'25 Early Season Training Camp - behind the scenes

We held our first training camp in March of 2014 (picture above). It's wild to think that it was 11 years ago when I told Karel that I wanted to bring our coaching athletes together for a group training camp.  At the time, we lived in Jacksonville, Florida. Clermont, Florida was a few hours away and the perfect location for a triathlon training camp. After a successful first camp, I started planning the next camp. We learned a lot and I wanted to make it even better. A few months later, we moved to Greenville, SC. We continued hosting our early season training camps in Clermont for a few more years, while also holding a second training camp (endurance camp) in our new home of Greenville, SC. 2020 was the year of our last training camp in Clermont, Florida. The world shut down due to Covid the week after we finished our camp. Since then, we have held all of our triathlon training camps in our incredible playground of Greenville, SC. Over the past few years we have added gravel and off-road triathlon skills to our camp registry.

This past weekend we held our 11th consecutive early season training camp. Over the past eleven years we have held over 30 different training camps. This means we have had over 200 athletes attend a Trimarni training camp.  Putting on a triathlon training camp is no easy feat. It requires a lot of planning and logistics.  When I plan our camps, I have a tentative idea of what we want to accomplish throughout our 3-day camp. However, it isn't until our campers complete their pre-camp questionnaire that I can start planning the routes and workouts. Unlike other group training camps which send athletes out on a specific route to complete, we prescribe specific workouts for each training session. This requires us to be creative with the routes so that we can keep everyone somewhat together. We do a lot of out and backs and loops so that no athlete feels too fast or too slow. Even though we have pre-reqs for our camps (for safety reasons), we have to work with a variety of fitness (and experience) levels.  At our recent camp, we dealt with a very unpredictable weather forecast. With rain predicted all day on Friday, I was obsessively checking the weather all week so that I could have a plan A, B, C and D. This required a lot of communication with the aquatic center in order to tentatively reserve lanes and communication with our campers. Thankfully, we could stick to our schedule (with a slight modification of swapping when we would bike and run) it all worked out and we didn't experience any rain on day one of camp.  We started the morning with an hour swim at the Westside aquatic center. I enjoy starting off camp with swimming as it's the least stressful sport on the body after travel and athletes are generally pretty fresh and eager to start training. We always start with name introductions so that everyone can get to know one another. One of the highlights of Trimarni camp is seeing the friendships form throughout camp.  We focused on technique with a variety of drills and finished the session with a main set to put everything into action. After the swim we had a short break (~90 minutes) before we met at Trailblazer park for our bike skills session. We brought cones to work on bike handling skills and Karel demonstrated all of the skills before we worked with our athletes. We have found that the bike handling skills and terrain management component of camp is always a favorite by our campers. We have learned that most triathletes do not have great bike handling skills. This is for two reasons. Many triathletes did not grow up racing bikes. There's a big difference between casual bike riding and riding a bike that is designed to go fast. Secondly, many triathletes ride primarily indoors on a stationary trainer. This limits the opportunities to work on bike handling skills outside in real world conditions. As a result, the risk for accidents and unsafe riding increases. We love helping triathletes with bike handling skills as it allows for faster and more confident riding. After the skills session we bike a few miles down the road to a road that we had our athletes work on u-turns and terrain management (gentle climbs and descends). After the session, our campers had another quick 90-minute break before our last session of the day at Furman University. We love running at Furman because it's a beautiful campus and it offers a variety of terrain. Plus there are bathrooms if needed. Karel and I were on our bikes so we could watch everyone run around the lake. After the warmup, the campers finished the day with a run main set of 5 x 30 sec strong, 3 min steady, 30 sec strong followed by 1 min walk into 1 min easy. This set took 30 minutes.  We like loading our campers with a lot of training on the first day as they are fresh and able to absorb a good amount of training.

On Saturday, we were presented with perfect weather conditions. We drove ~30 minutes away to Tuxedo, NC to start the bike session. Although we try to limit driving at our camps, this location provided us with a great time trial bike course, a steady climb for the bike and a packed gravel road for running. Our campers found the bike course to be beautiful and perfect terrain for the workout. We all rode together to the "course" and we instructed our athletes of the workout (which was also written out on an index card for each camper). The workout was:  4 rounds of  3 x 1 min strong, 4 min half IM effort, 1 min strong Then 2 min EZ  Each round took 20 minutes and our campers did the set 4 times for an 80 minute main set. Karel and I would ride with each camper here and there. We had a turn around at each end of the "course" which allowed our campers to continue to work on their u-turns.  After the workout we finished with a 4.5 mile climb up Cabin Creek road. For many of our campers, this was the longest climb they have ever completed. We love seeing our campers stretch their comfort zone and try new things. We helped our athletes safely descend down the climb (while reminding them of their new and improved skills from Friday).  After the bike we gave our athletes a 45-minute run workout. We love seeing our campers work through self-doubts and fatigue and surprise themselves. Plus, in a group environment, everyone brings out the best in one another. The run workout started with 10 minutes easy into 20 min best easy pace (best effort that feels easy and with good form). Then came a 10 minute build effort followed by 5 minutes easy. We did an out and back by the lake and Karel and I ran with our campers.  In the evening we ordered pizza from D'Als for our campers and enjoyed getting to know everyone even better at the Swamp Rabbit Inn (where two of our campers were staying). Sunny got to meet everyone and he enjoyed his first Trimarni pizza party.

Now that our campers were nicely tired, it was time for the last day of camp. Karel and I were really looking forward to this session as we planned a transition workout. We biked to a location where we set up a transition area (bike rack and floor bike stands) for our athletes to perform an hour of biking and running. We had a course laid out for a 2-loop bike (~3 miles) and out and back (~1 mile) run. We biked to the transition area while Alvi (our camp support) set up the transition area and brought bags (run gear from our campers) to the area.

Although this workout was super fun, logistically it was the most difficult to organize and plan for. We couldn't have done it without the help of Alvi. And to make the workout even more fun, we threw in some obstacles that our campers may experience during a race - like changing a flat tire (Karel brought two wheels for our campers to practice on), filling a flask, putting on gear while running and dealing with a few unexpected challenges like shoes tied together. Let's just say that our campers had fun and Karel and I had a blast coming up with different ways to challenge our campers during their transitions. This was one of those workouts where it's impossible to do by yourself and so much more intense and fun to do with others.  After the session we biked back to Trailblazer park and finished with closing remarks and questions.

And just like that, camp is complete. 1 hour of swimming  7 hours of cycling  2 hours of running And in August we get to do it again - but with even longer workouts - at our endurance triathlon camp.  Although training camps are a lot of work to put on, we know our campers find value in learning new skills, training with others, stepping out of their comfort zone and showing off their strengths.  If you'd like to read more about our recent early season camp, Trimarni athlete Brittany attended camp and wrote a great recap about her first triathlon camp experience. You can check it out HERE.

'24 Early Season Training Camp

 

We just finished 3 packed days of triathlon training in Greenville, SC. with eleven campers. Although we've been holding camps for the last 10 years, this camp was extra special as we only had primarily first-time Trimarni campers. This means fresh ears and eyes to absorb a lot of information and skills. 

When triathletes hear the word "skills" they often think that this focus is for newbies or beginners. But we believe that you are never too good, too old, too young, too fast or too slow to improve. When athletes come to our camp, they leave tired. They put in a lot of work over 3 days. But the main focus of our camps is learning. Athletes can train hard at home but when they attend a training camp, we want to make sure that the athlete learns how to train better and race smarter. 

We see it and hear it all the time. Triathletes don't have the best bike handling skills. Open water swimming is exhausting and triathletes struggle to translate their pool technique and fitness to the open water. Triathletes have difficulty running well off the bike and believe that running harder, faster and longer are the answers to better run times. 

At our camps, we master the basics of better triathlon skills and technique. No matter how fast or experienced the athlete, there's always something to improve on. Rather than believing that more training is the answer for better racing, believe that you have tremendous opportunity to improve in every aspect of the sport of triathlon.....especially on the bike. 

While you can improve through hard work, successful athletes have an insatiable desire to learn, improve and grow. They don't feel that they know everything and they seek ways to get better. Often this means, stepping out of the comfort zone and trying something new. 

Day 1
75 minute long course swim
60 minute run workout 
2.5 hour bike skills and ride

We started the morning at 7:45am at the Westside aquatic center. After a dry land warmup and athlete introductions, we had our campers warmup for 10 minutes. The rest of the session was focused on a variety of drills and technique work. We mostly prescribed 50's so that we could speak to each of our campers at the wall to give immediate feedback. It was a great session to start camp. 

At 10:45am we met at Furman University and talked to our campers about the run workout. We started the workout with 20 minutes at a conversational pace (10 min out and 10 minutes back). We ran by the Furman lake and encouraged our campers to talk to one another so that they could keep the effort easy. For the main set: 7x (90 sec build effort from smooth to strong into 30 sec EZ into 60 sec best EZ pace). This was a great session to work on going from a high effort, high heart rate to learning how to find good form and rhythm (best EZ pace). We did an out and back so that all of our athletes were running on the same route and we could also see our athletes in action. We finished the run with 20 minutes easy running on the other side of the lake. The weather was cool and cloudy which made for great running. All of our campers wore hydration belts so that they could work on their fueling and hydration for race day while also keeping the body fueled and hydrated for the next session. 

At 2pm, we met at Trailblazer park for a bike session. It was a little cool and drizzly out but our campers came with a great attitude and didn't complain. We spent some time in the parking lot working on important bike handling skills like descending, sudden stopping, u-turns and cornering. We then went out on the bike to apply these skills to real world conditions on our Goats and White dogs route. It was cold and rainy but this allowed our campers to really work on their skills in the less-than-ideal conditions. We finished the 2 hour ride around 5pm to wrap-up day 1 of camp. 

