2025 Gravel Skills Camp

This weekend we held our third gravel skills camp in DuPont State Forest. We welcomed former gravel skills campers and a few new faces.

We spent over 11 hours, spread over two days, discussing, demonstrating and applying important bike handling skills for riding off road. 

On Saturday, we met at Fawn Lake parking lot and discussed PSI and puncture repair kits. We then rode out to the airstrip and spent the next two hours discussing and working on specific skills (ex. cornering, descending, stopping, heavy feet/light hands). We took a break for lunch and ate in the parking lot and around 1pm we headed out on our adventure ride through Dupont forest and around Cascade Lakes. It was a beautiful day with warm temperatures in the upper 60s. 

On Sunday we met at Tuxedo park in Zirconia, NC. We started off with a refresher of skills around the lake and then headed out on an 8-mile road ride before hitting the gravel into Dupont. We had a 4 mile steady gravel climb and then did a loop around Fawn Lake. We worked on making a sharp u-turn on rocky gravel at high speed. We then descended down the gravel climb and road back to the park. 

Some of us went to Flat Rock Bakery after camp and enjoyed some delicious food. 

We were so impressed by the campers and we are excited to hear what adventures they have planned with their new and improved skills. 

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A post shared by Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, CSSD (@trimarni)

We've been putting on training camps for the past 11 years and after over 25 group triathlon camps, we have realized how many athletes lack basic bike handling skills. And I can attest as I was one of those athletes! I was one of the many triathletes who were indoor fit with poor bike handling skills.

Can you relate? 
You spent countless hours on the indoor bike trainer (or on familiar roads) and your power is where you want it to be but because you lack basic bike handling skills, you constantly perform below your bike fitness abilities on race day.

🚲You feel uncomfortable approaching or passing athletes.

🚲You waste energy in and out of corners because you are not confident at taking a corner at speed.

🚲You don’t feel confident grabbing or rotating bottles and taking in nutrition.

🚲You get anxiety (panic) when it comes to descending.

🚲You worry about u-turns.

🚲You are constantly afraid of your surroundings and have a fear of crashing.

🚲You don’t know how to safely stop on demand.

🚲You were never taught how to use your gears (outside of the big chainring) for hilly/rolling terrain.

And the list goes on.

These aren’t “racing” skills. These aren’t professional skills. These are basic, fundamental, critical bike handling skills that will keep you safe on the road.

We enjoyed working with our campers at our recent gravel skills camp as they became more aware of the proper bike handling skills needed for a variety of off-road terrain conditions. And the great thing is that they can now ride even better on the road. 

If you are interested in taking your bike fitness to the next level (so you can ride faster, more confident and safer), we are offering two more training camp opportunities for triathletes in 2025.

⭐Early Season Triathlon Camp - April 25-27th (Travelers Rest/Greenville, SC)

⭐Long Distance Triathlon Camp - August 22nd-24th (Travelers Rest/Greenville, SC)

2021 Trimarni Endurance Training Camp - quick recap

 

Every training camp is a different experience. No matter how much planning goes into the camp schedule and routes, we always feel like we are needing to be flexible due to uncertainty. The timing in the season, the campers, the weather.....there is just no way to predict how the camp will unfold. 

But after every camp, we find ourselves saying "that was the best camp." I don't know how it happens but every camp turns out to be the most rewarding, exhausting, memorable and fun experience. 

We planned the timing of this camp to occur two weeks before Ironman Lake Placid. We did this for two reasons. The first reason was to help our athletes break out of their normal training routine and overload the body in a safe, beautiful, challenging environment. With us watching over them, we could also keep our athletes in good health knowing that they were finishing off their Ironman training with a lot of residual fatigue. Secondly, in the case that Ironman Lake Placid was cancelled (we planned this camp back in the winter), we didn't want our athletes to go through another mental let-down and to feel like all of the training would go to waste. If the race was cancelled, we could still give our athletes an Ironman-inspired training camp. 

Thankfully, Ironman Lake Placid is a go and seven of our eleven campers were able to put together a solid 4-day training camp to finish off a one (to two) year journey in route to the Ironman Lake Placid start line. As for the other campers, they will receive a nice boost in fitness, endurance and resilience from the intentional training overload. 

