2017 Trimarni Greenville Skills Camp wrap-up

Well, that's a wrap! With our first Greenville skills camp behind us, we wanted to take an opportunity to share with you the highlights of the camp. 

Day 1 swim skills:
We met our eight campers at Furman University (Physical Activities Center - PAC) outside the building and then proceeding inside to a large classroom for a meet and greet, followed by a 90-minute discussion on swimming. We designed this skills camp to be a small, intimate and personalized camp to ensure that every camper was able to get one on one attention with lots of opportunities for questions.

Swimming topics discussed included:

• Pool versus open water swimming 
• Importance of body posture, alignment and propulsion as an open water swimmer
• Framework of an effective swim workout
• Tips to improve swimming as a triathlete and common swimming mistakes by triathletes
• Detailed discussion of the phases of a swim stroke - catch, pull, exit, recovery
• How to breath when swimming
• Discussion of pool toys and importance of swimming with toys versus swimming with drills - ankle strap, fins, buoy, snorkel, fins
• Open water tips 

After the discussion, it was time for our campers to get into the water for a 90-minute skill focused swim, followed by a "main set" to put all the skills to good use.

Here are some pictures from our first skills session, taken by Joey, who was our support throughout camp.

Day 1: Run skills
Following our swim skills session, it was time to head down the road to Poinsett Park for a run skills session. We had our campers get warmed up with a 1/2 mile EZ jog. We then started our run skills discussion on the following topics:

• Posture and form
• How to reduce risk for injury in running
• How to improve running efficiency
• Tips for food form running
• Running drills
• Busting some running myths: Shoe types, running styles, strength, stride rate/length
• Up and downhill running tips

After our run skills session, we gave our athletes a workout to put everything together. 

Here are some pictures from our run skills session. 

Day 1 Bike skills: After a 2 hour break for food/recovery, it was time for our last session of the day - which was the one I was most looking forward to as I know how much triathletes need to work on bike handling skills. 

Karel did a phenomenal job working with our athletes on their bike handling skills and we had a variety of drills to practice in a safe parking lot at Trailblazer park. 

Knowing that many triathletes are afraid on the bike, and tend to spend a lot of emotional energy while riding, we spent a full hour working on bike handling skills so that our campers could ride more relaxed and confident on two wheels. 

A few reasons why triathletes should work on bike skills: 

• To feel safe and confident on all types of terrain and conditions 
• To ride comfortably around other riders
• To be able to to safely pass other people and dodge obstacles in the road 
• To improve safety and safety of those around you. 

Many crashes can be avoided with experience, skills and mental preparation. 

After helping our athletes learn how to sit properly on the bike while learning how to stay relaxed, it was time to work on some drills! 

• Practice changing gears while riding – small ring to big ring, etc.
• Anticipate stopping quickly and unclipping quickly. 
• Hand skills – right turn, left turn, slowing/stopping, signal something on the road, grabbing bottles, rotating bottles
• Look behind you and keep the bike in a straight line
• U-turns – left, right
• Figure 8’s
• Standing up

After our drill session, it was time to take the bike riding to real conditions. We all rode 5 miles down the road to a safe and quiet location with a steep hill to practice climbing and descending. 

Here are some pictures from our bike skills session:

And what camp would be complete without a pic with Mr. Llama!

Day 2: For our second day of camp, we all met at Hotel Domestique for a 2.5 hour ride followed by a 20-minute run.

Karel first discussed a few terrain management tips for riding on the hills as well as why we want to learn how to stretch our available cadence to help ride more efficiently (rather than shifting to the smallest gear to "save your legs"). To apply this information, Karel gave the group a main set that we could ride with our campers to help with some one on one work.
We all rode together to the base of the Watershed and performed the main set on the watershed (up for each interval and then down for recovery)

MS 3x's:
9 minutes Z2 as 3 minutes 75rpm, 3 minutes 65 rpm, 3 minutes 55 rpm.
Then ride back down for recovery

6 minutes Z2/3 as 55-65rpm

Then ride back down for recovery

4 minutes Z3 as 45-55rpm

After the ride, we all rode back to the hotel for a quick transition to the run. We had our campers run a 20-minute hilly run to show them that even though they did a lot of mechanical work on the bike, they saved their cardio system for the run. Everyone did amazingly well and gave 100% for the entire 3 hour brick. 

Day 2 nutrition/training talk: 

After a few hours of recovery, we all met downtown Greenville for a 2-hour Q&A talk at Falls Park before dinner at Trio Brick Oven. This was a great opportunity for our campers to ask us questions and to talk about the application of sport nutrition for triathletes. Our campers asked great questions!

Day 3: Transition work
It's very common that triathletes put a lot of time into training but neglect the importance of having a plan and practicing the plan for a quick, effective and smooth transition. Because transitions can cause a lot of anxiety, stress and time, we want to practice transitions and to think of them as "free" time in your overall triathlon time. In other words, you don't have to be fit and trained to have a quick transition.

We gave our campers a few transition tips and then for their final workout, they had several opportunities to practice transitions.

