On the Wednesday morning before camp last week I sat in the kitchen with my wife as we worked out the logistics of the next few days. We were mapping out how she was going to be able to get our three kids to all their activities while I was gone. This time away was going to be a stretch and I was calling in numerous favors. As I was driving up to Lakeville - I was wondering if I was doing the right thing. I knew how much I enjoyed camp last year (2003) - and was anxious to attend, but at the same time felt guilty about the time away from the family. My expectations were obviously high for camp this year in order to justify the time away.

Eric and his staff met all of those expectations this year and more!

Being able to focus on triathlon training for 4 days with no distractions is a valuable training tool - that can really help you prepare for the upcoming race season. Eric's workouts at camp are demanding, but at the same time enjoyable. By drafting off of Eric and his staff's knowledge of the sport you feel that anything is attainable by the end of camp.

There is also a certain energy at this camp - that is hard to describe. It is a very unique group that comes together to push themselves to their own limits. Everyone is trying their hardest at camp - nobody dogs it. When you are in this environment you immediately gain respect for all the athletes there - and rally around each other. By the end of camp you have great respect for all the participants.

What also amazes me is how we push ourselves to the max during these four days - yet still seem to maintain our sense of humor. There is always great conversation and laughs both during and after the workouts.

Eric's camp is an investment. Each year that I have attended I walk away knowing what I can accomplish, what I need to work on, and how I can go about getting better at the sport of triathlon.

In 2005 I plan on calling in favors once more - so that I can make the investment all over again.

Jeff Molson