Choosing the Right Triathlon Training Camp: Factors to Consider
This latest article delves into the factors that help athletes decide on the best training camp option and where they should go. With a quick internet search returning hundreds of locations which look incredible and boast similar experiences, what are the defining factors? Does money get you more? Can you do it yourself? Read on to find out more.
When athletes are planning a training camp, there are some important factors for choosing when and where to go. Nevertheless, few athletes properly go through this process and end up missing out on some of the finer aspects of a training camp.
What about the camp itself?
Firstly, athletes can use the camp either as a general training camp where the emphasis is on high-quality training or they will choose the location for specific environmental adaptions. For example, athletes may choose to go somewhere warm enough to make adaptions for heat or altitude. Notwithstanding those reasons, athletes may choose to train somewhere that offers ideal parallels to their main race. This may be training on the course to get local knowledge of it or a location which is very similar to ensure good environmental adaptions. Identifying the purpose of the camp and the need to be specific to a course is a crucial consideration.
The timing of the camp is also an important factor. This will be determined by the time of year of the camp, and the target race will also make a significant difference to athletes. For example, there is little benefit in heat training in February for a race in October. Any adaptions will be minimally present by then. Additionally, it may be too much of an ask to start a focus on heat or altitude adaption in the last few weeks of preparation. That needed to be done regularly before, with the concept of topping up in the final few phases.
It is also worth considering the aims of the camp. We alluded to this in the paragraphs above. What is the purpose of going away? It may be to gain good aerobic fitness. In which case, warmer climates, with the ability to do good miles without worrying about how hard they are, could be beneficial, or it could be a finishing camp, where you are looking to sharpen and consolidate the final few big sessions before the race or race season. Perhaps athletes prefer to focus on technique and purely mix training up from the colder winter climate at home! The timing of the camp and its purpose can be very different. This is where working with your coach can be hugely helpful. They can help you decide what you need to work on and the best way of achieving that intent on a camp. This can be something that a good training camp location can offer regardless of the differences of the athletes. Ideally, a great location will facilitate a range of athlete needs to ensure the best training for each one.
Key questions to ask yourself and the camp provider:
Why are you going on this training camp? (what do you want to gain?)
What is the purpose of the camp from the provider’s perspective?
How much flexibility is there in the training camp programme, and can it flex for your aims?
Know the standard of Coaching available
Training camps are easy enough to set up. A coach must find somewhere with facilities and accommodation and then charge clients to come and train out of the location. The business model is simple, but that can have its limitations for athletes.
No two camps are the same, and a lot of this is down to the approach of the coach and coaching staff. Athletes should look beyond the coaching qualifications or badges a coach has and look much more into their philosophy and approach. For example, all our coaches must have completed our internal endurance coaching pathway. This is something that is unique to our coaching team and defines the standards we expect athletes to receive. Other coaches do it differently, and that is okay, but we like to set standards! Once you have ascertained the standard of the coaching team on the camp, you can start understanding what coaching is available.
Camps can take many forms. Sometimes, a camp is a chance to train alongside an athlete/coach, and the sessions will essentially be for that athlete, and others will join in. This works really well if everyone is at the same sort of ability and can sustain the same sort of load. Other camps may offer large group sessions with a high number of athletes to a coach. This may offer good access to training buddies and people to train alongside but may not facilitate the best learning environment for athletes as the coach is spread too thin. Whereas coaching-led camps with low athlete-coach ratios can be the best opportunity for athlete evolution across both fitness and technical aspects.
The continuum of training alongside a coach (or a high-performing athlete) to receiving coaching is important for athletes to recognise, as what an athlete will get out of each of those environments will be very different. Or, to put it another way, you could be overpaying for a coaching experience if you aren’t getting that much back: If you are training alongside a talented athlete, the business model is one that is trying to cover their training costs and make some money on the side!
Key questions to ask yourself and the camp provider:
What are the qualifications of the coaching team?
Look into the athletes who they have worked with – are they like you?
What is a typical coach:athlete ratio?
Are the coaching staff training while on the camp, or are they there to only to coach?
What are the facilities like?
For many camp locations, especially those outside of the UK, you can almost guarantee that the facilities are better than what you have at home: better pools, better running facilities, better gyms and better road surfaces! Combine those with better weather, and it isn’t difficult to see why people love training abroad! Though that is the trend, it is always important to check that costs are included in your camp. Do you have free access to the pool? Or do you have set times you can go? These are small details that could change your experience when you get there, especially if you are looking to do more of your own thing and not follow a training camp schedule.
Work out how much access you can get to the facilities as well as their quality so you can plan your training appropriately. Also, remember that many European communities have afternoon breaks (siestas!), meaning they may not be open all day long!
Key questions to ask yourself and the camp provider:
Does the cost of the camp include access to the facilities?
Can you use the facilities whenever you want, or do you have to do it as part of the group?
Will a camp focus on one particular area?
Often, training camps will have different aims or focus. For example, some athletes go away to purely work on their cycling because of better roads and weather. Or perhaps they focus on swimming technique. Either way, some camps may be more sport-specific than others or have specific outcomes. Make sure these align with what your expectations and requirements are for the training camp.
Earlier in this article, we identified certain training camp purposes that may make it appropriate for some athletes and not others based on the time of the season. This can be an advantage. So, athletes may choose camps because of what it has to offer.
Key questions to ask yourself and the camp provider:
Ask for an example schedule (recognise it may not be the actual schedule, but it should be reflective of what will happen!)
What is the balance of the different sports?
What do other athletes say?
Finally and most importantly, look at athlete testimonials and reviews. Check their authenticity, too. It’s easy to get one or two people to say some nice things, but does everyone say the same thing? What are the common themes? Are they all the same type of athlete, or is there real variance in what or how people are talking? Do these reviews align with what you are after? Or are they all talking about smashing big miles and actually missing the point that you need as a beginner? Reviews can be illuminating. Often, businesses will showcase their best ones on their website, but that is where other independent companies can be really effective, for example, Trust Pilot or Google.
Key questions to ask yourself and the camp provider:
Do some due diligence on review platforms, look beyond the ones that are on the providers website.
Philip is the founder of Tri Training Harder LLP. He’s a British Triathlon Level 3 coach, and has been coaching for over a decade and is involved with mentoring and developing other coaches.
Philip has have coached athletes to European and World AG wins, elite racing, many Kona qualifications, IRONMAN podiums and AG wins.
Alongside the conventional development through many CPD courses, he has also been fortunate enough to work alongside experts in the fields of Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, Psychology, Biomechanics, Sports Medicine. Putting this knowledge into practice he has worked with thousands of athletes to various degrees, from training camps in Portugal and around Europe, clinics in the UK and online coaching.
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