We started with a run around a cement track, followed by transitioning to the bike. We set up a little course which included a mount line, a 2 mile bike course (with a descend and hill on this bike loop) and a run course that led to the track. Our campers had to set up their gear similar to a race and we even had a transition rack for them to practice their entire transition.

Our campers did a total of 8 transitions (run, bike, run, bike, run, bike, run, bike, run). Of course, knowing that transitions are never smooth, we made sure that "stuff" happened to our campers in transition - like another cyclist getting in your way on the mount line or your helmet getting knocked off your bike and one of your  shoes moving to another athlete's transition area. We made sure to think of all transition scenarios so that our campers could practice, practice, practice to build confidence for race day. 

What a successful camp! We could not be more proud of our campers who invested a lot to improve swim/bike/run skills. We overloaded their heads with information and they had a lot of one on one help. We have no doubt that our campers built a lot of confidence from camp and will feel more prepared for upcoming training and racing. 

And to finish off camp - awards for all of the campers!

What an inspiring group of athletes! Best of luck this season! 

We would also like to give a big thank you to the Trimarni sponsors and affiliates who continue to support the Trimarni team and camps:

-Run In - for helping us with all of our running needs
-New Wave Swim Buoy - for keeping us safe and seen in the open water
-Mg12 - for helping our muscles stay relaxed
-Clif Bar - for quality ingredients in quality sport nutrition
-Cheribundi - for providing a safe, natural and delicious way to reduce inflammation
-Veronica's Health Crunch - for the most delicious hand made crunch - ever!
-Infinit - for customizable sport nutrition
-Levelen - for helping us optimize our hydration needs through sweat testing
-Hot Shot - for keeping Karel cramp-free!
-Solestar - for maximum stability, better power transmission
-Boco Gear - for helping us race in style
-Canari - for the most comfortable, functional and stylish gear

-Xterra - for the fastest wetsuit ever (so fast, Karel is now beating me in the swim!)
-Alto cycling - for enginnering the fastest race wheels
-Swamp Rabbit Inn and Lodge - for keeping our campers happy with perfect lodging options
-Salem Anesthesia - for your Trimarni support

Trimarni Greenville camp - Day 4 recap

The final day of camp had arrived and it was time to put everything together that our campers learned over the past 3 days.

Karel and I knew that we wanted to make our camp bike heavy simply because our terrain is amazing for improving bike fitness. With all of our rolling hills, mountains and punchy climbs, you have no choice but to ride and get stronger.
However, a big part of a bike-focused camp is making sure that our campers understand how to ride their bikes. Yes, it's very easy to sit on a bike and just pedal but many athletes do not know (or never take the time to learn) how to use their gears properly, how to descend and climb in the "proper" line, how to fuel/hydrate while riding (especially during intense efforts or while climbing/descending), how to sit properly on the bike and how to anticipate climbs and when to stand, sit or to stay aero (specific to triathletes). 

Karel and I constantly hear these "rules" that triathletes try to abide by like never using the small or big chain ring, they must always wear an aero helmet on race day for "fast" times, never standing or getting out of aero during a triathlon race or not putting adequate nutrition/hydration on the bike because it is not aero or fast. 

And then you see/hear triathletes that will put deep dish race wheels on their bike but struggle to ride in a straight line due to wind resistance and difficulty controlling the bike. The triathletes will forget to install a climbing cassette in hilly terrain races and without understanding how to change gears, they waste precious energy in the legs that can be used for the run. And lastly, many triathletes will chase a specific MPH pace for the bike regardless of the terrain and forget that the fastest ride is the one where you can run strong off the bike. 

Having said all of this, it is critical that triathletes learn how to ride their bike. Above all, you need to feel safe on your bike and know how to ride your bike safely on all terrain. And lastly, you have to have fun while riding your bike. If you dread riding your bike, if you are not comfortable on your bike (and have not been professional fit by an experienced fitter) or if you are scared to ride your bike around others, the best thing you can do is to focus on your skills to make you a smarter rider. 

Our ride was delayed by about 10 minutes because when I got on my tri bike, there was an issue with the derailleur that stumped Karel. It was one of those random mechanical issues that Karel could not fix or figure out in 10 minutes so I was on my road bike for day 4 of camp. (Karel was able to fix my bike later in the day to make it ridable for the week but we did end up having to buy a new derailleur - so happy to be married to my bike mechanic!)

At 7:30am, the campers met us down the road on their bikes and we all went on a recon ride of the run route that we would be running off the bike. After our 7 mile warm-up ride (which was quite welcomed as it was hilly but very conversational pace). Then we made our way 10 minutes down the road to the base of Paris Mountain.

The ride today was twice up Paris mountain. It's a 2.5 mile climb with only two steeper sections but after all that our campers experienced and accomplished, Paris Mountain was an "easy" climb. The only thing that made it hard was that our campers were climbing it after 3 days and over 10,000 feet of climbing already.

