Why every Triathlete needs a Training Camp Experience
OK, fine: we are biased. Nevertheless, there is a reason we run training camps – it is because they are a lot of fun. So read on here to find out why you should consider attending a training camp this season.
Traditionally warm weather training is the staple part of almost every serious athlete’s training routine. From pre-season tours in rugby for school pupils, to warm weather cycling training for professional cyclists or football camps for premier teams, athletes of all different levels of their development are finding themselves packing for sunnier, warmer climates in order to do the same things they do at home but abroad!
So why is it that triathletes tend to head out to train abroad? Clearly there is something in it as we rarely know someone who has been abroad training in warmer climates and then returned never to do it again. Equally, for anyone on social media following triathlete friends or professionals, it is hard not to realise that in all of their photos, the sky looks bluer, the sun shinier and the sleeves shorter than your equivalent social media stream. For those of you who haven't yet taken that plunge, why is it that people really do rave about training camps abroad?
Physiologically there are key reasons to go on a training camp:
There is an additional stress from heat which means you do get fitter just by training the same but in a warmer climate
You can get vitamin D – much needed after the winter months
You can train harder – more hours in the day means there can be more time between sessions, which means more recovery and, with the warmer temperature, you can actually push harder as you don’t get cold hanging around between intervals.
Psychologically there are also reasons to head abroad and get some training in warmer climates
A kickstart back into training – More light means you can counter-act Seasonal Affective Disorder which has huge effects on our mood after the winter training months
A change in environment leads to a reduce mental fatigue from training. Meaning you are less likely to burn out!
A reduction of distractions. Realistically life gets in the way more often than it doesn't. Heading off on a training camp may be the perfect way to get focussed for the season ahead.
Get to know your teammates or make new friends. With many of our guests coming as ones or twos, you will certainly make some new friends or even find training buddies to go back with
Improve the relationship with your coach. Spend your time training directly under your coach's watchful eye and suddenly see how a closer relationship leads to enhanced performance through better understanding and rapport.
For more information about the benefits of training in the warmer weather, you can certainly read more in our warm-weather training report here.
Or if you need no further temptation, you can book onto one of our camps by following this link.
All in all, there are really great reasons for going on a training camp. But I would head out on a training camp because they are just a lot of fun! You meet a whole bunch of likeminded nutcases who have a similar adventurous outlook on life and you really will fit in while immersing yourself in your hobby. You spend so many hours training a week already, you may as well do some of those on smooth roads and in the warmth.
We’re here to help
Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.
The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.
If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.