Day 2
3 hour ride 
40 minute run 
75 minute long course swim 

We met at Trailblazer park at 8am and did a quick refresher of bike handling skills before we went out on our bike route: F-Mart Loop. With so many different types of routes and terrain where we live, we have endless options for routes. We design our bike routes based on what types of skills and training we want our campers to achieve throughout camp. For this ride, we had ~60 minutes of riding to get out to our out-and-back section for the workout. To get out to this area, we had a bit of climbing and descending for our athletes to work on their skills. The workout was 2 out and back sections (each section was ~3 miles) to spend time in the aerobars. This route has some climbing but a lot of the time can be spent in the aerobars working on skills and terrain management. After this part of the workout, we rode a few miles back and then had our campers do a 4-mile strong effort on River road which has a bit of climbing and descending along with a little flat section in the middle. It was a great almost 3 hour ride and ~45 miles and a little over 2000 feet of climbing. 

After the ride, the run workout was 4 rounds of: 5 minute best EZ pace, 2 min "up tempo" as an opportunity to continue to work on settling into a good rhythm after getting the HR up. 

We had a short break and then met at the aquatic center at 2:45 for another 75-minute swim. For this session the campers did a longer warm-up to loosen out from the bike and run and then we did a few refreshers on technique. We finished off with some intense open water swimming drills to get the HR up. 

At 5pm - we all enjoyed pizza from D'Als at the Swamp Rabbit Inn. 

Day 3
2.5 hour ride
40 minute run 

We had been so impressed by our campers throughout camp but they really continued to impress us with their endurance and application of new skills during our bike workout. We like to pick new routes and courses for our camps but our Pink Arrow Loop is one of our favorites. This 4.8 mile loop has ~350 feet of elevation and includes every type of terrain. Short and long climbs, long descends, flat and fast and false flats. We rode 45 minutes out to the loop, did 1 recon loop and then 2 continuous loops at a strong effort. We then rode back home. Throughout every ride, we always stop and talk about important features of the course, what athletes are doing well, areas to focus on and we spend time with the campers to give instant feedback. 

After the ride, we finished the camp with one last run. The workout was ~6 minutes easy to the Swamp Rabbit Trail to warm-up and then 2 x (10 min best EZ pace, 5 min "race effort), then cool down

Our campers did amazing. They made friends, they learned a lot, they laughed, they challenged themselves and they enjoyed our incredible training playgound in Greenville, SC. We are very thankful that our campers took time out of their life/work to spend three days with us. Also a big thank you to our friend Alvi for helping us out throughout the three days of camp. 

3-day camp stats: 

2.5 hours swimming

7.5 hours cycling (~7000 feet elevation gain)

2:20 running

2023 Trimarni Training Camps - register now

Since our very first group training camp in March 2014 in Clermont, Florida and now 15+ camps later, our focus has remained the same.

Our mission is to provide athletes with a safe, enriching and affordable camp experience. We strive to empower you to stretch your athletic limits by teaching you how to become a better all around athlete and more confident human being.

When you participate in a Trimarni camp, you will learn new skills and training techniques to ensure that you can train smarter and race better. You will train with like-minded athletes who will bring out the best in you.

We live in the perfect training playground in Greenville, SC and we want to share it with you. We will take care of everything so that all you have to do is book your travel and arrive to camp excited to improve your weaknesses and show off your strengths.

GRAVEL SKILLS CAMP

EARLY SEASON CAMP

LONG DISTANCE CAMP

Our three training camps are now open for registration. They will sell out so act fast. To learn more about each camp and to secure your spot, click HERE.

Any questions, feel free to send me an email. See you in 2023!

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! 

Andy's Sprint Triathlon Race Recap - surviving the cold

 

We find it beneficial for our early season campers to participate in a race on the last day of camp. It's a great opportunity to dust of the rust in an early season race, applying everything learned from camp. Not surprisingly, every time we combine a race with a camp, our campers do incredibly well at the race. By removing any expectations or pressure to perform, our campers can simply focus on the small details while staying in the present moment. If only athletes could do this at the longer distance races and not get so overwhelmed by outcomes! 😁

We also find great value in doing a "short" distance race. For many long distance triathletes, short races become "not worth it" and are brushed to the side in favor of more training for half or full distance triathlon events. But in the short events, there's less breakdown and risk for setbacks alongside so many incredible opportunities to go through the motions and emotions that are experienced in long distance racing. 

Karel's knee was bothering him running last week so he stayed on the sidelines to cheer for our campers and I decided to race. My last sprint triathlon was in 2006 and my one and only triathlon with a pool swim was in 2003. I was excited to set out of my comfort zone and do something that was unfamiliar to me. Additionally, with predicted temps in the 30's, I knew this race would really be uncomfortable for me. 

Human instinct tells us to stay safe in our comfort zone but I don't think I'm wired this way. Maybe it's a swimmer thing (as swimming is not the most comfortable sport) but I enjoy putting myself in new and unfamiliar situations. There's always a bit of nervous and apprehension but I love the feeling of being challenging. Although I don't always enjoy the discomfort of uncomfortable situations, I crave the feeling of satisfaction when it's over. Perhaps that's why I've completed 17 Ironman distance triathlon events. 

Over the past year, I've put myself in a lot of different uncomfortable situations but I knew that this sprint triathlon would test me in ways that I've never been tested before. With a predicted race morning temperature of 33 degrees, I found myself thinking "how am I going to do this!?!?!"

In the afternoon of our third day of camp, Campy and I got in the car to drive the bike course. We drove the last four miles of the course in route to the aquatic center to pick up my race packet and then the first 10 miles on the way home. Not knowing the bike route brought a little anxiety prior to the race but after driving the course, I felt much more comfortable knowing where the turns were as well as the descends and hills. 

With my last triathlon happening 6 months ago, it took some time to pack my transition bag but it felt good to have to go through the stress of packing for a 3-sport event. Karel worked on my bike while I was out to make sure it was race ready. I ate similar meals/snacks to what I would do for a long distance triathlon and kept with a normal routine of getting to bed early and clearing my mind by watching something on Netflix. I was asleep before 9pm but that early morning alarm was still a shocker to the system. 

I woke up at 4:45am and had my typical long workout/pre-race meal of a bagel w/ peanut butter and jam a few spoonfuls of yogurt. I dressed myself in layers to stay warm and I spent some time foam rolling and doing a few of my go-to ECFit moves before we left the house at 5:15am. Unlike normal training, having a routine and sticking to a tight schedule is something that you only experience on race day. Plus there are the swings of emotions from "why am I doing this?" to "I'm excited to race." 

We cranked up the heat in the car and during our 15-minute drive, I kept my mind free of negative thoughts. This was really helpful as I knew once I started to get into a negative spiral of thoughts, it would be hard to get out of it. I made sure to keep myself as warm as possible while setting up my transition area - although I was still a little cold. 

Having thought of all the possible clothing combinations for the bike, I decided to go with a tech shirt, long sleeve jersey and vest. I draped the items on my bike handlebar so that it would be easy to put on each item. Even though I wanted to have a quick transition, I also wanted to have an efficient transition. I also had a large towel to dry myself off as well as a small towel to stand on after the swim to keep my feet from getting too cold. I had one pair of Hot Hands (which I've never used before) for my shoes (under my toe covers) but my athlete Therese saved the day and gave me two more to put inside my gloves. I jogged to get my chip and still couldn't get myself warm but once I stepped into the aquatic center, I finally felt warm. Just that quick change in temperature changed everything. It was the relief needed that no matter how cold I was going to be, I knew that the cold feeling wouldn't last forever. 

My style of racing is to get stronger in the back half of long distance racing as it takes me a while to warm-up so I knew it would be hard for me to go hard from the beginning as the distances were too short for my physiology and how I've trained my body for the past 16 years (400 meter swim/14-mile bike/3-mile run). I made sure to get in as much of a warmup as possible so that I could swim somewhat hard from the start of the race. I did my stretch cord exercises that I normally do before I swim in training and then I was the first one in the pool for a ~10-minute swim warmup. I found it really important to get in the water before the race as my body would not allow me to go hard without some type of swim warm-up. Several of our campers joined me and nearing 6:45am, the pool had several more athletes swimming. I practiced snaking under the lane line as well as diving in. 

Nearing 7am, the race director told us that this would be a very tough and miserable race but that we were all strong enough to do it. I lined up near the front as it was a seeded start and I was racing in the open category. I was the 5th athlete in the water and just like that, the race started. 

I had one girl swimming strong in front of me so that was great motivation to keep me pushing. I didn't focus on any times/paces/watts throughout this race as my focus was staying present and just going through the motions of racing. It felt a little strange swimming with so many eyes of the other participants watching from the pool deck but I stayed focused on the girl ahead of me. She was really fast and I was unable to catch her.

As I was nearing the end of the 400, I started to get scared about what was about to come. Although I warmed up in the pool from my effort, as soon as I pulled myself out of the pool and ran outside, the shock of the cold on my wet body nearly took my breathe away. I even said outload "OMG this is crazy." 

I removed my swim skin and dried off my shorts and my sports bra with my towel and then put on socks, my shirt, long sleeve jersey, vest, gloves, helmet and cycling shoes. I jogged my bike to the mount line and headed out to the coldest bike ride of my life. 

The girl ahead of me was several minutes ahead as she had a quicker transition than me but I wasn't focused on her as I was cold and I didn't want to make any careless mistakes. My upper body was somewhat comfortable but my thighs were so cold, it felt like knives sticking into my legs. I was hoping that as the ride continued, I would get warmer and although my upper body felt ok, my hands got colder and colder. It was hard to grip my bars and change my gears so my focus was on staying safe. It was really hard for me to push hard as my body wasn't really working well but I stayed focused on whatever I could control. I ended up passing the girl ahead of me in the first few miles (she was on a road bike) which gave me a little energy boost. The downhills were hard because I was so cold and couldn't use my bike skills like I wanted but I still tried to execute the best I could on the course. Although some of the roads are normally really busy, traffic control was great, the course was well-marked and I didn't find any issues in the course - the roads were quiet. 

The bike ride was short compared to what I am used to racing so I kept reminding myself that it would be over soon. I sipped on INFINIT in my hydration bottle (trying to take a few gulps every 15 minutes) throughout the bike. As I was nearing the end of the bike, my feet were actually a little warm and I didn't want to remove them from the shoes but I knew it would be beneficial to practice a flying dismount so I made myself remove my feet from my shoes and perform a flying dismount at the dismount line. 