On the first ride up, our campers could ride at any pace. We wanted them to work on their bike skills going up and to understand the terrain. Just like in a race when you can pre-ride/drive the course, you can anticipate climbs a lot better when you know what's coming.

The descend down Paris Mountain is a great place to improve descending confidence because you don't go directly down once you arrive to the peak. There are several rolling hills on the top of Paris Mountain and then you eventually make your way down. There are no sketchy sections and every turn offers a view as to what's to come so it's one of those climbs where you can descend and not be worried about  having to quickly break before another switchback.

After the descend, we made our way to a very technical area for our campers to really test their skills. Karel and I have actually ran this entire bike course (that we rode at camp - it's about 13 miles) which is the entire Paris Mountain Road Warrior 20K course and we use the back section of this course (after Paris Mountain) to warm-up on chilly days in the winter with all the punchy climbs.
The course is extremely technical on a bike (after Paris Mountain) but we knew that our campers had the skills to feel confident on the changing terrain. To understand how technical the climbs are - in less than 3 miles you will go through every gear on every chain ring (big/small), stand, sit and be aero.

After the technical section was complete, we regrouped and did the climb up Paris Mountain one more time. However, this time - best effort!!

With the climb taking most of our campers between 14-18 minutes, we told our campers to ignore the pain in their legs and give the best effort possible. Everyone pushed hard and was breathing heavy at the top but no one gave  up - it was an incredible sight to see for me and Karel.

We then descending on the same side that we climbed and heading back to our house to quickly transition to the run. 

Our awesome SAG support had brought all of our campers run gear to our house in the changing tent (garage) and we all did a little dynamic warm-up and it was off for our last run/workout of camp!
The weather was absolutely amazing - in the upper 70's, which was welcomed by our exhausted bodies. 

It was nice to have all of our campers start together. As pictured below, this is our street which is a .25 mile climb out of our neighborhood. Karel and I get to climb this for every run, which certainly makes us tougher as it's not easy to start climbing immediately when you start running. 

Our campers had their bikes in transition area (our backyard) while we ran. 

I had drawn a map of our run which happens to be one of my most favorite run courses around where I live. It includes about 800-1000 feet of climbing in around 7 miles but with all the scenery, it goes by really quickly. And there are no shortage of hills!

We all ran a mile, walked 20 seconds for the entire run and amazingly kept a strong pace even though we kept it conversational until the last two miles. 

Go Angie, Alex and Taryn!!

We had our SAG crew out on the course around mile 3 so that we could all refill our bottles. Even though it was cool outside, underdrinking/fueling was not an option. After 3 days of training and our previous 2+ hour ride with 3000+ feet of climbing, an underfueled body would not perform. 

After the SAG stop, the climbs got a bit longer and the descends got a bit shorter. For the final push, the last 2 miles were strong with a best effort up the Roe Ford Road hill where we live. 

It was great to see my group push really hard on terrain that they had never experienced in their life for 4 days of training. Joe, Adam and Justine finished super strong...and Justine even out-sprinted me! You go girl!

We all waited until everyone was finished and as typical Trimarni camp practice, we all cheer for each other until everyone is finished with the very last workout. 

Our oldest camper (but certainly no less strong than the rest of us), Jim N ran super hard up the hill. Karel ran (run/walk) the entire 7 miles with Jim and we all finished together. 

It felt so great to be done with camp and after 4 days of exhausting training, our campers were a few days of recovery away from a mega boost in fitness. 

We all walked home, chatted and laughed about all the suffering that we did over 4 days. 

When we got back to our house, it was time for delicious and refreshing watermelon to go along with our recovery drinks (which were pre-made and kept cold in the cooler). 

Karel and I gave our final talk for the camp and told our campers how proud we were of their dedication, commitment and great energy at camp. 

We also had our campers talk about their experiences which was great for us, as coaches, to understand what makes their camp experience so great.

I want to give a BIG shout-out to our awesome SAG crew and photographers. 

Thank you Taylor for taking great behind the scene and action shot pictures, for taking care of all of our campers at the lodge (and helping to feed them) and for giving great energy to us on the course. 

Thank you Tricia for giving us the best SAG support!! I know camp would not have been so successful without your help and support. You really made my job easier to coach the campers so I really appreciate all the behind the scene work that you did to help us out!

Thank you Elizabeth for giving great positive energy throughout the camp and for taking the most amazing pictures to capture every highlight during the camp. You also made some amazing meals which was super important for our campers to have happy tummies. 

And thank you to the Swamp Rabbit Lodge for providing the best lodging environment for our campers and last but certainly not least, a BIG thank you to the Trimarni Team sponsors for supporting our camps and our athletes. 

After 4-days of camp: 

SWIMMING: ~2.5 hours
BIKING: ~10 hours and 11,600+ feet of climbing
RUNNING: ~4.5 hours and 3,300+ feet of climbing

TOTAL: 17+ hours of training and over 14,900 feet of climbing in 4 days!!!

We are so excited to plan our next Greenville camp for 2016....and we plan to have more than one!
We hope to see you there! 

