the top of Mt. Tam.  There was some hammering, some cruising and a whole lot of fun.  Everyone is asleep now, as we have 150km of sunshine tomorrow.

Heading to Tam:

At the Dam:

Making it to the top:

The gang with a stunning view of the Bay:

Day 3 at Marin Camp is always a big one.  It's the day we 'race'— the Mt Tam Hill climb course, and it is the day the riders really have to dig deep to find the best in themselves.  For two days, they have been doing shorter, sharper efforts and today they have about 1 hour on the rivet, all uphill on one of the Bay Areas's toughest climbs.

Chris Peariso started the race off with a nice leadout on the flats from Stinson Beach, and he didn't stop there.  Just over 42 minutes later he arrived first at the Rock Springs lot, with Steven Hunter in second.  The rest of the crew arrived individually and everyone gave it their best.  Everyone had a blast, and after a short stint waiting at the top for warm clothes, descended back to Mill Valley for lunch, yoga, and massage. 

Steven Hunter comin' in hot:

Dick Drummond giving it his all on a bike he built himself:

Huddling for warmth:

Tomorrow is a relatively mellow day riding Alpine Dam and the top of Mt Tam.   More coverage here at Jeb's blog.

Another day dawned clear and bright and, following an excellent discussion on nutrition, the camp, with guest Jenn Reither, headed off to the Marin Headlands for what is for many the toughest day of camp - sprint, lead-out, and race finish scenario day.  We started with a bit of briefing on what lay ahead:

Then, we rode:

Finally, we sprinted, lead-out, and did some race finishes followed by discussion thereof:

All-in-all it was a fantastic day.  Tomorrow, we replicate the Mt Tam Hillclimb!

What a beginning!  Under clear, warm skies, we departed for an excellent introduction to some of Marin's best riding.  After an excellent first day's discussion on goal setting and mental training, we did 5 min and 1 min tests while taking in the wonders of Mt Tam, the descent of Bolinas Rd., and the stunning coast.

It's fun (but, exhausting fun) so I am going to keep it short and simply say that the day was amazing.  Here are a couple of photos:

For more coverage of the camp as it happens, head over to Jeb Stewart's blog.

It's not an 'official' camp day, but it always ends up being a fun one.  The day before camp is when nearly everyone arrives, all the preparation is about finished, and we can go for a ride.  This afternoon, about 3/4 of the camp went for a nice, easy Paradise Loop spin.  It was a great way to get everyone chatting and to loosen up legs stiffened by long journeys to get here.

Tomorrow camp really begins.  Everyone will be formally introduced, we will eat together and then head out on the road for a beautiful ride along the ridges and coastline of Marin.  We will have everyone do their 1 min and 5 min power tests as well as make sure everyone knows how to get the most from their Quarq powermeters.

Stay tuned for updates as they happen.