After running my bike to my rack and racking my bike, I went to unclip my helmet and I could not feel my hands. I tried and tried to unbuckle my helmet but I could not get my hands to work. Karel told me to come to the fencing and he would help but I didn't want to get in trouble for outside assistance. He told me that it was ok as others were getting help with things so I had him undo my helmet as my hands were not working. It took time for me to put on my shoes and hydration belt. Although I didn't need my hydration belt for the run, I wanted to rehearse everything as if it was a long distance triathlon. I put my gloves back on as I was still a bit cold but I removed my vest and jacket as I knew I'd warmup on the run. 

I was the first female out of the transition area and almost missed the exit out as I was so disoriented from being so cold. I kept a smile on my face because I felt so accomplished from finishing the bike. I really only had one speed for the run and didn't push it because well, I wasn't able to find any more gears. I just ran what I felt was strong in the moment. The run course was a two loop run with a fun off-road hill in the middle of each loop. I really enjoyed the run. I was passed by the girl who beat me in the water around half way in the 2nd loop and she was flying. I finished the race feeling accomplished and went out to cheer for our athletes. 

Although I had nightmares of the cold for the next 48 hours, the feeling has passed and this race is now an experience in my catalog of racing. 

Life is hard and sometimes it's really difficult. Life forces us to deal with a lot of uncomfortable situations and experiences, along with other uncomfortable emotions like pain, loneliness, fear, worries, anxieties, frustration and sadness. As an athlete, sport gives us opportunities to experience similar emotions - but in the context of doing something that we enjoy. If we always avoid uncomfortable, new and unfamiliar scenarios, there's no growth. Racing gives us the reason to embrace challenges. 

I survived the race. I went through the familiar motions of racing but I also proved to myself that I am a lot tougher than I ever thought I could be. Feeling uncomfortable is a sign that you are trying. Don't be scared of being uncomfortable. Stepping out of your comfort zone is how you improve, develop and grow. Be motivated by self-growth. 

2022 Early Season Camp Recap

With so many training routes available to us in and around Greenville, SC. no two Trimarni camps are ever the same. With several returning athletes to our 2022 Early Season triathlon camp, we made sure to give our athletes new workouts, new routes and new experiences. 

Every Trimarni camp includes the following: 
-Safe run and cycling routes
-Specific structured workouts (swim/bike/run)
-Proper recovery and nutrition focus
-Education
-Specifically designed routes so that no one is too fast or too slow
-Terrain management execution
-Skills, technique and form focus
-Race specific tips

Our campers settled into Greenville, SC. on Wednesday afternoon/evening and we started our first day of camp bright and early on Thursday morning. The day before camp is always a bit hectic for me as I'm packing swag/goodie bags, printing off liability forms, triple checking the weather and pool reservations and answering any last minute questions from our campers. I always send out an itinerary before our camps so that our athletes know exactly what to expect - from where to met, what workouts they will be doing and what to bring to how to fuel and eat throughout camp. 

Day 1
90-minute long course swim
3-hour ride
40-minute run

We started the day at 7:30am at the Westside Aquatic Center. I reserved two long course lanes for our group. Prior to getting in the water, I handed out the goodie bags filled with products from some of our amazing partners. I ordered the cutest reusable bags for the items - each bag had a specific animal/nature print on it. 

For the group swim, we started off with a warm-up and then spent some time working on technique with a series of single arms drills. We finished with 8 x 50's strong effort at the end from a 'dead' start (no pushing off the wall) to simulate open water swimming. 

After the swim, we had a short break for the campers to refuel and get ready for the bike/run workout. 
We met at Furman University by the amphitheater at 11am and spent an hour in an empty parking lot working on bike handling skills. Knowing the confidence (and safety) that comes with proper bike handling skills (like sudden stopping/braking, u-turns, getting out of the saddle and high speed cornering), we made sure our campers had an opportunity to work on their skills before heading out to real world conditions. 
We took a short break (~20 minutes) to have a snack before heading out for our ride. Although we were out for 3 hours, some of this time was spent talking about specific terrain management execution to help athletes ride more efficiently over rolling terrain and punchy hills (without losing speed/momentum). Thankfully, we have so many different types of terrain that our campers are constantly applying and learning new skills. 

After spending a little time back and forth on one stretch of road with a series of rollers, we rode to our "main set" out and back. This ~10 min stretch of road included a few twists on a somewhat flat (bumpy) road and then it included a short climb with a few gentle switchbacks. Our athletes rode this section (out and back, up and down) 3 times with several opportunities to work on climbing, descending and cornering. 

When we returned back from our ride, it was time for a run. It was getting warm out and for several of our campers, this was their first "warm" workout outside so we needed to be mindful to not overstress the body. 

The run workout was a short warm-up followed by 3 rounds of (3 min steady, 2 min strong, 1 min very strong w/ 30 sec walk between). After each round, 2 min best easy pace. We stayed on one side of the Furman lake so that everyone could see one another and support each other. The campers ran really strong and accumulated several running miles after a packed first day of camp. 

Day 2
90-minute long course swim
Run-bike-run-bike-run-bike-run

The morning started off a bit cool outside so we were happy to be swimming indoors. Our campers arrived with their race kits on (and swimskin) to get a feel of swimming in their new race kits. With the race on Sunday, we used this swim as a "race rehearsal" and practiced a few race strategies specific to the Sunday race. With this being a pool swim to start the triathlon race, we had our campers practice diving, jumping or sliding in to figure out the best strategies to start the race. We then practiced getting out of the pool to simulate the elevated HR from transitioning to swim to bike. Lastly, we practiced "snaking" under the lane line. We had our athletes start close to one another to feel like they were in a race and they practiced turning on the wall and then moving into the next lane. For some, they felt more comfortable going under the lane line into the next lane prior to turning. This was great practice for everyone as they gained a lot of confidence going into the race. We then finished the swim with a bit of pulling since the race rehearsal practice was of high intensity. 

Because of the weather, we needed to change our original plan of doing a run after the swim and then an afternoon bike. We told our campers the night prior that they would be doing a "fun" mega brick workout. With wind gusts up to 30 mph and colder conditions (40-50s), our mega brick would give them a quality workout in a safe environment. 




After a break to refuel, we met at Pointset Park for the brick. The athletes started off with a 15-minute run and then got on their bikes for 3 x 8 minute big gear repeaters on Paris Mountain (descending down for recovery). After the BG work, back to the park for 3 x 3 min strong effort running up a steady hill w/ EZ jog between. Then back on the bike for 2 x 10 min up Paris Mountain (alternating 2 min choice, 2 min BG) w/ descend down for recovery. Then another run - this time "only" 2 x 3 min strong effort up the hill. Then, a climb up Paris mountain (~2.2 miles). The wind wasn't too bad since we were covered by the trees but there were a few gusty segments as we were descending. It was great practice for everyone to work on the important skills of descending on switchbacks, with gust/side winds. The last run was an EZ jog. 

In total, the athletes did almost 45 minutes of running and almost 2 hours of riding (~3300 feet elevation gain in 19 miles). It was a mega brick and our athletes finished feeling very accomplished. 

In the evening, we had our typical pizza party with delicious pizza from D'allesandro's. I always look forward to our pre-race and camp pizza parties as it's a chance to talk to our athletes in a more relaxed setting. 

Day 3
3 hour ride 
20 min run

We went from summer to fall to winter over 72 hours. It was a chilly 40-degree start to the morning but we have no shortage of hills where we live to warm up the athletes. We used the first hour as a warm-up and rode to our "out and back" segment where the campers had 3 efforts to ride in the TT position and ride up and down a steady long climb. It was a quality workout and everyone worked really hard. It was great to see the athletes support one another and showcase their resiliency and strengths. For some of our repeat campers, it was great to see how much their skills (like descending) have improved over the years! 

After the ride, our campers did a "pre-race" 2-mile run on a concrete track with 100 meters fast strides to finish each loop. Although Saturday was a "short" day of training with only 3.5 hours, our campers had to pick up their race packets in the afternoon (and drive the bike course) and prepare for their race on Sunday!

Day 4 - Sprint Triathlon!

I'm so proud of our athletes. Not only did they complete a sprint triathlon on the last day of their training but they raced in very cold conditions - 33 degrees! We didn't have one complaint by our campers and everyone showed up prepared and focused. With the pool swim to start, our campers felt very prepared because they practiced their starts, turns and exits on Friday. On the bike, our athletes were prepared with Hot Hands (to keep toes/hands warm), towels and dry clothes to layer up on the bike. For the run, our athletes wore their hydration packs/belts similar to a 70.3 so that they could practice going through the transitions similar to a long distance race. Even though this was "only" a sprint, everyone (including myself) went through similar motions and emotions similar to a long distance triathlon. From the very early alarm to pre-race nutrition and laying out gear, this was a valuable opportunity to "dust off the rust" and race. After everyone finished, we went for an easy jog on the course and cheered on the other athletes before the award ceremony. Every athlete on our team received an award (with one 4th place just off the podium) which was the bonus to a fun, educational and incredible 4-day training camp. 

I love every camp experience for our athletes but this recent camp will be one that I'll never forget.

Our athletes were constantly being thrown out of their comfort zone yet no one complained. It was incredible to see their resiliency day after day. Everyone stayed mentally strong and focused, no matter what obstacle got in their way.

2022 Trimarni Endurance Camp - July 7-10th, 2022

We are very passionate about providing our campers with instruction and education throughout the entire duration of camp. Although it's great to be able to check out of life and train like a professional for 4 days, we feel the best investment of time away from your normal training is to receive instruction from a coach so you can do things better in your home environment. 

Although we will always provide education at our camps, we understand that some camps serve the purpose of safely accumulating a lot of quality training miles to build fitness and confidence for your long distance triathlon. Being able to check out of life and having time (and energy) to focus on your recovery, nutrition, sleep and mobility are top reasons why you can gain a lot of fitness from an intentional overload of training at a group training camp.

Our “Endurance” camp is designed for athletes who are preparing for a half or full distance triathlon. We expect our campers to arrive to the endurance camp with excellent fitness to absorb an intentional overload of training (likely more training volume than what you are used to over 4 days). You should feel comfortable riding in a group, biking for at least 5 hours on hilly terrain, completing 3 workouts a day and being able to train over 4 hours a day. Your health and safety is important to us as we stretch your comfort zone and help you discover your strengths.