Trimarni Greenville camp - Day 3 recap

As much as our campers love the entire 4-day camp experience, after day 2, our campers tend to move a little slower, talk a little less and take a bit longer to warm-up. But that's ok - it's all part of the overloading process and it's much easier to suffer with friend/teammates. 

We knew that our campers would be moving slow after the last two days of camp and Karel and I wanted to change up the scenery so that our campers did have to go into day 3 workouts with a "just get through it" mindset. 

We are big proponents of changing up the scenery in our own training, especially when it comes to the final push before an endurance race. When training on the same roads all the time, we often need a mental boost to help keep us entertained to get out the door and to have quality workouts. It's no fun to just check off workouts to get them done so a new place to train can often be a welcomed reboot for the system. 

Just an hour drive away from the lodge, we knew that Lake Jocassee would be the perfect venue for day 3 of our camp. We planned a morning full of swimming and running, followed by a picnic at the lake. Talk about a great way to train and recover!

We divided into two groups with my friend Tricia (SAG support) leading one swim group and I lead the other swim group. We divided up into similar swim abilities for 2 x 15 min out and back segments, swimming parallel to the shore and toward the mountains. 

I was very grateful to a friend (Meredith) for letting me borrow her Safe Swimmer Float. Karel and I will be ordering ours soon as I highly recommend that swimmers who swim in open water (ex. lakes/rivers/oceans) use the swimmer float. Even for experienced swimmers, it is nice to have an orange target for a boat so you are seen but also it is really beneficial for other swimmers to use for spotting and it can be good for resting in the open water. 

After the first out and back, we picked up the pace with a few harder segments followed by easy segments for the next 15 minutes and then steady back to shore. 

It's not that often that triathletes can swim an hour without resting on a wall so this was one beneficial swim for everyone. 

Great picture Elizabeth! Love the water at Lake Jocassee!

Trimarni photographer Taylor and Trimarni athlete Jim checking out the views. 

Since we asked our campers to swim in normal triathlon attire, it was a quick transition before we started a dynamic warm-up before the long run. 

Trimarni camp took over the picnic area - triathletes do not pack light!

Thanks to Clif Bar and Veronica's Health Crunch - our campers were well fueled and energized throughout camp. 

Our campers loved the new energy food packets from Clif Bar, especially the banana mango with coconut. So refreshing!! 

We made sure to spend a little time warming up as we had a long run planned for our campers on very challenging terrain. Did we mention that Lake Jocassee is hilly....like 500 feet of climbing for every 30 minutes of running, hilly?

Like what goes up.....

Keeps going up!!!!

We gave our campers the option of doing 3 x 30 min (out and back 15 minutes) for half IM athletes or 4 x 30 min (out and back 15 minutes) for Ironman athletes.
Either 90 minutes or 2 hours of running with walk breaks as needed within each loop (we suggested every mile). It was cloudy and on the cooler side compared to our long ride the day prior but we still required all athletes to carry hydration for 30 minutes of running and adequate calories and to stop to refill bottles every 30 minutes. 

We asked our campers to run by feel - very conversational pace but the last segment should be the strongest - with the last 5-15 minutes as a "best" effort. This required our campers to hold back and to not obsess about pace (which is easy to do when you are accumulating around 2000 feet of elevation gain in a 2 hour run!)

I ran with Trimarni athletes Joe and Adam who are training for IM Lake Placid so it was nice to give them some tips and suggestions as we were running. Plus - they really kept the run entertaining.

Karel provide course "support" on his mountain bike

Justine and Kate looking strong!

Jim and Elizabeth are refueling thanks to Mother Earth. 

There are some things that Karel and I can not plan for at our camps. We love seeing how friendships are made throughout camps, how every camper brings out something good in another camper and how fitness improves after camp.
What Karel and I witnessed on day 3 of camp was incredibly amazing. As Joe, Adam and I were finishing the last 15 minutes of our run, we didn't see anyone else out running. We assumed everyone was done for the day since we had all started at the same time. But as we were running back to finish our last segment, we saw the rest of the campers still running. It was so awesome to see that not one camper gave up during the long run on day 3.

Everyone gave a best effort at the end and Karel was there on his bike cheering for each camper to dig super deep. It was really incredible and I think we will carry that special moment of determination by our campers to our upcoming races. 

After the run it was time for a recovery soak in the lake. Oh it felt SO good to rest the legs. 

After we relaxed, it was time to eat!! 

We had chips, delicious homemade bread from Trimarni athlete Sara Ran Away with the Spoon, pretzels, deli meat, cheese, watermelon, oranges, apples, water and orange juice.
Everyone started with a recovery drink (thanks to Clif bar) and then it was time to enjoy some real food!

My mom came with Campy a bit before we finished the run and he enjoyed a bit of relaxing at the lake in his comfy chair in the shade. 

Around early afternoon, as the clouds began to get a bit darker, we all cleaned up and headed back home. What a great day 3!!!

Around 6pm, we all enjoyed a delicious dinner from SideWall Pizza and a nutrient filled salad at the lodge and it was nice to relax with our campers over dinner, before our last day of camp. 

