2022 Trimarni Endurance Camp Recap

 

A few weeks ago someone asked me if we always do the same routes for our camps. The answer is yes and no. There are some routes/locations that just work well for specific types of bike and run workouts but we are incredibly lucky that we have so many options for biking and running. And because we often get repeat campers, we like to showcase all that Greenville has to offer within our incredible training playground. 

Day 1

90-minute long course swim 
80-minute run
~20-minute bike skills

On Thursday morning we welcomed eleven athletes to the start of their 4-day training camp. We started the morning with a 90-minute long course swim at the Westside aquatic center. I reserved 3 lanes and athletes got into lanes of similar swim abilities. We focused on technique for this swim, breaking down the different parts of the stroke from body position/tautness and hand entry to the catch and hand exit. It was a quality session. 

After the bike, we had a quick turnaround - just enough time for me to get some ice for the cooler. It was a toasty morning (in the 80's) and very humid. We met at Furman University by the amphitheater for the run workout. We like to make sure that no one feels too fast or too slow so we prescribe out and back segments or loops for all of our bike and run workouts. This way everyone can focus on their own needs without feeling like they are too far ahead or not able to keep up. After a ~15 min warm-up (out and back), it was time for the main set. The group did 4-5 x hill repeater loops (.3 miles) into 10 min best EZ pace on the flat trail around the lake. We had a cooler of ice and everyone had two flasks to stay hydrated/fueled for the run. With our training camps, we require hydration flasks/packs while running and every workout needs to be supported with sport nutrition. Our campers are not just fueling for one session but also getting ready for the next session. We pack a lot into our camps each day. 
After the best EZ pace, it was time for a quick reset and then they did it all again. It was a great strength session for the 2nd workout of camp. 

We had a 90-minute break before our afternoon bike skills session. Over the past year, we have done several private bike skills sessions and have realized how valuable these sessions are to the safety and confidence of our campers when they ride. Unfortunately, a storm came in and we had to cancel our bike skills session after ~20 minutes. At least they got to work on a few new skills and practice body position for starting, stopping and turns. 

Day 2

60-minute swim
3.5 hour bike
30 min run

We like to start our camps with swims as we have found that swimming on tired legs at the end of the day often results in cramping (and poor technique). The athletes were a little tired but after a nice warm-up, they were ready to work. This swim session was focused on "race" tactics so we broke up the main set into different race specific drills like 'head up' swimming, starting without pushing off the wall and starting after jumping in (similar to jumping off a dock). Everyone worked really hard and they were pretty exhausted by the end of the session. 

We had another short break of around an hour before meeting at Trailblazer park for a strength-endurance ride. My mom's partner Allan was the SAG support for our ride. Sadly, our best friend and training partner Alvi recently broke his collar bone when he had a small fall off his bike so he was unable to help us out. The "F-Mart" loop is one of our new favorite routes for our camps as it has a little of everything - climbing, descending, cornering and time to be in the aerobars. Karel and I rode our road bikes during camp as it's easier to maneuver our bikes quickly and safely in the group setting. 

For the first 23 miles/90 minutes, we focused on terrain management. We split the athletes up in small groups so that one group was with Karel and another group with me. We all met up at the fire station at Gap Creek and Karel talked to the group about the first part of our workout which was big gear work while climbing. The group did 3-4 big gear hill repeaters (holding around 50 rpm) for the purpose of strength work while climbing. They turned around at the church at the top and then got to work on descending skills. After the last round, everyone met at the bottom and Karel told each person what gear to stay in and he made everyone stay in that one gear for the entire climb. Every athlete realized how much stronger they were than what they thought they could push in a "heavy gear." After refilling bottles at the SAG stop (we have our athletes bring prepared bottles - it makes for quicker SAG stops) we moved on to the other side of the loop for ~8 miles (out, back and out again) of time in the aerobars working on terrain management. We then rode back home for a quality strength endurance ride of around 56 miles, 3.5 hours and around 3300 feet of elevation gain. 

