If you are an athlete and you love nature, mountains and challenging terrain, you will love our training playground....otherwise known as Greenville, SC.
If I had to choose three words to describe what we heavily focus on during our training camps I would choose the words; FIT, FUEL, TRAIN.
Of course, FUN is included in there too.
A private training camp is the perfect option for the athlete who needs specific individual attention in specific areas.
In the case of our last private training camp this past Thurs - Sat, triathlete Gin (who is coached by Professional triathlete Haley Chura) from Athens, GA reached out to us regarding setting up a private training camp to help her with her cycling skills (specifically with climbing more efficiently and using her gears more effectively), to assess her bike fit, to discuss fueling and daily nutrition to ensure she stays healthy with her training and reaches her performance expectations in training and on race day and to help with swimming mechanics.
Gin is a very strong and fast athlete but she reached out to us for help to address the little things that will help her train smarter so she can train harder.
After the OK from her coach Haley to train with us for 3-days, Gin stayed with us in our home, I prepared all the meals (and made grocery trips as needed to keep her mini fridge stocked with foods that she liked), Karel set her up with a new (and much improved) bike fit and we went to work with three jam-packed days of training based on her needs and fitness level.
Gin left her train-cation near the mountains with a tired body as we placed a lot of great intentional stress on her body with the following training plan (which was OK'd by her coach Haley to ensure that we were all on the same page, with a team approach to ensure Gin's need's were fully met):
Thursday:
3 hour ride + 3 mile run - AM
3000 yard swim - PM
Friday:
Bike fit - AM
5 hour ride + 20 min run - AM/PM
Saturday:
90 min run - AM
2 hour bike - Mid Day
In between the training sessions we talked about what was learned (or needs improvement) during each session so that she could pass along the info to her coach Haley and of course, there was a great emphasis on rest, fueling/refueling and recovery.
A private training camp is an efficient, valuable and informative solution for the athlete who has specific limiters which are preventing consistency in training or keeping you from getting to the next level with your fitness.
We work with athletes of all levels (and all sports - swim/bike/run) and regardless if you are coached by us or another coach, our job is to help athletes become stronger, faster, more efficient, smarter and more confident when training and racing.
A hands-on experience with an athlete is one of the most valuable experiences to ensure that you are not bringing bad habits to training, ultimately forcing you to train harder than you need to/should be training. And, by seeing you in action, we can quickly address weaknesses/limiters in your skills or movements.
Because of where we live (and thanks to Karel having decades of cycling, bike racing and bike mechanic experience) our campers often find that the biggest benefit of training with us is the opportunity to work on bike skills (and fitness) on our challenging (hilly) terrain.
We work with athletes of all levels (and all sports - swim/bike/run) and regardless if you are coached by us or another coach, our job is to help athletes become stronger, faster, more efficient, smarter and more confident when training and racing.
A hands-on experience with an athlete is one of the most valuable experiences to ensure that you are not bringing bad habits to training, ultimately forcing you to train harder than you need to/should be training. And, by seeing you in action, we can quickly address weaknesses/limiters in your skills or movements.
Because of where we live (and thanks to Karel having decades of cycling, bike racing and bike mechanic experience) our campers often find that the biggest benefit of training with us is the opportunity to work on bike skills (and fitness) on our challenging (hilly) terrain.
We can build your confidence while cycling - descending, climbing, cornering, riding in the wind.
We can build your skills while swimming - strengthen your skills for open water.
We can build your running resilience - climbing and descending hills, learning how to run more economical off the bike.
We can help you fuel and eat smarter.
We can make sure you are in the most efficient position possible on the bike to help you ride stronger, reduce risk for injury and if you are a triathlete, to run better off the bike.
We can make sure you are in the most efficient position possible on the bike to help you ride stronger, reduce risk for injury and if you are a triathlete, to run better off the bike.
Here are a few pics from Gin's 3-day training camp:
Karel talking about how to properly execute the main set of the bike workout on rolling terrain. The focus was on variable cadence, working on slowing down the cadence to control the heart rate and how to pace on rolling terrain.
Working on climbing efficiently in and out of the saddle.
Working on how to sit properly on the bike with proper hip position, while pushing harder efforts and pedaling efficiently.
Saying hello to Mr. Lama.
I told you we have fun too!
Enjoying the view.
Swim workout - 30 x 50's with short rest and different toys to prevent fatigue while developing proper swim mechanics.
A windy day means a great opportunity to practice riding efficiently in the wind.
Heading to the mountains with a total of ~7000 feet of climbing in our 5-hour bike ride.
Getting comfortable riding on bumpy roads.
A long, steady climb on the Watershed to N.C., on our way to Flat Rock.
Quick stop to refill bottles.
I ran solo on Saturday because our camper was too fast for me and I didn't want to hold her back so Karel put her through a great rolling 90-min run workout and I did intervals on the track as part of my 95 minute long run.
Last ride of the training camp - Over 12,000 feet of climbing in 3 rides!
FOOD!!!
First night dinner - mix of roasted veggies (peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, onion, corn), baked chicken, jasmine rice, quinoa.
My plate (tempeh for me, chicken for Gin and Karel).
After our normal recovery smoothie (Clif Recovery protein powder + whey protein + 1% Organic milk + cherries + ice/water) we had a light lunch each day. On Thurs we had sandwiches (deli meat for Gin and Karel, cheese and hummus for me with cottage cheese on the side)
Friday night eats after a long day of cycling (and a short run off the bike) - PIZZA from Sidewall Pizza Company.
Along with a colorful salad that I made to compliment the pizza.
Homemade strawberry and date pancakes. I made these before our long run so that they would be ready for after our run workout. The pancakes topped with butter and syrup (and recovery drink) served as refuel from the run and fuel before our 2-hr ride which was around 90 min after we finished the run.
Send us an email when you are ready for us to plan your private camp (train-cation) in beautiful, bike-friendly Greenville, SC.
We can't wait to work with you to help you become the athlete that you never thought you could be but was always within your capabilities.