Yum...pizza!!!!!

In case you couldn't guess, pizza is a Trimarni camp must-have meal!!

Thanks Elizabeth for this shot. Even Campy enjoyed winding down in the evening with the campers. 

We just love how friendships are made at camp - Trimarni athlete Jim and Taryn talking after dinner. 

And of course, there are lots of laughs and inside jokes at Trimarni camp. 

It was early to bed for our campers (and Trimarni camp doggies) before day 4 of camp.

One more day to make memories, to push hard and to discover new capabilities! 

Stay tuned for my last recap of the Trimarni Greenville camp!
Thanks again to Elizabeth and Taylor for all of the amazing pictures!!

Trimarni Greenville Camp - Day 2 recap

"Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing."

Unless you live by, in, on or near the mountains, it's not every day that you can get on your bike from your front doorstep and ride up and down a mountain. 

Karel and I consider ourselves really lucky in that we can ride from our house and within 10 minutes we can climb Paris Mountain. In less than 2 miles, we are on bike-friendly, country roads with endless options for riding.

Although we do not do the long mountain climbs very often in our training, it is a nice treat to know that we can climb a mountain anytime we want without having to drive our bikes anywhere.
And if you haven't figured it out yet, Karel and I love to climb!

It was a no-brainer that we would give our campers an opportunity to climb a mountain (or two) during camp. Not only would it provide great stress on the body for our campers to climb (without stopping) for up to an hour but it would also force our athletes to dig deep and to discover new possibilities with their fitness. And because what goes up must come down, we wanted to put those who are not comfortable descending into the position where they had to descend in order to come down the mountain and we would be right there to give them the tips, encouragement and support that they needed to conquer any fears.

The morning started early for Karel, Joe and Adam. The dynamic trio (all training for IM Lake Placid) set out for a 92 mile, 7000+ feet elevation gain ride. I have never done this route before but Karel has done it three times. 

(Picture from a previous ride). 

I have never done this route but one of these days I will test my strength (and mental toughness) and try to conquer all that climbing. 

Our amazing SAG Support (Elizabeth, Taylor, Tricia) met the trio out around 36 miles into their ride to restock bottles. 

Oh the things you will see while riding in the country. 

The guys met the SAG after/before a climb so it was a welcome but quick refueling top. Although we don't recommend athletes load up on fluids/foods before a climb, this was the only spot where the SAG could meet the guys and still make it to the Ceaser Head SAG stop for my group. Lots of logistics when it comes to training camps and we could not have done it without our fab SAG crew!

The guys had a great view of Table Rock before climbing Ceaser's Head from the other side of the mountain. 

Karel was super impressed with Adam and Joe - both Floridians who never had this much climbing in one ride. Adam's body had enough at the top of Ceaser's Head which meant he still did around 64 miles of the ride which was incredible. Karel gave him a pep talk and told him to call it a day.
(I remember when I did my longest ride in Greenville last summer  - we did some of the Hincapie Gran Fondo route and after climbing/descending Skyuka Mountain, I told Karel I was done with all that climbing. I had a little breakdown but because we were still around 40 miles from home I had no choice but to continue. Thank goodness for Karel's pep talks because I managed to get myself back on the bike. We all have those days - we are human)

The guys enjoying their well-earned view!

As for our group, we left around 8:30am (the guys left at 7:15am) and we were off to the mountains. Our ride was a planned 4+ hours of riding and 5000 feet of climbing.
I love chasing the mountains!

This is one of my favorite stops for a picture. You are so close to the mountains and the views are incredible. 

My group was amazing!! Everyone stayed strong and focused for the 7 mile climb up to the top of Ceaser's Head. Everyone finished in less than an hour (yes - 60 minutes of climbing!).

What a view!!

I was just so proud of everyone for climbing the unknown mountain. There were bumpy roads and switchbacks and with the temps approaching 100, it was not an easy day to be riding 4+ hours but hey, if it was easy, everyone would be at a Trimarni camp! 

Great job Jim!! Looking strong!

Way to go Alex!!

Yay - time to go back down the mountains- 7 miles descending!!

Our SAG crew having so much fun waiting for us. 

(BTW - Taylor - front of pic - is our awesome Trimarni photographer. You will also see some great pics from Elizabeth - back of pic. Tricia in the middle was our awesome SAG coordinator - she rocked!)

Yes Elizabeth - we climbed from way down there. 

Our SAG crew earning their post SAG meal - yummy Sidewall Pizza from Traveler's Rest.

After we all finished our ride (we all finished around the same time), it was off for a 15-20 minute run. We asked our campers to run comfortable with good form for no more than 15-20 minutes but the last 5-7 minutes were strong. As usual, all campers were required to have a hydration system with them (handheld or belt) for the run WITH a sport drink.
For the ride, we all went through at least 1 bottle of sport drink per hour. I provided the campers with specific fueling suggestions for the long run and run (and pre/post workout) and no one bonked or had GI distress - well done campers!

