Colorado resident Cam Dye is an experienced professional triathlete and as he is getting ready for the 2018 season I checked in with him to see what he is up to.
Slowtwitch: How are you my friend?
Cam Dye: I’m doing great Herbert. Family is healthy, kids are getting bigger every day, and a new race season is about to start so things are good.
ST: What are you up to as we speak?
Cam: I just finished up the days sessions, got in an aerobic swim and an easy spin to get the body moving after a long weekend. Then in about 30 minutes I have to go pick up my son from the bus stop, get him a snack and swing him by soccer practice before I head to the pool to coach some swimming.
ST: Did you play soccer as a kid?
Cam: I did from about 8-10. I also played baseball growing up until I was 12 and decided I wanted to focus on swimming.
ST: Talk about your weekly training volume right now.
Cam: Right now I would say we are averaging in the neighborhood of 25 hours. The vast majority of that is still base intensity and good volume, although with my first race now in 5 weeks at the Escape Surf City race we are starting to add in some more specific intensity work. These last couple years I haven’t been able to get in a really solid winter of base work, and I think I have paid for it a bit towards the end of the year. So this year we decided to really focus on slowing down a bit, and focusing on economy and general endurance and waiting a bit on adding in the specific intensity sessions.
ST: What is the toughest swim set you do?
Cam: One of the things I love about the swim program we use is that we don’t really do many of the traditional “hard” sessions. People always talk about the 100x100’s or a 3k time trial but we do things more like a swim team in a lot of respects. Every session has a purpose and something that we are focusing on. I think often times our Thursday afternoon swim in the hardest one of the week. I generally have a hard tempo run in the morning, so the legs are pretty tired going into it. We will get in 6-7k with a 4.5-5k main set. It will be a mix of longer pull or swim pieces on tight intervals broken up 100’s or shorter swims at race pace effort.
ST: Would you mind sharing what such a main set might look like?
Cam: Sure, basically a 1500yd warm up and then something like the following:
1000 pull/paddles on 1:15 base
10x100 swim on 1:20
800 pull/paddles on 1:15 base
8x100 swim on 1:15
600 pull/paddles on 1:15 base
6x100 swim on 1:10
400 pull pull/paddles 1:15 base
4x100 swim on 1:05
ST: What about running wise?
Cam: For me the tempo run has always been the toughest. Over the years I have figured out how to execute a long run, and how to fake some good speed on the track, but the 20-30 min tempo effort, especially if there are surges thrown in, has always been the most difficult for me.
ST: So are you ready for another season?
Cam: Yeah I’m getting there. If you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have said that I still had a lot of work to do, but these past two weeks have gone better and I’m starting to get some fitness going. Crazy to think this will be my 12th year of professional racing!
ST: Earlier you mentioned Escape Surf City
Cam: First up for me this year will be the new Escape Surf City race in Huntington Beach, CA on April 22nd and then I will head to St. Anthony’s the following weekend. I’m excited to go to a new race and check out a new city and it will also be good to have a race under my belt for the year before heading down to St A’s.
ST: You have won St. Anthony’s Tri 3 years in a row and a total of 4 times. What will it take in 2018 to add to make it 4 years in a row?
Cam: It’s going to take a really solid race all the way around. Every year St A’s draws a good field of guys from ITU, non-draft, and long course and it is always a really tight race. Hopefully this year the weather cooperates and we can get in the full 1500m swim, and then it is going to be a matter of having a strong bike and being able to finish it off on the run. That course has seen a fair number of sub 31 10k’s so no lead is really ever safe.
ST: If all goes well, what run split would you be happy with?
Cam: Whatever it takes to win! I’ve run 32’s and won, and I’ve run 34 and won so for me it just comes down to how fast do I need to run to hold on. People like to make a big deal out of splits but a fast run split isn’t worth much if it didn’t win the race.
ST: Talking about splits, is a sub-53 bike split possible again?
Cam: Since last year I went 52:52, and the year before 52:28, it is definitely possible, although on that course it takes good weather to make it happen. Sometimes the wind swirls and sometimes it is really gusty so it becomes of matter of pushing good power while being aero and then getting a little lucky. Now if the question were is a sub 52 split possible I think you would really have to have some amazing legs on the perfect weather day.
ST: What is next – after St. A.?
Cam: After St A’s I will be putting in a good block of work at home to get ready for Alcatraz and also heading down to Durango for my brother’s wedding in May.
ST: These races like St. A seem to be getting rare these days.
Cam: There has definitely been a shift over the last few years as races got bought up by Ironman or went under due to competition. It’s been great to see IMG build a series around their iconic race at Alcatraz that allows people to qualify for the notoriously hard to get in race. There are not as many races as there once were but I think the sport as a whole is starting to realize if you get rid of all the shorter races its bad for the sport. You can’t expect people to start out with a half or full Ironman race and find much love for the sport.
ST: Are there any races out there that you would love to do but have not yet gotten to do for whatever reasons?
Cam: There are a couple that come to mind. I always wanted to do St Croix but seems as though that isn’t going to be an option. I am really excited to do the London Triathlon this year as part of the Escape Series. It’s the largest race in the world and I’ve never been to London so looking forward to that. Another famous end of year race is Phuket - which always sounded awesome with its ocean and lagoon swim and the odd distances.
ST: You have been coached by Neal Henderson for quite some time now and I guess that is not changing anytime soon.
Cam: No, it is very much a case of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
ST: Why do you think you two get along so well?
Cam: Neal and I have had a really good thing going for about 10 years now and I think one of the things that makes it work so well is that we are willing to work together, and try new things that can hopefully provide improvement. I respect Neal’s encyclopedic knowledge of sports science and how the body adapts to training, but I also know that if I go to him with an idea or a thought about my training he will listen and be willing to work with me. At this point we have worked together so long that he knows what I need and I know how to get what I need out of him.
ST: Are you following the NCAA tournament?
Cam: Absolutely! Outside of the Olympics it is my favorite sporting event to watch. All the pay to play drama aside, it is sports at its best. Most of the games are close, some buzzer beaters and plenty of upsets to make all the games worth watching. Basketball is one of the things I will be doing a lot more of after I retire and every year watching the tournament makes me want to hit the gym for a pick up game.
ST: Are you rooting for any specific team?
Cam: Not really this year. My Alma Mater Iowa didn’t make the dance, and my adopted team the CU Buffs didn’t either, so I am just watching the games and pulling for the upsets.
ST: Are you a decent player?
Cam: In my dreams I am a mixture of JJ Redick and Bobby Hurley. I have a pretty decent outside shot, and can drop a dime here and there, but the reality is the only reason I’m any good is because I like to play defense and will out-hustle anyone on the court.
ST: Out-hustle anyone?
Cam: I mean, anyone is a lot of people, but in all the pick up games I have played that was the one thing I could do better than anyone on the court was get up and down, over and over again.
ST: Any other sports you enjoy?
Cam: I loved skiing growing up and can’t wait to get back on the slopes once I am done racing. I also enjoy racquetball and love getting out to golf.
ST: Is there anything else we should know?
Cam: I think that pretty much covers where things are right now but I would love to give a special shout out to my first and best sponsor that have been with me my entire athletic career - my amazing parents Bob and Kit. Without their support and encouragement I don’t think I would have ever thought it was ok to chase a crazy dream. Thanks Mom and Dad!
You can follow Cam Dye on Twitter via @camdyetri and on Instagram also via @camdyetri