We carefully select routes and plan the timing of your workouts so that your body can safely absorb the training stress. We put a heavy emphasis on proper fueling, hydration and daily eating. We always start with more of a skill-focus on our first day of camp and then build the volume as the camp progresses. We include challenging climbs and scenic views for all bike and run workouts to show you how strong you really are in both mind and body. Swimming in Lake Jocassee is always a favorite among our campers, even if it precedes an extremely hilly long run. Our campers love the group comradery and being able to go through all types of emotions with one another. Because no one wants to be the weak link, it's incredible to see how everyone brings the best out of one another. 

By the end of our endurance camp, our campers are exhausted and accomplished. Once they let that training overload accumulate, they experience that long awaited fitness breakthrough. 

If you'd like to read my recaps of our previous endurance camps, you can check them out below....
2021 Endurance camp
2020 Endurance camp
2019 Endurance camp
2018 Endurance camp
2017 Endurance camp and this one.
2016 Endurance camp
2015 Endurance camp

If you feel like you are up for the challenge of attending our endurance camp from July 7-10th, 2022 you can learn more HERE.

We never want any athlete to feel left out so if you feel this camp is not for you, we do offer private camps for to meet your individual needs. Please reach out and we can discuss some options for you.

2022 Trimarni Early Season Camp (+ sprint triathlon race)

We held our very first triathlon training camp in Clermont, Florida from Feb 27th-March 2nd, 2014. For several years I had dreamed about putting on a training camp but it took me several years to have the confidence (time and energy) to finally make that dream come true. After six years of Karel working as the GM of the Trek Store in Jacksonville, FL. there were some changes with upper management and we decided that the timing was right for him to take the courageous leap to work with me at my small business, Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition. 

To be honest, we really had no idea what we were doing when we put on our first camp. We had no experience holding group triathlon camps and we had never attended a group triathlon camp. But somehow, we made it work. We learned a lot and found new ways to making the camp experience even better for the future.  Thankfully, our campers had fun, they learned a lot, everyone was safe and we continued to coach all of our campers for many more years! And for those who we no longer coach, we are still friends with everyone who attended our very first triathlon camp. They will always hold a special place in our hearts because they trusted us when we had little group camp experience. 

A few months after our first camp, we moved to Greenville, SC. We quickly learned that our new town would be the perfect playground for future training camps. Although we returned to Clermont, FL for several more group training camps, Greenville continues to be the perfect location for group training camps. 

At our first group training camp, we finished the camp by having our campers participate in a mock triathlon. We set up the course and even had a transition area. We loved the idea of having our athletes apply their new skills to a "race" scenario while also proving to themselves that they could complete a triathlon after several days of structured training. In 2015 we returned to Clermont for our group training camp and all of our campers completed an Olympic distance triathlon on the last day of camp. Participating in a sanctioned triathlon was the perfect ending to camp as it helped our campers build confidence and excitement for their upcoming racing season. 

Over the past seven years, there have only been three early season camps that did not have a race at the end of camp. It's been a few years but we are so excited to finally return to our roots of having our campers participate in a triathlon on the last day of camp.

We love putting on an early season camp because it's a great way for athletes to dust off the rust after a long winter of training. For many of our campers, our camp is the first time that they can safely ride outside. There's nothing better than that first outdoor training session when you can feel the spring air on your face and warm sun on your neck when training outdoors. Additionally, being in a group environment can make training so much more fun as you have accountability and support for your fellow campers. 

Our early season camp is a fantastic way for athletes to learn new skills, accumulate some good training miles and to build off strengths and to recognize areas of improvement. Stepping into a different training environment can also help spark motivation for the season ahead of you. 

We combine our early season camp with a race because it's a safe and fun way to put our campers into a race environment. As part of your camp registration you get a free entry into Andy's Race. Plus, athletes will often perform at their best when they race with no expectations or outcome goals. We have had many best-ever, PR performances from our campers at the race on the last day of camp! Our campers can go through the motions and emotions of racing without the typical nerves and expectations that athletes often bring to early season races. More so, our campers get to share the race experience with their new friends/campers - knowing that everyone is doing something epic by completing a sprint triathlon on the last day of camp. Seeing our campers cheer for one another and share the race experience together is one of the best parts of our early season camp. And we love it when our campers are able to apply their new skills and strategies (learned at camp) to the race. Every camper leaves camp sad that it's over but confident and excited for upcoming training sessions and races.

To meet the criteria for this camp, you should have enough endurance to ride your bike for at least 3 hours on hilly terrain, you can train for at least 3 hours a day (total) for the duration of your camp (two or three workouts a day) and should arrive to camp with at least 6 months of consistent training (and fitness) to get the most out of this camp experience. Your health is important to us, thus the criteria. We never want any athlete to feel left out so if you feel this camp is not for you, we do offer private camps to meet your individual needs. Please reach out and we can discuss some options for you.

To learn more about this camp from April 7th-10th, 2022, click HERE.

2022 Trimarni Training Camps - NOW OPEN!!

 

If you are new to the sport of triathlon or you are a seasoned athlete, a training camp can be a valuable investment to your triathlon journey. 

Since our very first training camp in 2014, we have remained extremely passionate about our triathlon training camps. We take great pride in selecting beautiful venues, which are conducive to safe and effective training, while carefully planning every detail of our camp itineraries to make the most out of your entire camp experience.

For each of our 14+ group training camps, our focus has remained the same.

Our mission is to provide you with a fun and enriching camp experience, empowering you to stretch your athletic limits while offering a great amount of education and instruction to help you become a more confident triathlete.

When you participate in a Trimarni camp, you will learn new skills and training techniques, and you'll probably find yourself breaking some old bad habits. While you'll gain a lot at camp, our hope is that when the camp experience comes to an end, you have more "tools" to use in your home training environment. 

Why attend a Trimarni group training camp? 
The structure of each camp will depend on the purpose of the camp. But you can expect to be surrounded by like-minded triathletes. Each camp is designed and developed to meet the needs of every camper. When you attend camp, you get to leave your stressful and busy life behind you. This allows you to focus 100% on yourself - something that you probably don't experience on a daily basis. We take care of almost everything for you - from providing sport nutrition/fueling guidance and sport nutrition products to planning the routes and SAG support - so that all you have to do is show up to each camp training session.

Your camp is an investment into yourself. As your camp guide, we want you to have fun, learn a lot and safely put yourself into new situations to help you stretch your comfort zone and develop new skills. Karel and I will be there alongside you for every training session as this camp is all about YOU.

YOU are giving yourself the unique opportunity to train in a group format (alongside experienced coaches) while gifting yourself great sleep, nutrition and time for recovery. You will eat well, fuel smart and receive a lot of education, motivation and instruction to help you become a better, smarter and more confident triathlete. You are attending camp because you want to have fun while you explore your mental and physical abilities.

To learn more about our 2022 group training camps, click HERE. 

Bike skills/climbing camp - April 1-3rd (Fri-Sun) - Max size 8 campers. 

Early season kick-off camp + triathlon race - April 4-7th (Thurs-Sun) - Max size 12 campers. 

Endurance camp - July 7-10th (Thurs-Sun) - Max size 12 campers. 

Our camps are open to the public - you do not have to be a Trimarni team member or coached athlete to attend. Be sure to sign up soon as we will sell out. 

Over the next few days I'll share a bit more about each of our training camps to help you decide which camp is right for you.

If you have any questions, send us an email. 

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2021 Trimarni Endurance Training Camp Recap

 

DAY ONE
As with many of our campers, we had to change our tentative training schedule due to weather. With tropical storm Elsa making her way up from Florida, the weather forecast had us worried. To play it safe, we swapped a few things around and thankfully, it all worked out. 

We started the morning at 9am for a 75-minute long course swim workout at the Westside Aquatic Center. We reserved three lanes for our campers. We like to start each camp with a swim workout as it's a nice way for the athletes to settle into camp and to release any nerves or worries. We mostly focused on technique with a series of drills w/ toys (ex. snorkel, buoy, fins, paddles, kick board) and finished with some open water specific work (ex. sighting). 

After the swim, the campers had a short break before we met at Trailblazer parking lot around 11:30am. Most of our campers stayed at the Swamp Rabbit Inn in TR, which was just a 1/2 mile from where we started and finished our bike/run workouts at Trailblazer Park. Hoping to miss the predicted afternoon shower, we had a quick turn around from swim to bike. The athletes were advised to have a recovery snack and meal after the swim but the main recovery would happen in the late afternoon/evening due to a packed first day of camp. Campers also had a varied mix of sport nutrition products from NBS, Infinit, Skratch and other various products that I collected from Run In to keep our athletes fueled and hydrated. 

We biked out on the trail to the country roads, headed toward Marietta and then to Pumpkintown. Right on River Road and we made our way to River Falls. I absolutely love this 5.6 mile loop that I discovered during our last GVL WBL group bike ride.  The loop has a little of everything - a climb, descend, a flattish fast section and then a section to recover. We broke into small groups to keep everyone safe getting out to the loop and then we did 3 loops on the course - the first was a get-familiar loop, then heavy gear on the climb and then a 'best effort' time trial. The campers did amazing. To make things even more fun, on the last loop, we had our campers do the climb twice so that they finished on the top of the climb at Eedee's car. After the ride, we made our way back to Trailblazer Park for a run off the bike. The bike was ~3:20 and ~56 miles and close to ~3000 feet elevation gain. Everyone did a great job managing the terrain. 

For the run off the bike, we had everyone do a 45-min form focused run. The loop was 1.3 miles and they reversed direction at the end of each loop so that they could see one another and cheer each other on. Although they were tired from the first full day of camp, everyone did a great job focusing on good form, fueling, hydrating and rhythm on our undulating terrain. We always encourage our athletes to take "reset" walk/stop breaks so that was a theme throughout our entire camp to help reduce the residual stress to allow for good form running. 

Day one ended just before 5pm, which made for a packed first day. 