After a few hours of resting (well more like hanging out and eating) for our campers at the lodge, it was time to clean up and head to downtown Greenville for our camp team dinner at Roost Restaurant.

Those are some awesome bodies!!! 

Welcome to Karel's world - it's always time for a beer. 

We love our beautiful downtown and Falls Park!

Walking on the Liberty Bridge downtown. 

Thanks Roost for accommodating our large group! The service was great!

We were hungry!! I had the tempeh pesto dish....

Karel had steak. 

What a GREAT day 2 of camp!! So proud of our campers. 

Half way through camp and we only gave our campers a teaser of our challenging terrain and what's to come in day 3 and 4 of Trimarni Greenville camp.  

Stay tuned for day 3 recap of camp! 

Trimarni Greenville camp - Day 1

There's no way to explain how our campers feel on day 1 of Trimarni camp. Excitement, nerves, anticipation, joy, fears......just like race day, there are a lot of unknowns and a lot to look forward to so Karel and I enjoy keeping our athletes super busy on the first day of camp. 

Day 1 started at 7:15am at the Swamp Rabbit Lodge (where our  campers were staying). We had four extra guests for Thursday - Kelly and Meghan Fillnow and Dana and Kelly (local triathletes) as well as our 10 campers. 

Karel and I spoke to the group on Wednesday evening, preparing everyone for the planned ride over Callahan Mountain which included a SAG stop at Hotel Domestique. Several of our campers did not have a lot of experience climbing/descending so day 1 was all about skills. Although we like to load our athletes with volume at our endurance focused camps, fitness can only take an athlete so far on race day. Without proper skills, it's hard to put all that good training to good use on race day. 

It was great to meet some new faces as well as have so many Trimarni athletes under one roof. 

We asked all of our athletes to bring 3 bottles to start the ride and then to prepare 1 bottle for the SAG stop. Although the ride was 3.5 hours, I was not going to let any of my campers get dehydrated or become underfueled during their camp experience. I was super strict with their nutrition and needless to say, everyone fueled amazingly well and performed great!

Around 7:30am we were off and the rolling hills were calling as we headed toward the mountains. 

Karel and I split up the group so that we each had an opportunity to ride with our campers with a lot of one-on-one time. Since Karel and I know our roads, we were able to call out when our campers needed to shift from big to small ring and we spent a lot of time talking about how to anticipate climbs. In our terrain, we change our gears a lot. We can easily go through all gears in small and big ring in less than 10 minutes so there is no better place than Greenville to work on cycling skills.

Our day 1 route was filled with nature so even though our campers had to quickly adjust to our challenging terrain, they could at least enjoy the sights. 

See...I'm not the only one who has trouble riding and not taking a picture. It's so beautiful in Greenville!! Thanks Elizabeth for all your great riding pics!

We had a mixed level of fitness abilities but all of our athletes were training for a half or full ironman distance triathlon so everyone was in great shape. 

We were so impressed with our athletes when they climbed and descended Callahan Mountain. We only had one mechanical during our ride when Adam experienced a broke spoke (which made for an even more difficult ride home) but everyone rode smart and safely. 

Our SAG crew (Tricia and Adam's wife Taylor) met us at George Hincapies Hotel and we had a quick stop for bathrooms and to refill bottles. 

Kelly just got a RETUL fit by Karel on Wed (day before camp) so it was great for Karel to be able to ride with her a little on day 1 of camp. Trimarni camper Taryn also got a RETUL fit on Wed and Trimarni athlete Justine got a refit.

There are no shortage of hills in Greenville and despite the beautiful scenery around Hotel Domestique, our SAG stop was in the middle of a climb. 

We took a group pic, Karel and I swapped groups and then we were off again!

Just keep climbing......

When we returned back to the lodge, it was nearing the mid 90's and it was hot! But that didn't stop Karel from making a shot of coffee before our run. Karel is healing from a small tendon tear in his right foot that happened 5 weeks ago so he was not doing very much running at camp. But there's no stopping Karel when it comes to staying active and focusing on what you can do pain free (swimming, biking, strength and power walking). 

It was great to have professional triathlete Kelly Fillnow be part of our camp as she is not only a super fast triathlete and runner but a very sweet person who can connect to athletes on all fitness levels. 

I required all my campers to carry nutrition with them during ALL runs so everyone had handhelds or hydration belts for our runs. We had our SAG support at the Furman track so that we could refill bottles and keep ourselves cool with ice. 

We all comfortably ran the 1.5ish miles to the Furman track and then started our workout. 

What a view of Paris Mountain from the track! Mountains everywhere!!!

Kelly took us through her favorite dynamic warm-up exercises which was great to learn a few new moves since Karel and I are huge proponents of dynamic warm-ups before training/races. 

After our 3.5 hour ride which included 3000+ feet of climbing, we were all in need of some hip mobility work. 

After our 10 min warm-up it was time for the main set of the track workout. 

18 minute continuous workout

7x3 minutes: Aerobic, IM effort, marathon effort, half IM effort, half marathon effort, Olympic effort, 10K effort. 