After the ride, it was time to run. We headed to the swamp rabbit trail because it was very warm and the trail has a bit of tree cover. The workout was 10-minute warm-up and then 3 x 3 min tempo w/ 2 min reset (jog/walk). Then jog back to the parking lot. We ran out and back on the same section of trail so everyone could support and cheer for one another. It's times like this, when athletes are tired, that they bring out the best in one another. 

Day 3

4-hour ride
20 min run

Day 3 is always tough. Athletes are tired and the fatigue is setting in. We had a great route planned with 3 climbs (Watershed, Saluda Grade, Mine Mountain). We had to make a few modifications to the route as they ride went on but the athletes did great. Everyone stayed committed, supported one another and focused on fueling and hydrating well. My swim partner Kristen provided the SAG support and we were all so grateful for her help. We could not do these camps with our amazing SAG supporters. We split into two groups and in order to keep everyone somewhat together, the only climb that was slightly modified was the top part of the Saluda grade. Some athletes made it to the top while others were instructed to start descending after the first person came down. The Mine Mountain climb was the most difficult climb of the day as it came toward the end. Thankfully we had a little cloud clover but it was still warm and sticky out. The scenery was beautiful and our campers enjoyed the sounds of small waterfalls and the river flowing. 

After the 4 hour ride with almost 5000 feet elevation gain, it was time for a quick brick off the bike. It was really hot and humid but the campers stayed hydrated with their flasks/sport nutrition. After the run, everyone enjoyed some watermelon that Therese brought. 

Day 4

60-minute open water swim
90-minute run

The last day of camp gave us cooler temps and rain. Thankfully we didn't have any biking scheduled today. We actually don't schedule a bike workout on the last day of camp as we know some athletes need to pack up and head home right after (or fly home) so having two workouts that are a little less equipment heavy helps with traveling right after camp. We met at Tuxedo park in Zirconia and carpooled to Todd's house for the start of our last two workouts of camp. Todd has an incredible lake house and dock which he offered for our open water swim. The water was absolutely perfect - in the low 80s. We wore our swimskins and didn't mind the light rain falling down on us. I had a swim buoy for everyone so that everyone could be safe and seen. 
The workout was 10 minute warm-up (~5 min out and back), 10 min pre set of 10/20/30/20/10 strokes fast and easy with reset EZ swimming after each round. We regrouped after the warm-up and then before the main set. The main set was 4 x 5 minutes as strong, build to strong, EZ, race. Everyone did a great job and it was impressive to see how well everyone was swimming on the last day of camp. We were having a lot of fun in the water and we forgot that it was cool and rainy out. 
After a quick change, it was time for the run workout. We ran on one side of Lake Summit (packed gravel trail) which was a nice soft surface for all the tired legs at camp. We ran toward the "hills" of the lake (2.4 miles) and then did the main set of 4-5 x 2 min strong efforts w/ EZ jog down + 30 sec reset at the bottom. Todd's dog Cody joined us and he had so much fun running with everyone. We were all enjoyed the company as well. It was awesome to see how strong everyone was and how the group was supporting one another. We love the teamwork and comradery from our campers! After the pre-set to pre-fatigue the legs for this long run (something we often do for our long runs in Ironman training) we had the athletes do a main set of
4 x 7 min Ironman effort w/ 30 sec walk
or
6 x 4 min Ironman effort w/ 1 min walk
I instructed which athletes would do each part of the pre set on the hills and main set. Karel and I ran with the athletes and we all supported one another from start to finish. It was a great last day of camp! The cooler temps and rain made the run so much more fun and brought out the best in one another. Considering that most of our campers are getting ready for IM Lake Placid in 2 weeks, this was the perfect workout to finish off their Ironman training before tapering. 

In total, ~15 hours of training in 4 day. We are so proud of our campers and we can't wait to plan our camps for 2023!

And a big thank you to the companies who provided items for our campers. Run In, Veronica's Health Crunch, Mg12, Live Momentous, Never Second, Breakthrough Nutrition, Infinit Nutrition and Rudy Project. We are so appreciative of your support!