DAY TWO

We had another swim on the schedule for day two but a bit earlier to start the day. The campers arrived around 7:40am for a 8am-9:15am long course swim workout. This swim was a bit more specific so after warming up and spending some time on technique, it was time for the main set - which was a ladder or pyramid, depending on the lane/fitness abilities. After the swim, we all headed over to Furman for a run workout. We parked near the amphitheater which allowed us to be close to bathrooms, and our cars, so that everyone could stay well fueled and hydrated throughout a very humid, 75-min run workout. We started with an easy jog around the lake and then woke up the posterior chain with 3 rounds of hill strides (10, 20, 30 sec w/ easy jog down). After the hills, another jog around the lake and then it was time for the main set. The campers had a steep hill to climb on the back side of the Furman lake, followed by strong running downhill. Then to the bell tower and back where this section was a reset. Each loop was a little over 1/2 mile and they repeated the set for three times total. Afterward, another loop around the lake for a quality 75-minute run workout. 

We gave the campers a little bit of time to rest, recover and refuel before an afternoon bike session. We met at 1:30pm at Trailblazer park and headed out the same way that we did on day one and headed to our ~5 mile loop. Our campers did two loops working on terrain management but overall, this was a lower stress ride. Although our terrain is never easy and brings effort no matter where you ride (unless it's the swamp rabbit trail), we wanted our athletes to finish the ride feeling better than when they started (which they were all pretty tired when they started). Somehow we missed the rain as the sky was turning pretty dark. We finished the 2.5 hour ride around 4:30pm which concluded day two of camp. 

DAY THREE

It's going to be a great day of camp when you get to swim in the open water at Lake Jocassee. We all caravanned to the lake and parked at the Kayak station off Bootleg road. We started the morning with a 70-minute open water swim workout. After a 10 min out and back warm-up in the cove, the athletes did 2 x 20 min loops (with sighting "polls") with a little rest in between. We then finished with 3 short out and back sections around a poll as build to strong. After the swim, it was time for a run. 

There's no getting around it but a run at Lake Jocassee is going to be hilly. Really really hilly. Our athletes had 3 x 30 min out and back loops with each loop starting on a big long hill out of the parking lot. The loops were as follows: Steady, strong, steady. Walking was absolutely allowed and encouraged. The weather started out hot and humid but we were greeted with a wonderful downpour on the last loop of our run. The athletes were very strong and never gave up. We had planned to enjoy a dip in the water too cool off after the run but the rain shower took care of that for us. 

As for the afternoon, the campers were encouraged to rest, relax and refuel. Several of them made a visit to Run In to visit Dane - our shoe fairy :) Then it was time for our traditional camp pizza party (with 10 delicious pizza's from D'​Allesandro's).

DAY FOUR

With this being day four, our campers were very sore and tired but they also brought a bit of excitement to the workout as it was the last day of camp. We left Trailblazer Park around 7:45am and headed out the same way that we had gone the past two rides. We continued on Pumpkintown to the very end and crossed Hwy 11. We had a quick SAG stop at the gas station before we started our 12-mile "climb" to the Eastern Continental Divide. We picked this route  as it has a lot of characteristics similar to the Ironman Lake Placid bike course. The 12-mile segment to the divide has three distinctive sections. The first is a 3-ish mile section with several switch backs. Then we have a ~3-ish mile section of longer rolling hills and descends. Once we cross a bridge, the last section of 3.8 miles is the longest and most steady section of climbing. After everyone made it to the top, we regrouped and headed back down. Whereas it took the campers at least an hour to 75 minutes to get to the turn around at the top, it was a fast and fun ~40 minutes (or less) to return back to the gas station. Several of our campers are still gaining skills and confidence on downhills so we helped them out, especially on the switchbacks and steeper segments. I had a big sigh of relief when everyone made it back to the gas station/SAG stop in one piece. We then headed back for the last 22 miles to conclude all of the biking at camp. The campers finished with ~71 miles in ~4.5 hours of riding (with ~5000+ elevation gain). After the ride, a 2.5 mile loop (with one last big hill because, why not :) + extra so that everyone finished the run together with around 25 minutes of running. 

We are so proud of our campers. They really impressed us. Although this camp was by design, an intentional training overload, our campers would not have been able to safely tolerate this load without all of their consistent, previous training. Camp, like racing, is the fun part where you get to showcase your hard work...most of which is lonely, monotonous and tough because it occurs behind-the-scenes, when no one is watching. 

2021 Trimarni 3-day spring training camp recap

After eight years and 14+ group triathlon camps, we have learned the importance of having a plan B. Whether it's for rain, snow, a cancelled reservation or some other type of unforeseen circumstance, we have learned that things will not always go as planned. Over the years, we have been rather creative with our plan B scenarios. At our group camp in Clermont, FL last year (just before the pandemic took over), we came up with a long bike/run workout for our 20 campers, in place of our scheduled Olympic distance race that got cancelled at the last minute. In April 2019, rain forced us to change up our planned triathlon practice workout for the last day of camp. Instead, our campers had a great group run workout followed by a swim at Furman (with some fun relays). In March of 2018, weather turned our long ride into a morning indoor workout of strength and relays - let's just say that our campers may have enjoyed it a bit too much as there were so many laughs. After the workout, the weather cleared and we were able to get in a chilly afternoon bike followed by a run. I still think back to our very first camp - back when we had no idea what we were doing - and it rained on the first morning of camp. We quickly had to adjust from a swim/bike workout to a swim/run workout.

This camp was no different in that we had to adjust our plans and go with the next best option for a memorable, safe and challenging workout on the first day of camp. 

Here is how the camp experience went for our four campers. 
And a bit of a side note: We have always offered two camps per year for athletes, with both being large group camps of at least 12-20 athletes. However, due to COVID, we have reduced the size of our past few camps to no more than 6 athletes. While we love the big group camps, we have really enjoyed the personalized approach to these smaller camps. Things run much more smoothly and there is more time to work with each camper. Although we won't be getting rid of our bigger group camps, we do feel that smaller camps have their place and can be very valuable for athletes. 


DAY 1 (Wednesday)

• 8:30-9:30am: 1 hour swim (~2500 yards)
• 11am - 1pm: 2-hour indoor workout (Bike/Run/Bike/Run/Bike/Run) - ~60 minutes of cycling (with warm-up) and ~45 minutes of running. 

Day 1 of the Trimarni Greenville 3-day mini camp looked to be a washout but thankfully, a last minute request for the workout rooms at the Aquatic Center was granted and we were able to put together a great workout for our group. We split the athletes into two groups (2 each) so that two athletes would be on the bikes at a time and two athletes would be on the treadmill. Then they would switch. So two athletes did B/R/B/R/B/R and the other two started with running first. I coached the run workouts in the treadmill room and Karel coached the bike workouts in the exercise room. 

After our scheduled 1-hour swim at the Westside Aquatic Center, our campers had a short break before a 2-hour Bike/Run/Bike/Run/Bike/Run workout. There was a specific focus for each bike and each run workout, which worked out to be ~15 minutes of each discipline (x 3) for a great 45 minutes worth of biking and 45 minutes of running. As for the rest of the day, we encouraged our campers to rest as we had two big days planned on Thurs and Friday. Our campers will be nicely exhausted.


DAY 2

• 8:30-9:30am: 1 hour swim workout (~2700 yards)
• 10:30-12pm: ~80 min run workout (~800 feet elevation gain w/ 3 x 3 min hill repeaters)
• 2:30-5pm: 2.5 hour bike workout (~3600 feet elevation gain w/ 3 x 2.5 mile climbs up Paris Mountain. First round normal cadence, second round heavy gear, third round high cadence). 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

We started the day with a 1-hour swim workout. With only four campers, we were able to keep everyone on a similar cycle and also provide individual feedback. After a quick break, it was time for a run workout.
The theme today was STRENGTH. We all met at the Trailblazer parking lot for the run workout. 
After a warmup run (which included a run up the hill that we would be using for the main set), the pre set was 3 rounds of 15, 30, 45 sec hill sprints for neuromuscular firing. Then it was time for the main set. The main set was 3 rounds of 3 min strong run uphill followed by an easy jog down. The focus was to run strong up the hill and then when the hill crested, to maintain that effort over the top of the hill and on to the flat road. We finished the run off with a best easy pace effort. After the 90-min run workout, the campers had a 2 hour break before the last workout of the day.

It was a windy and chilly afternoon but our campers embraced the conditions for their last workout of the day, a ~2.5 hour ride. We warmed up on the country roads before we made our way to Paris Mountain. The main set was 3x up Paris Mountain. Each 2.2 mile climbs up Paris Mountain took around ~18-20 min but each climb had a specific focus: #1: normal cadence. #2: heavy gear. #3: high RPM. Then descend down. Not only did we have an opportunity to spend time with each athlete on the climb but we could also help the athletes with their descending skills. Our friend Alvi also took part in the run and bike workout to help us out. 

After five hours of training today, our campers were nicely tired for their last day of camp.


DAY 3

• 8:30-9:30am: 1 hour swim workout (~3000 yards)
• 11:45am - 2:45pm: 3 hour bike workout (~2400 feet elevation gain w/ a ~5.2 mile TT)
• 3pm - 4:15pm: 75 minute (3 x 2.5 mile loop) run (~500 feet elevation gain)

We started the morning with another 1-hour swim at the Westside Aquatic Center. Typically we only do two back to back swim workouts (with a third swim in the open water for our summer camp) but this time around we had three swims, one each day in the morning. The athletes made a lot of improvements after three consecutive days in the water.

After a 2 hour break, we bundled up for a chilly and windy 3-hour bike. It was really cold to start but our athletes didn't complain. We met at Trailblazer parking lot again and made our way to the Swamp Rabbit Trail before getting on the country roads. Thankfully the weather warmed up to 50 degrees after a super cold start at 40 degrees. We slowly warmed up as we made our way near Jones Gap - thankfully there were plenty of hills to climb and the sun was shinning. Once we arrive to our "loop", we did a recon of the 5.5 mile loop and then the main set was a 5.5 mile time trial on the beautiful course filled with all types of terrain. Our athletes did amazing on the course, showcasing their improved terrain management skills as well as their resilience and endurance after two hard days of training. 