There was so much that I loved about this workout. I loved running with others. I loved making myself run slow at the beginning and to dial in pacing throughout the set. I love loops so this workout went by really fast. I loved the push in the last 6 minutes with the last 3 minutes being our best effort.
I asked all of our campers to wear their hydration belts during the run so that they could get comfortable pacing and running at higher intensities with their belts. 

                             

It was great to have Meghan out on the course running super fast and Kelly on the sidelines, keeping us motivated and sharing run form tips with us. We just loved having them be part of our camp on day !

After the workout, we all cooled off and then it was time to run back to the lodge. 

Yippe - the morning workout is done!!! I think everyone thanked their body for surviving the hard workout and heat on day 1 of camp!

We gave our campers an hour and a half to clean-up, eat and relax and then we had an hour for Q&A with Kelly. It was great to have her answer questions from our campers about training and racing as a pro, hearing about some of her bad races and what she learned from them as well as learning about what she does to keep her calm on race day morning.
Her biggest takeaway was that as a pro, she doesn't train more but instead, she rests more. 

The lodge was just perfect for our session with Kelly...although I think some of the campers were struggling to stay awake!

After the Q&A, it was time for a sport nutrition lecture..by me!! Calculators required!

Because it's not everyday that my athletes and campers can work one-on-one with a sport RD, I had everyone figure out their own fluid, electrolyte and carbohydrate needs before workouts and after workouts. I am finding many athletes are underfueling and underhydrating before/after workouts and with 3 more days of camp, I did not want my campers to struggle with something that is within their control. 

Since Karel is married to his sport RD, he didn't have to take notes but instead, he could cuddle with Campy...who was not impressed with the 5 doggies in the house. 

After I overloaded my campers brains with sport nutrition information (and a few tricks for staying fueled, hydrated and focused without risking GI issues), I gave our campers 30 minutes for a quick nap (as we don't encourage napping more than 45 minutes for it affects restful evening/nighttime sleep) and then it was off to the Westside Aquatic center for a 90 minute long course swim.

I think our campers enjoyed being non weight bearing and in the cool water....although we didn't take it easy on them for their workout. 

Trimarni camp swim:
400 warm-up
100 buoy swim

Pre set: 

16 x 50's w/ toys (paddles, buoy, ankle strap, snorkel) w/ 10 sec rest
8 x 100's paddles  at 80% w/ 20 sec rest

MS:
4 x 300's

#1: smooth w/ buoy
#2-3: 100 smooth, 50 strong x 2 (sighting 5 times for every 50 meters on the strong)
#4 200 strong, 100 EZ - sighting 5 times every 50 meters on the strong.

Post set: 

4 x 50's w/ ankle strap "racing" (side-by-side in a lane, racing each other with only ankle strap to simulate race starts and to work on body position with a high turnover). 

Our athletes were rather exhausted at the end so that made Karel and I very happy....

If camp was easy our campers oulc just stay at home and train. 

You can't ask for a better training environment than when you attend a camp.
It's hard to give up or give excuses if 9 of your fellow campers are still giving best efforts and your mind is telling you to quit. 

Our campers enjoyed a delicious pasta dinner (prepared by Elizabeth and Taylor) at their lodge whereas Karel and I headed back to our house to finalize things for day 2 of camp. 

Trimarni camp is so exhausting says Otis. 

Our campers had no shortage of food at the lodge!

Food is fuel!! 

Around 8pm, I went over to the lodge to talk about our big ride on day 2 of camp and by 9pm, Campy let me know that he was so over Trimarni camp and he was ready for some sleep. 

Stay tuned for day 2 of camp - our big ride to the top of Ceaser's Head!

Trimarni Greenville camp - Pre-camp

Even though our camp didn't start until Thurs and ended on Sunday, a few of our athletes wanted to arrive on Tues so we rented the Swamp Rabbit Lodge from Tues until Monday. This gave our athletes a little extra time to relax before the camp and to not feel rushed after the last workout of camp. We had athletes drive and fly-in for camp so the lodge was just perfect to accommodate our great group of campers (a mix of non-Trimarni coaching athletes and Trimarni athletes). 

The lodge was in a perfect location for our camp - just off Roe Ford road and right next to Furman University, we could start and finish all workouts at the lodge which eliminated the need for our athletes to drive anywhere to ride or run. Our house is just 2 miles down the road so it was perfect for me and Karel as we were just a short car ride or bike away. 

The lodge had everything - a big kitchen with 4 Keurig Coffee makers (plenty of Starbucks pods provided) and a huge counter for all of our campers to congregate around. 

There were 2 rooms of 8 oversized bunk beds which was perfect for the girls at camp to all share rooms. Since we had 5 doggies at camp (6 counting Campy), there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out. 

There were 4 bathrooms (2 of which in 2 of the bedrooms) and 3 big bedrooms. In all, the lodge can sleep ~29 people so it was plenty big for our small camp. 

