Preparing for Your First Triathlon Training Camp: What You Need to Know
For many athletes, signing up for the first training camp is a significant moment in their experiences as an athlete. It can also be very daunting. This article outlines some of the terminology and demystifies training camps for those heading out on their first camp so that the overall experience is overwhelmingly positive!
Failing to plan…is planning to fail!
Athletes must prepare themselves for the training they will be doing on the camp and ensure they can get the best out of it. Some athletes, especially more experienced ones, may use a training camp to train themselves into fitness for the season. At the extremes, you see cyclists using a grand tour to train up for their main grand tour (e.g. ride the Giro to be ready for the Tour de France!) Although this has benefits, it needs to be managed by training at low intensity. This is attainable for experienced athletes for whom the training load is something they have completed before, but for athletes without that training in their legs, it may not be easy to do. For context, this would be something experienced athletes like Tour de France level professionals can do, so most age groupers shouldn’t! Athletes on their first camp will want to go into it, having done some preparation. Let’s explore what that can look like.
Because of the sheer volume and training load athletes will be doing, it will be much more than they are used to. Therefore, it won’t be easy to train into fitness compared to an athlete who already has high fitness levels and needs a bit of a shake-up or a boost. Training camps should generally follow a natural rhythm of the training year. For example, our January training camps are designed to be lower intensity to facilitate athletes training their way into fitness for the season while also having a solid technical emphasis. In other words, newer athletes should consider doing less intensity on the camp to allow for a bigger training volume. Planning your training in the lead-up to a camp should be about building some strong miles on the bike (as most camps emphasise more cycling because of the weather) and building some consistency. This does not need to be crazy mileage but enough so that you are comfortable on your bike for 2-3 hours. This will also make the saddle more comfortable! Swimming and running mileage are usually easier to fit in before the camp as the weather is less restrictive. If you can, try and go into the camp with over a month of consistent training across all sports. This will quickly give you the foundations to do much more mileage on the camp.
“Try and go into the camp with over a month of consistent training across all sports. This will easily give you the foundations to do a lot more mileage on the camp.”
Avoiding Injury
The critical thing for any athlete doing the first training camp is to avoid injury. This can be easily managed by ensuring they go into the camp with some training under their belt (see above!) and are relatively rested. In other words, you don’t need to go into the camp tired! Once on the camp, athletes can embrace simplicity and focus on “eat, sleep, train, repeat!” The additional recovery opportunities will allow athletes to train more than they are used to but recover more. Read that again – if you increase your recovery, you can train more!
The main area for concern is the bike fit. If the bike fits well and has been fitted professionally to the athlete, there is a reduced likelihood of injury. Athletes can usually increase the training load and be less concerned about any discomfort or niggles arising from the bike. Rental bikes or suddenly changing to a race bike can throw up similar issues. So if you decide to rent a bike or bring a different bike than you have been doing your winter training on, just pay attention to any tightness or niggles, as you can usually fix those quickly when on a camp. Don’t let them get any worse. For those on a race bike, the gearing may mean an athlete rides at a lower cadence up hills. Given many camps focus on increased cycling mileage, this is an important area to get right, and athletes would be wise to take easier gearing than they think they need. You never notice running out of gears when you are on a descent, but you definitely feel it if you haven’t got an easier gear on your way up! If you are unsure, speak to the coaches at the camp and your bike shop. This is usually a quick fix if necessary.
Many camps will have a complete packing list. Nevertheless, athletes on their first camp usually pack too light. Occasionally, they arrive in a tri-suit and wear that for every session. Though we endorse the “travelling light” approach, with some consideration, they could have packed a few other items and been a lot more comfortable. Ensuring you have a complete set of clothing for each sport and allowing any washing facilities to rotate through your kit can help. Many open-water venues will still need you to wear a wetsuit, so you should bring one. It is often easier to hire and bring a suit out with you than to find one last minute on location. Athletes should also pick some layers for the sessions. Though the locations are often warmer than the training environments at home, it doesn’t mean the top of the hills or the early mornings are the warmest of times! So pack ready for different conditions - not just perfect sunny ones!
Being in the right state of mind
Once on the camp, managing an athlete’s expectations is essential. Often, any schedule will look like a lot for newer athletes. Equally, overly enthusiastic athletes may find the program seems too light. If you are unsure, chat with the coaches, as they can guide you on what they would recommend. There are usually many choices on making sessions or the week easier or harder and rarely is a schedule completely fixed in stone. The more helpful approach is to bring the right attitude to every session. A training camp is supposed to challenge you. Some camps, especially our ones, challenge you to think and learn (as well as your physical fitness); this means that athletes often find themselves being challenged by seemingly simple tasks. We often see a big difference between athletes with a “high-performance attitude” and those less motivated to improve. It is far easier to coach someone who brings the right mindset to the table. So come to a camp like a sponge, eager to soak the training and the coaching up; you will get a considerable amount more out of the camp than just what is written in a schedule!
Also, remember to pace yourself and adhere to the pacing suggestions. We often talk about “short-sleeved syndrome”. Athletes push like crazy for the first two hours of the first sunny ride and then struggle on their way home. As a newer athlete, remember this so you don’t get caught out and also so you aren’t that person. Of course, we want all athletes to have fun but don’t try and keep up and pace yourself through the week. On our camps, our approach is to ensure we get everyone to the end with a huge smile and tired legs! Therefore, if you burn out on day one, it limits the amount we can do later on the camp!
Above all, enjoy yourself. Training camps can be one of the most fun experiences and you will meet some great people and could make some fantastic memories. Though many people may come across as serious, the reality is usually much further from the truth. If in doubt, just chat with us!
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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