Immediately after the bike....the finale! The last workout of camp was back to the course where we did the hill repeaters on Thursday. The workout was simple - 3 x loops (~2.5 mile per loop) for ~70-min run. With a big hill and lots of wind to tackle with each loop, our campers worked through a lot of emotions and physical struggles during the first loop and found their groove on loop 2 and 3. Let's just say that everyone finished feeling accomplished and satisfied. 

We ended the camp with a pizza party (Pizza from D'Alles) and had a great time laughing, sharing stories and chatting with our athletes before saying good bye. 

There were a lot of hills to climb and weather to negotiate during this camp but our athletes showed tremendous grit, strength and resilience. The conditions were tough and they never complained.
Great athletes and amazing humans!

Total stats over 3 days: 
Swimming: 3 hours, ~8200 yards
Biking: 6.5 hours, ~6000 feet elevation gain
Running: ~3.5 hours, ~1300 feet elevation gain
Total: 13 hours of training

And a big thank you to the companies who supported our training camp!
Run In
Infinit Nutrition
Mg12
PR Lotion 
Breakthrough nutrition 

Skratch Labs 

Trimarni 3-day Endurance camp recap

After wrapping up our 3-day advanced camp on Wednesday late afternoon, we were excited to welcome our next set of campers for the 3-day endurance camp. There was even some overlap at the Swamp Rabbit Inn so that the endurance campers could see the exhaustion - I mean excitement - on their faces as they enjoyed 4 Sidewall Pizzas as a "gift" from Karel and me. 

As for the endurance camp, this group was no less dedicated or determined compared to the advanced group. All seven athletes were prepared to put in some solid work, try new skills and stretch the comfort zone. We had a similar camp structure to the advanced camp with only a few modifications. 

Thursday
AM: 60 min pool swim 
Late morning: 2:30 bike workout followed by a 30 minute run. 

Friday
AM: 70 minute open water swim workout followed by a 60 minute hilly run workout
PM: 2-hour ride

Saturday
2:20-hour bike ride (with a 4.5 mile climb/descend) followed by a 80-min run workout. 

In total, our endurance campers completed just over 2 hours of swimming, almost 7 hours of cycling and almost 3 hours of running. This came out to around 12 hours of training in less than 72 hours. 

The ride/run/swim locations were similar to the advanced camp except for Friday - the PM ride was more skill focused and less hilly than the advanced camp.

With so much to gain at a training camp, here are a few camp lessons that you can apply to your solo training routine: 

• You are so much stronger and more capable than you think you are.
• When in doubt, you can dig deeper and exceed your expectations. 
• Don't forget your "whys" on your tough days or when you have a setback or when life is extremely stressful. 
• To better take care of others, you need to take care of yourself. 
• Be more kind and more patient with yourself - especially given current circumstances of your life. 
• Never stop learning. 
• Don't be afraid to try new things. 
• Be open to change. 
• Enhance your strengths. 
• Never stop working on your weaknesses. 
• Maximize your time spent training but don't forget to stop and enjoy the view. 
• Don't be paralyzed by your fears or the what ifs. 
• Don't be afraid to test yourself and push your mental and physical limits. 
• Provide yourself with a supportive, safe and fun training environment. 
• Surround yourself with energy-givers.

Here are a few pictures from the 3-day endurance training camp (in no particular order): 

Trimarni training camps - adjusting to the new normal

Like much of the world, we never expected a global pandemic to erase our spring and summer plans. And with no end in sight, we are all trying to adjust to a new normal. For the past 6 years, we have held two group training camps - one in the spring and one in mid summer.

Back in March, we finished our spring 4.5 day group training camp in Clermont, Florida just days before the COVID-19 outbreak hit mainstream media. We felt extremely lucky that 20 athletes could take advantage of a safe training environment to stretch the comfort zone, enjoy some warmer temps and to be surrounded by like-minded individuals. There were high-fives, hugs and lots of time in close proximity to one another. Although our planned Olympic distance race was cancelled, our campers left camp feeling accomplished and the camp environment felt very normal.

Fast forward to mid May, we knew that we would not be able to hold our June camp as originally planned. To do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we cancelled our June camp and refunded the athletes who registered. For those who felt comfortable traveling to Greenville and being in a group training environment, we offered the opportunity for our campers to attend a smaller size camp in July and August with a few changes to our normal camp structure (specifically lodging and travel).

Well, time went on and in late June, we once again didn't feel comfortable holding our modified camps in July and August. Once again, we tried to figure out a way to safely hold a training camp while following current CDC and local guidelines.

Karel and I have been diligent about keeping ourselves (and others) safe throughout this pandemic. We've made changes to how Karel does his bike fits, we have declined invites to group events (ex. wedding, birthday celebrations) and we have not traveled (except for my bday trip to a farm in NC) since March. We haven't eaten out at a restaurant since the winter and we haven't visited our beautiful downtown Greenville since Feb. We visit the grocery store and the aquatic center as our typical outings and we have been wearing masks since before they were required in public places. We are trying our best to keep ourselves safe and to keep others safe........I really miss hugs. We have a few training partners that we spend time around but the vibe is always one of worry and fear as to not contract or spread a virus. 

While cancelling our summer camp was an option, we felt like we could responsibly hold a training camp for our athletes. But, we would need to make some changes. More than anything, with a season of cancelled races, we felt like they needed the escape to feel like their training was being validated. With a several new camp guidelines in place and several changes to our camp structure and size, the benefits of attending a group training camp remained the same (even during a pandemic). Knowing how difficult it is to plan anything right now, we decide to hold one week of camps (which occurred last week). 

Here are a few changes that we implemented into our new normal of holding a group training camp: 

• Instead of holding one 4.5 day group training camp of 10-15 athletes, we held two smaller 3-day camps (first camp from Mon-Wed (advanced) had 5 campers and the second camp from Thurs-Sat (endurance) had 7 campers). This allowed for easier physical distancing. 
• We had our local athlete Alvi help us throughout camp instead of bringing our assistant coach Joe (who lives in Florida). Sorry Joe :(
• Instead of holding our camp at the Swamp Rabbit Lodge (where all campers would be sleeping and eating in the same house), our campers stayed in their own rooms at the Swamp Rabbit Inn in Traveler's Rest. We still wanted our campers in the same location to minimizing commuting. The Inn has plenty of space to spread out and a pool to encourage safe socializing. 
• We encouraged our campers to prepare all food in advance to minimize grocery shopping and to discourage eating out. If our campers were to eat out or go out in public spaces, they were required to wear a mask. 
• We held all of our conversations outside before/after workouts and did not hold our typical "group" educational discussions in the evening (which would require being in close proximity of one another). 
• We required masks inside the aquatic center. 
• We had hand sanitzer available anytime we provided foods and drinks. 
• Athletes were not allowed to fly to camp but had to drive. 
• Athletes were required to make good decisions before and during camp to ensure maintaining good health throughout camp. 
• Instead of asking for free sport nutrition products and swag from companies, we purchased products from our local run store (Run In) to give back to the local community. 
• We will be donating 10% of our camp proceeds to three organizations: HarvestHope Food Bank, School Tools and the Greenville Humane Society. 

Although the camp environment felt a little different, the experience remained the same. Our campers left camp knowing that they stretched their comfort zone, tested physical and mental limits, practiced new skills, broke bad habits, trained safely in a group environment and temporarily escaped the normal stressors of life (job stress, life stress, family/kids). 

2020 Trimarni team races + camp schedule

During my competitive swimming years, I loved showing up to swim practice because I knew it was a time to socialize with my friends. When it came to swim meets, the travel and entire swim meet experience was so much fun because I was with so many of my friends (teammates). While I loved being a swimmer, I couldn't imagine spending nearly a decade of my life swimming alone or going to a swim meet with so many unfamiliar faces.

There’s no better feeling than being part of a team. Not every age group triathlete gets to experience this as much of the training (and racing) is done alone or with only a small group of individuals. Within a team, you have continuous support from others, which lifts and elevates your performance to a level that you never thought was possible. Alone, you have to find your own source of motivation. As a triathlete, although you may compete as an individual, there's a lot more to enjoy on race day when you are racing with your teammates.

This is why we have team races at Trimarni.

Deep into my triathlon racing "career" I really missed the team culture. Some of my best memories from competitive swimming were celebrating successes with others but also feeling inspired and motivated when someone perservered through a tough situation. And anytime someone was struggling, there were plenty of hugs to go around. My competitive swimming years taught me that a cheer, pep talk and familiar face can go a long way.

Over the years, the Trimarni team has shared a lot together - on and off the course. Athletes come and go but they always stay part of our Trimarni family. I believe team races bring people together. Racing with your teammates reminds you that you are racing for something bigger than yourself. And no matter the result, your teammates are there to support you, encourage you, consule you and celebrate with you.

As you finalize your 2020 racing schedule, we hope to see you at one of our team races or group camps.

2020 TRIMARNI TEAM RACE / CAMP SCHEDULE 

March 11-15th: Clermont, FL Training camp + Olympic distance race (March 14th).

April 19th: Ironman 70.3 FL

May 17th: Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga

June 7th: Ironman 70.3 Virginia's Blue Ridge

June 24-28th: Greenville, SC Training Camp

July 26th: Ironman Lake Placid

Click HERE to learn more about our training camps. Registration will open soon. 

2019 Trimarni Skills camp - Day 2

Day two of camp started at 9am with a planned 90-minute swim at Furman. Although the campers were a tad tired from day one, everyone was in great spirits. However, nearing 60 minutes of the swim workout, a few campers started coughing. Apparently, the chemicals got out of whack due to a damaged pipe so we had to call the swim workout short. As part of our coaching philosophy, health over performance. We couldn't have our campers risking their health just for 30 more minutes of swimming. Even though the swim workout was cut short, our campers still got in a good morning session of swimming, with a little extra rest before the bike workout. 

