Trimarni 2.5 day Greenville training camp

Trimarni 2.5 day Greenville training camp - Day 2 recap

Back in 2011, I did my very first training camp. I didn't pay any money for the camp and I didn't have to travel very far because the camp was just for me.

Karel designed a strategically placed "overload" training block in my training plan, around 9 weeks out from the Ironman World Championship. Since we, at Trimarni, are not proponents of high volume training within our training plans (specific to endurance training), this new concept of a 3-4 day "training camp" was such a smart and appropriate way to put adequate stress on my healthy body and gain fitness without compromising health. Plus, it was so cool to just mentally and physically dedicate 3-4 days to training and to minimize outside stressors (something that is hard to accomplish on a week to week basis).

We still continue to implement "training camps" into our training plans and for our one-on-one athletes.

There are many different types of training camps, from camps that pack a lot of volume, to camps that jump-start a training block/phase or to escape from normal life/weather to camps that are more informative to focus on skills.

For Karel and me, camps are a prime opportunity to see our athletes in action but to also educate. Sure, the extra push that each camper gives to one another is an added bonus and something that you can never get at home when training alone but being in the elements, one on one with athletes is invaluable.

With our big training day on Saturday for our camp, we weren't sure how our campers would "survive" but they all did outstanding, with no complaints, no excuses and no bad attitudes. We had six well-fueled, strong and focused athletes ready to learn, push and support one another.

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At 7:45am we met as a group at the Caine Halter YMCA and due to a broken water pump, we had to move our swim to the indoor pool. With the temperatures in the low 30's on Saturday morning, our campers were not complaining that they didn't have to walk outside to the bubble pool.

After a series of swim dynamic warm-ups, our campers got into the pool for a warm-up and then they began their pre-set before their main set.

I took video's of every athlete so that they could see what they looked like in the pool since the Fri swim was more technique focused before the main set. We really like the opportunity to have our first day of camp be dedicated to skills and technique so that our athletes can apply new tips to their training the next day.

After an hour of swimming (around 2000 yards), our athletes changed and headed to a restaurant to feed their bellies before their long brick. I advised our athletes to have a snack before their swim and a carb-rich with moderate protein, low fiber/fat meal after the swim since we allowed about 2 hours after the swim and before the bike for digestion.

At 11am we all met at the host hotel on our bikes and although the sun was popping out (at times) it was a bit chilly in the mid 30's. However, everyone dressed appropriately and I made sure our campers stayed consistent on their fuel intake (liquid calories) in order to avoid bonking or dehydration with the cold weather.

Karel planned a challenging yet beautiful route through Dacusville and Pumpkintown and to Table Rock. With 4000 feet of climbing and one long climb that went from 11% to 14% to 17% to 20%, the route was not easy! But we reminded our athletes that the riding in Greenville is not easy because the routes are not steady - there is little opportunity to develop a rhythm and this is why we feel so strongly that when our athletes come to train with us in Greenville they can get very comfortable changing gears and learning how to anticipate climbs. Aside from the rolling hills, climbs and descends, we also have a lot of turns, bumpy roads and windy sections so our athletes were able to learn how to efficiently ride their bike (and fuel) in non-"perfect" conditions.

Our campers were strong and they never complained. I remember the first few rides with Karel in Greenville and feeling totally exhausted from this challenging terrain. But our campers knew that the focus of the camp was to learn and improve skills but to also experience added training stress that they just can't get alone or in their normal training environment. Needless to say, Karel and I gave everyone the push they secretly craved. The group was of different riding styles and that was just fine because we had meet-up sections on the course at stop signs/turns.

After an almost 4 hour ride, we made our way back to the host hotel and gave our athletes a 10-minute transition before our run. I made sure everyone had a sport drink or gel+water for the run because the worst thing is having athletes underfuel/underhydrate in a brick workout. Karel and I never leave the house without fluids (at minimum) when we run - even for a 10 minute brick run.

It was nearing 3:45pm and our athletes had been moving since 8am but the fun wasn't over yet.

Karel and I ran from our home to the host hotel and met the group and we all jogged easily to the Greenville HS track (which is free to the public, anytime).

We all did a dynamic warm-up and Karel and I discussed briefly about the importance of learning how to run smart when running off the bike in a triathlon as well as how to get the mind and body ready for a strong run off the bike.

Our brick run was ~15 minutes or 2 miles (whichever came first) on the track, semi-conversational pace. Most of us found a buddy to run with which made the laps go by rather quickly. Despite 5 hours of training in the bank on Saturday, everyone looked really smooth and light on their feet for the run. We made sure that all our campers took some extra fuel around 30 minutes before we finished the bike (gels, blocks, bars, sport drinks - sugar!) to ensure that no one would bonk or get injured. Furthermore, we all had happy feet running on the track surface compared to the asphalt.

After a 3.5 mile run, our campers had around 90 minutes to shower, rest and refuel with a recovery drink and snack and then we all met downtown for dinner at Pomegranate on Main. I absolutely LOVE this restaurant and it has something for every type of diet.

Throughout our dinner, Karel and I talked about our upcoming relationship with First Bourn and our growing excitement to hold camps at the various First Bourn locations and we also heard from each of our campers to better understand what they were taking away from the camp as well as areas of continued improvement. Lucky for me and Karel, we had two of our own one-on-one Trimarni athletes at our camp and one of our athletes is a coach herself (Leigh-Ann) so the group dynamic was really powerful to hear from all of our campers, which come from all different backgrounds and fitness levels.

By 9pm, we were all exhausted and ready for bed so we called it a night and told everyone to sleep-in to wake up super rested for our last day of training - the long run!

Day 3 recap coming soon....here are some pictures from day 2.