The lodge also had a basement which was great for athletes to store their bikes with several Feedback Sports Rakk bicycle stands provided. There was also plenty of towels so essentially our athletes didn't have to bring anything but their training gear. 

I knew our campers would love the outside covered patio (with a fan).

As well as the outside grill and huge patio for plenty of outdoor seating. 

The house sat on many acres which was great for the doggies and since it was tucked away from the main road, the house felt very private. 

Campy and the doggies loved the 1-mile dirt walking and MTB path. 

On Tuesday, we had our first camper (Justine) arrive and her cute puppy Otis. With so many doggies it was hard to not smile every time you saw a camper....and a doggy by his/her side. 

We were so happy to receive our recent Canari order which included my Kona race outfit (my first short sleeve tri suit) and our new run tops!

Love the loose fit and longer length of these run tops!!

We are also so thankful for our sponsors who sent lots of goodies for our campers. 

Thanks Veronica's Health Crunch!!

Swag Bags!!
Thanks Run In, Xterra, Veronica's Health Crunch, Balega (From Run In) and Clif Bar!!

On Tues and Wed, Karel stayed busy with RETUL fits for Justine (re-fit), Taryn and Kelly Fillnow (our guest professional triathlete on Thurs). 

On Wednesday, our campers who arrived on Tues started their day with a long course swim at Westside (workout provided by me whereas Karel and I and Trimarni athlete Tricia did a different longer workout) and then explored Greenville throughout the day and loaded up the kitchen with lots of local food. 

On Wednesday, all of our campers arrived and it was beginning to feel a bit more like camp. 

On Wed evening, Karel and I gave a short talk about what to expect for our jammed-packed day of camp on Thursday. 

And then it was time for everyone to get some sleep before 4 challenging days of swimming, biking and running. 

Stay tuned for my recap of Day 1 of Trimarni Greenville camp. 

Trimarni Greenville camp - quick recap

The stats are in!!!

SWIMMING: ~2.5 hours
BIKING: ~10 hours and 11,600+ feet of climbing
RUNNING: ~4.5 hours and 3,300+ feet of climbing

TOTAL: 17+ hours of training and over 14,900 feet of climbing in 4 days!!!

They swam......

They biked.....

They ran.....

The 2015 Trimarni Greenville training camp is now complete and our exhausted campers are just a few days of recovery away from a mega boost in fitness!!!

When Karel and I moved to Greenville last May, we quickly discovered that Greenville was a beautiful place to live but our new training playground was not easy. 

Easy is not a word that we can use in our vocabulary when it comes to running or biking outside and because of our terrain, we have no choice but to adapt to our training environment. 

For over a year, Karel and I still find ourselves feeling/getting stronger with every workout. And you have no choice but to learn to become mentally tough here in Greenville if you choose to train outside (and how could anyone not want to be outside with our nature-filled, bike and run friendly roads).

After two camps in Clermont, Florida we knew that we needed to have a camp in Greenville for endurance-focused athletes as there is no better place for athletes to improve confidence in challenging terrain, than in Greenville, SC.

Karel and I are strong proponents of training camps as we feel it is good for our athletes to intentionally check out of life for a few days one time before a key race (whereas the majority of the season we need our athletes to stay balanced with family, work, life, etc.). With this training camp, our athletes provide an environment (and mindset) that they will intentionally place a tremendous amount of stress on the body to train through planned fatigue and to work on fueling/hydration. Recovery is a key element in the training camp so in the case of traveling for a training camp, it's easy to have no excuses when it comes to relaxing post workout in a condo/house or hotel room. Whereas if athletes are at home, we want them to pass on chores and other to-do's...just for three days. We never ask our athletes to check out of life throughout a season....except for their one training camp. 

We have our coaching athletes perform their own "mini" training camp for 3 days around 4-5 weeks out from a their key half or full ironman distance triathlon and we ask for them to communicate with their family/work about their scheduled "camp". In an effort to ensure success with a mini training camp (or with our Greenville camp), we make sure that our athletes do not overload the body with high volume workouts too often throughout the year. This allows the athlete (and their family) to not feel as if training is taking over life and the training camp is a welcomed opportunity to overload the body. The camp is planned training stress and the massive training volume achieved over a few days only happens once before a key long distance triathlon race. 

We wanted a small camp in Greenville to provide lots of one-on-one work so our campers would really learn how to improve skills (specifically biking) on the hills (ex. descending, climbing, bumpy roads, switchbacks, changing gears, learning how to properly sit on a bike in changing terrain, bike handling, etc.). We also wanted our athletes to experience the joy that we have when we swim, bike and run in Greenville as it's really hard to have a bad day with our amazing views when we train.

Lastly, because our terrain is so challenging, we knew our campers could use each other to bring out the best in one another. It's hard to give up when your roommate/fellow camper is fighting through the fatigue and he/she is not willing to give up. 

I will be spending this week breaking down the information learned/discussed throughout our camp, discuss the workouts that our campers accomplished (they were not easy!) and share lots of great pictures. 

Stay tuned for Day 1 of the 2015 Trimarni Greenville Training Camp.