After the swim, our campers had time to eat before their brick workout - which would take the remainder of the day. Around 12:45pm we all met at the lodge and discussed the focus of the bike workout, the type of terrain that they would be riding on, the brick run workout and other tips and suggestions for the afternoon session. Our campers were provided fueling suggestions for all the workouts and thanks to many amazing sport nutrition companies (NBS, Clif, Infinit, Carborocket), our campers had plenty of sport nutrition to use throughout camp. We also feel it's important for our campers to try new products at camp to see what works/doesn't work for future training sessions and racing. 

The lodge now has farm animals - which makes for lots of smiles throughout camp!

We divided into two groups (with a coach in each group) to help keep everyone organized so that no one felt too slow (or too fast). It took us about 50 minutes to get to the start of the loop for the bike workout and then it was time to start the workout. 

 

Karel went over the bike workout and then we let our campers go on their own so that everyone could focus on their own effort. Karel, Joe and I were able to spend time with small groups and ride one on one with several of the campers throughout each 4.5 mile loop.

Although the loop only has 3 right turns, we marked the route with pink arrows (Thanks Al for taping the road!) just to make sure no one got lost. This is one of our favorite routes for camps as the course has a little of everything as it relates to changing terrain. There are some longer climbs and fast descends, along with some punchy hills. Most of all, there are some great views of the mountains!

After the bike workout, we made our way back to the lodge, with a quick detour to say hi to "Mr. Llama" (aka Doogie) - who loves it when people stop by to see him. 

After 2.5 hours of riding (and ~3700 feet of elevation gained), it was time for the brick run. The run workout was as follows:

5 min EZ, form focused running
MS: 3x's
3 min strong, 2 min FBRF (fatigue based running form)
Then:
10-15 minutes form focused running

The weather turned out to be amazingly warm, which made for a "hot" brick run for our campers (mid 70's!) on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. We had our campers run back and forth on the same stretch of the trail so that they could support one another and cheer each other on (something you don't get when you train alone).

Our campers did an exceptional job "doing things well" with pacing, terrain management and nutrition. There were no GI issues, bonking, cramping or fatige issues throughout the bike/run session, which made me super happy to see how well our campers were fueling/hydrating.

After a full day of training, our campers were ready for a solid meal and a good night of sleep in route to a "long" bike (and brick run) on Day 3 of camp.

2019 Trimarni Skills camp - Day 1

We are so happy to report that our first camp of 2019 was a big success! Our campers stayed safe, everyone worked amazingly well together, the weather was absolutely perfect, comfort zones were stretched, hills (lots of them) were climbed and our campers left camp with new tools to apply to training and racing.

Although our campers have a lot of fun at camp, we've never had a camper return home, wishing that they would have done more training. With years of experience, we've learned how to provide the perfect mix of education, challenge and fun to remind our campers that the sport of triathlon is a lot of fun, but to improve, you must be willing to try new things and there's always something more to improve upon - which is not always easy (mentally and physically).

With our first official day of camp on Thursday, our 15 campers had the opportunity to loosen out from travel with a 60-minute social spin. There's never an easy ride here in Greenville so our campers still did ~1000 feet of climbing during the "easy" spin. We use this ride as an opportunity to get to know our campers (specifically athletes that we've never met in person or new campers), see their skills and familiarize the athletes with our terrain (which is not easy). This ride also helps campers shake out (or spin out) some nerves for the upcoming training load.

On Thursday morning, we planned a hill focused run workout for our campers. The weather was crisp, in the mid 40's, which made for perfect running weather for our athletes. Karel and I accompanied our athletes on our road bikes as it was easy for us to quickly move through the group to provide feedback and encouragement. We had our running shoes on so it was easy for us to get off our bikes and run with our campers.

Our campers ran to the Furman campus (from the Swamp Rabbit Lodge - camp house) alongside the Swamp Rabbit Trail and then around the lake to the big "hill" on the backside of the lack. After the warm-up, the main set included 4 loops focusing on good uphill and downhill running technique, bounding to activate the posterior chain and reset running (which we call FBRF - Fatigue Based Running Form, the best form you can hold while fatigued). Although a tough workout for day 1 of camp, our campers did incredibly well and really challenged themselves up and down the hill. Everyone worked well together, supporting one another. After the workout, our campers ran back to the lodge. Total run distance was around 7-7.5 miles and nearly 1500 feet elevation gained.

Here are a few pics from the run, thanks to our amazing photographer/SAG Joey:

After the run, our campers had a short break to refuel and recover. We typically pack the day with workouts but there's always time between sessions to optimize recovery with refueling and short rest. Most of the time, our campers get around two hours between sessions for any more, they may get too tired and any less, there's not a lot of time to eat and digest food. Although our campers have the option to stay anywhere they like, most of our campers choose the Swamp Rabbit Lodge, which serves as our camp "house". Although close quarters for everyone, it's a great opportunity to connect with others, share the entire experience together, eat (and split grocery costs) together and it just makes it easy to have a home base for starting/finishing workouts.

Around 11am, it was time for our next session of the day which was a bike workout. With tired legs, we all rode out to the start of our course which provided a nice mix of variable terrain to work on bike handling skills. We had a bit of everything, a tight switchback, long rolling hills, steady climbs, false flats, u-turns and punchy hills. The course was clover shaped so our athletes were able to get familiar with the course and then repeat it a few times on their own. Karel, Joe and I were able to rode individually with every camper to provide one-on-one help. The ride was a little over 2 hours and included about 3700 feet of elevation gain.

Here are a few pics from the bike workout:

Throughout the training sessions, there's always stops for education and questions, so that our campers can combine the learning with the doing. After the ride, our campers had another short break before the afternoon swim session.

At 3pm, our campers met us in front of the PAC in Furman for a discussion on swim technique. The weather was beautiful so we chose to do our educational session outside, under the warm sun. At 3:30pm, it was time for a 90-minute swim. Although our campers "only" covered about 2500-3200 yards during this time, we spent a good chunk of the workout breaking down the phases of the stroke with specific swim drills to emphasize what you should "feel" in the water.

After the swim workout, day one was officially complete of workouts! In the evening, around 7pm, we had a Q&A session with our campers at the lodge and discussed the next days workouts. Campy always enjoys these sessions as he gets plenty of butt rubs from the campers.

Athletes often ask how Karel and I fit in our training during our camps and the answer is, we don't. Camps are mentally and physically exhausting for us so aside from riding with our campers, we don't do any of our own training throughout camp. And that's ok for camps are extremely rewarding for us and we don't mind stepping away from our own training needs for a few days to be 100% attentive and energetic for our campers.

Trimarni Greenville Advanced Endurance Training Camp recap

As a former high school and college competitive swimmer, I had the unique experience of participating in an individual sport that often felt like a team sport. In the sport of swimming, although athletic development is made individually, there comes a point in every swimmers athletic journey when you want to train for something more than yourself. I would always show up to practice with a couple dozen of my teammates. We would laugh together, support one another, eat together and make memories together. These were my people - they "got me." While I always enjoyed training to improve my personal best times and to race the clock, I never felt like I was alone in the lane during a swim meet. In practice, I was always pushed by my teammates to be a better athlete.  When I was having an off day, I was proud of a lane-mate who was feeling strong that day. And at meets, as soon as I was finished racing in my event, I couldn't wait to cheer on a teammate. 

After graduating from college and deciding to pursue endurance sports, I missed having a team. While I didn't mind training alone, I really missed the camaraderie, the support, the passion and the encouragement of having teammates to share this new sport with in training and on race day.

When I turned a coaching hobby into a career over a decade ago, it was very important to me early on that I develop a "team" feel at Trimarni coaching and nutrition. It took many years in the making but I feel we finally developed something incredibly special at Trimarni. Every athlete feels like he/she is part of a team. Near and far, every Trimarni athlete supports, encourages and believes in one another.  While social media can be negative at times, we regularly use social media to connect our athletes to feel more like a team. Knowing that our coaching athletes spread all over the globe, this can be incredibly difficult to maintain this type of "team feel" so we have to be consistent with our words to ensure that every athlete that we coach understands that he/she is part of a team. While this may not work for every triathlete out there, it works extremely well for the athletes on our team.

To keep that team feel, nothing brings together our athletes closer than a training camp. Eating, sleeping, training and relaxing together is the backbone of our training camps. Since almost every triathlete that we coach trains alone (almost 98% of the time) and its rare for us to see our athletes in action, a training camp provides the perfect opportunity for us to get many of our coaching athletes together at one time to train with each other and for us to instruct, educate and motivate while they bond, laugh, have fun and remind themselves why they started this sport in the first place. 

As athletes ourselves, Karel and I understand that it's much easier to go through the motions and emotions of a hard workout when your teammates are giving in just as much effort (or more) as you are. We love sharing these special experiences with our athletes. Because every athlete has a demon inside the head that is trying to make you quit a workout, make excuses to not start a workout and to give up on yourself when the going gets tough, your teammates can help silent that voice to help you prove that you are capable of so much more than you ever thought was possible. As coaches, we want to see our athletes experience those break-through moments when they thought that what was once impossible is possible. We love it when our campers bust through a comfort zone and discover something new - either physical or mental. When someone is cheering you on, giving you a high-five or encouraging you to keep on going, that makes for a special environment that can't be replicated at home when training alone. At the end of the day, we coach our athletes to become the best triathletes that they can be but as a triathlete, you belong to a very special community and we never want our athletes (and campers) to forget that. 

For 4.5 days, we witness 20 campers doing incredible things with the body and mind. We challenged them with tough workouts, we put them through uncomfortable situations, we often surprised them with "one more set" when they thought that were finished with a workout and had nothing left to give and we made sure to create an atmosphere where they could be motivated and inspired each and every day. As much as I wish we could take all the credit, it's always our campers who made the camp so special. Even with a packed Swamp Rabbit Lodge with 19 campers in one house, there was never a complaint and we were constantly surrounded by energy givers (and not energy suckers). While each camper had countless opportunities to showcase strengths and work on individual weaknesses, no athlete felt excluded, too slow or too fast. Everyone was accepted in an ego and judge-free zone.

As time-consuming, exhausting and mentally challenging as it is to put on a triathlon training camp, it's extremely rewarding. The before camp nerves and anticipation, the during camp highs and lows of emotions and energy and the post camp sadness of leaving new (and old) friends combined with a strong enthusiasm to train and race better than ever before - this is what camp is all about.  While our campers always keep us alert and attentive, I couldn't image being a coach and not having these special opportunities to see our athletes in action as they make memories with their teammates at a group training camp. 

Here's a quick recap of the camp:

Wednesday: 
PM: 75 min social spin

Thursday: 
AM: 45 min camper introduction and educational session followed by a 90 min interval swim (Furman)
AM: 90 min track workout (Furman)
PM: 2 hour terrain management/skill focused bike (finishing in the pouring rain and a loud thunder storm)
Evening: Daily reflection with coaches and athletes at the Lodge

Friday: 
AM: 3 hour interval bike workout with a surprise TT at the end
AM: 40-50 min brick run (interval run on a hilly loop)
PM: 90 min skill focused swim
Evening; Daily reflection with coaches and athletes at the Lodge

Saturday: 
AM: 20 min warm-up run (for some of the campers) followed by a ~5.5 hour long endurance ride
AM: 20 min brick run
Evening: Team pizza party followed by coaches feedback on the day/camp

Sunday: 
AM: 1-hour open water swim workout at Lake Jocassee
AM: Quick transition to a 90 min interval run on very hilly terrain at the lake

Total Stats over 4.5 days: 
Hours training: ~20 hours
Swim distance: ~9700 yards
Bike distance: ~195 miles

Bike elevation gained: ~12,800 feet

Run distance: ~25 miles

A huge thank you to our camp SAG/photographer Joey, our swim expert Kristen and our assistant coach Joe for making our camp extra special. 

Trimarni All-Levels Camp - Behind the scenes

Thanks to our amazing camp SAG/photographer Joey, here are some of the behind the scene moments from our camp. In no particular order.....enjoy!!

Trimarni All-Levels Camp - Day 4 recap

The last day of training camp is typically filled with mixed emotions - happiness, exhaustion, satisfaction, sadness, joy. Friendships are formed and the realization that in just one more sleep, it's time to return to normal life. One of the best parts of a triathlon training camp is the escape from every day stressors, responsibilities, excuses and distractions and the ability to focus only on training and doing things well.

The other great part about a training camp is putting yourself into environments that would otherwise feel slightly out of your comfort zone. New terrain, conditions and weather are likely to be experienced at a training camp but with the support and enthusiasm of fellow campers, it's easy to shut off the brain and just get to work with a great attitude.

For our last workout of training camp, we started with a long dynamic warm-up at the camp house/lodge before the start of the run. All of our campers had about 30-minutes to warm-up around the Furman Lake (off the Swamp Rabbit Trail) whereas some campers covered more/less distance than others. However, every camper was given the opportunity to warm up as needed without feeling pressure to run faster/slower than what was comfortable, with coach Karel, assistant coach Joe (on a mountain bike) along with myself running alongside our campers.

Once we arrived to the meet-up point for our main set (back gate of Furman University, close to Roe Ford road), Karel explained the main set which was:
3-4 x .67 mile loops on rolling terrain with each loop covering about 200 feet elevation gain.
90 sec - 2 min rest between each loop

As you can see from the course profile, there's a gradual downhill section before a gradual uphill, which then gets a little steep at the top. Then a downhill, followed by a false flat uphill, finishing with a gradual downhill to finish the loop. There are two turns on the course (not counting the start to each loop). 

Our campers ran a warm-up loop (to make 5 loops total) to understand the terrain. The focus was to start with good form, gradually build the effort on the uphill, finishing with 8-10 strides bounding to activate the posterior chain (hamstring/glute/calf muscles), followed by a quick recovery while running downhill. For the false flat, the focus was to run strong and then carry quick foot speed running downhill to the finish of the loop. This is a perfect course to work on terrain management and also to apply all components of good form running to an undulating course. 

As with all of the past workouts, although some campers are faster/slower than others, everyone gave the same work ethic and nobody felt excluded from the workout. Everyone cheered for one another to keep the positive energy high on the last day of camp. It was very impressive to see our campers work so hard on the last workout of camp but with so many of them racing in the next 2-3 weeks, we could tell they were focused on their racing goals and not willing to give anything short of their best on the last day of camp.

With our 12th group training camp behind us, we are relieved and sad that it is all over with. Karel and I just love putting on training camps, despite them being mentally exhausting and very time-consuming. We gain so much valuable feedback from seeing our athletes/campers in action and it helps us become better coaches. We may be a little bit biased but we feel we have the most amazing team of athletes as everyone is so supportive, kind, enthusiastic and positive.

Thanks for reading along over the past few days of my camp reflections. And that's a wrap of the 2018 All Levels Triathlon Training Camp in Greenville, SC!

We'd like to give a huge thank you to our SAG support and photographer Joey, along with our assistant coach Joe and our friend and superstar swim coach/swimmer Kristen for helping out with our camp. Also to the Swamp Rabbit Lodge for providing the most awesome lodging for our campers (in the most perfection location).

Also, a big thank you to the following companies who provided products for our athletes to use/consume at camp: 

• Amrita - bars
• Base Performance - bars and hydro
• Veronica's Health Crunch
• Mg12 - balm and roll on
• Clif Bar - blocks, Luna Rice bars, gels, hydration, recovery
• Pjuractive - anti-chaffing cream
• Klean - recovery protein, BCAA, hydration
• INFINIT - sport drink
• Carbo Rocket - half evil 333 and hydration

And to Canari for shipping our team kits in time for camp, Furman University for letting us use the pool and track, Sidewall pizza for our Friday camp pizza party, BOCO gear for helping us design the coolest backpacks ever and to Greenville, for providing us with the perfect triathlon playground for our training camps.

Trimarni All-Levels Camp - Day 3 recap

When finalizing the workouts for camp, I become fixated on the weather. Every day I am checking and rechecking the weather to make sure that our campers have the best weather possible for cycling workouts. While we can't control the weather, we can control what workouts we do and when to keep our campers happy and safe.

For day 3 of camp, due to a big chance of rain in the morning, we decided to start the day with a transition clinic - slightly modified as we were indoors so we transitioned without swimming or biking. Although this was more of circuit training than triathlon training, this transition workout was so much fun to watch and all the campers were laughing (with a high heart rate) while transitioning from each circuit station.

Karel and I set up the transition area in the Furman gym so that each athlete had to run and then perform an exercise to simulate swimming, biking or running and still transition equipment similar to a triathlon. So yes, we made our athletes wear goggles and swim caps which made things so much more fun(ny). We added in kicking on the back, kicking on the tummy, medicine ball twists, squat jumps and jumping jacks between each transition to help our athletes simulate the high heart rate that occurs when transitioning between swim to bike and bike and run. Oh and they also had to sprint from wall to wall between those exercises. Our campers broke into small groups for round one of transition practice and then we had everyone go through the transitions in relay style.

After the transition clinic, our campers had a quick break to clean up and grab a pre-ride/run meal/snack before heading out by car to Hotel Domestique (about 20-minutes a way) to start our big brick for the day.

Luckily, the weather held out for us. No rain! However, as the afternoon went on, it did get a little chilly as we rode into North Carolina/Saluda. But we will take cold over cold and wet.

Although our campers were tired to start the bike, they had a very specific bike workout to accomplish in the early part of the long ride. The first part of the ride was a steady ~4 mile climb up the watershed with big gear work. Thus the climb brought the effort to each camper. After descending back down it was time for intervals on a more "flat" road. Thus the purpose of this part of the workout was to make the effort by building the intervals. Our campers had the option of riding 2 or 3.5 hours depending on fitness ability so after we dropped off the 2-hour group at Hotel D, the 3.5 hour group headed back out on the bikes to re-climb the watershed (about 10 miles total), into North Carolina, all the way to Saluda. We turned around in the downtown of Saluda and headed back to Hotel D for run.  Everyone in both groupsdid amazing and stayed mentally tough throughout the entire workout. 

Because of the dropping temps, we gave our 3.5 hour group the option of not running off the bike but it didn't surprise us when all of our campers decided to run off the bike. Now that's some mental toughness!

As always, we have our awesome SAG support (Joey) with us for all of our rides and she made sure our campers had everything they needed (included a few yummy snacks/drinks).

After the conclusion of the brick, our campers went out to dinner in downtown Traveler's Rest to celebrate the conclusion of day 3 of camp and Karel and I got some work done before we finished off the day with a birthday celebration for Kevin (Happy 60th!!) followed by our evening discussion to highlight the accomplishments of each of our campers throughout camp (and athlete/coach Q&A). 

Here's a recap of day 3 of camp:

9am - 10am

• Transition clinic at the Furman Gym
• Individual transitions and then relays

12pm - 4pm

• Endurance ride (2 hours for group 1, 3.5 hours for group 2)
• Workout part 1: Heavy gear work up the Watershed (about 4 miles)
• Workout part 2: 2-3x's: 8 min steady, 6 min strong, 4 min very strong w/ 1 min EZ between
• Workout part 3 (for group 2): Endurance ride to Saluda and back (~90 minutes). Over 3000 elevation gain throughout the ride. 

4-4:30pm

• Brick run - 15-20 minute run at Hotel D. This run included a downhill section followed by a steady uphill, flat section and then another uphill, finishing with a short downhill. Let's just say it had a lot of climbing! 

7:30-8:30pm

• Birthday celebration for Kevin (60th birthday)
  Coach discussion/reflect on day 3 of camp

Here are some pics from day 3 of camp: 

Swimming before T1. You can check out the full transition video on our Facebook page. 

Ready for transition practice!

Transitioning from bike to run with  medicine ball twists in cycling gear. 

Ready to swim! 

Head referee Karel explaining the rules of the mixed-relay. There were a few 5-sec penalties issued but in the end, everyone was a winner. 

Campers getting ready for the start of the Sat brick. This was the only bike workout that our campers had to drive to (about 20-min away). 

Ready to head to the mountains. 

Justine - riding in style. 

All smiles for day 3 of camp. 

Pulling along the group to start round two of the bike workout to Saluda. 

An inside look into what it's like to be a camper at the Swamp Rabbit Lodge. 

Coach Karel hanging in there with only one more day of camp. 

Happy 60th Birthday Kevin!! Welcome to your new age group!