Over four days in Greenville, SC, the campers stretched comfort zones, practiced their race day nutrition, worked through mental challenges, tested their physical limits and kept each other accountable during the low moments. There were laughs, smiles and tears and a lot of hills to climb. This camp was memorable for many reasons but it was extra rewarding to witness how several of our athletes have developed over the past few years. Although we were inspired by the work ethic of every athlete, it's extra special to see how the confidence, endurance, resilience and skills of our returning athletes improve year after year. It makes us so very proud as coaches to see how our athletes develop, as we know long-distance triathlon training is not easy and it comes with a lot of setbacks, obstacles and sacrifices. 

Over four days, our campers accumulated over 17 hours of training. 
~3.5 hours of swimming
~10 hours of biking (~10,000+ feet elevation gain)
~4 hours of running (~3000+ feet elevation gain)

Some workouts came as a physical challenge whereas others were more mental. But our campers kept showing up and they never gave up. There were no excuses, just focus, persistence and grit. Even with a few changes in the tentative schedule due to weather, our athletes never complained. And even on day four - the longest and most challenging bike session - it was as if our campers got stronger as the camp went on and finished the workout with strength and determination. 

As for me and Karel, we are exhausted. Training camps are fun and rewarding but they are very mentally draining for us. The constant worry of their safety while making sure each athlete is receiving the right type of training stress without risking a health issue is very stressful for us and we typically finish camp feeling mentally drained and physically exhausted. We try to keep things simple for our athletes so that all they have to do is show up prepared for each training session. This requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I'm incredibly grateful to those who help us out in our camps. Alvi and Eedee were super helpful and I could not have done it without them. The constant worry of their safety while making sure each athlete is receiving the right type of training stress without risking a health issue is very stressful for us and we typically finish camp feeling mentally drained and physically exhausted. 

Now that our campers are done with camp, it's time for them to let their training marinate as they recover from the intentional training overload. For some, they will soon experience a breakthrough in their training as they continue to train for their upcoming events. For the rest, it's time to sharpen the body and mind for in less than two weeks, it's time to celebrate the journey at the start line of Ironman Lake Placid. 

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). 

Greenville Endurance Triathlon Camp - recap

We recently finished our 13th group training camp. We had triathletes travel to Greenville, SC from all over the U.S. for 4.5 days of swimming, biking and running. The campers left feeling accomplished and exhausted - with new skills, knowledge, memories and friendships.

Although putting on a triathlon training camp for 15 athletes is incredibly time-consuming, stressful and exhausting, it's always a rewarding experience to see how our campers stretch comfort zones, push physical and mental limits and are open to trying new things. Most of all, we feel incredibly lucky that such incredible human beings attend our camp. Every camper is kind, supportive, humble and supportive. While there are times that we want our campers to shine and show-off their strengths, we believe that no camper ever feels too slow or too fast at our camp. It's the perfect mix of learning, working and fun.

The final stats are in and over 4.5 days, our campers accomplished.....

~4 hours of swimming

~12 hours of cycling (~12,000+ elevation feet gained on the bike)
~3.5 hours of running
Total: ~19.5 hours of training!!

This camp would not be possible without the help of our SAG support Joey (and photographer), our on-course support (and giver of positive energy) Al and our amazing assistant coach Joe (who is an expert problem-solver).

Also, a huge thank you to the following Trimarni affiliates who supported our camp with sport nutrition products for our campers to use throughout their intentional training overload: 

Infinit Nutrition
BASE Performance
Breakthrough Nutrition
Skratch Labs
CarboRocket
CLIF Bar

As a sport dietitian, I feel it’s important to align myself with a variety of companies who offer well-formulated sport nutrition drinks. By offering these products to my athletes, they can try out different products, during all types of workouts, and then decide which ones will work the best based on personal experience.

A big thanks to Mg12, AMP performance and Veronica's Health Crunch for supplying products for the camper swag bags!

Here's a quick recap of camp: 

Thursday:
AM: 90 minute OWS-specific pool swim at Furman
AM: 75-minute hill run workout
PM: 3 hour terrain management/heavy gear work bike workout

Friday:

AM: 3 hour terrain management bike + time trial

AM: 30 min brick run (race pacing)
PM: 90 min endurance focused swim + smoothies from Dane at Run In!

Saturday:
AM: 5 hour ride
AM: 30 min interval brick run

PM: Pizza party (Yum Sidewall pizza!)

Sunday:
AM: 1 hour open water swim workout
AM: 90 minute progressive interval hill run

Congrats to our campers for surviving camp!

We can't wait to see you next year!

2018 Trimarni Training Camps - OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MEMORABLE, VALUABLE, EDUCATIONAL AND FUN TRAINING EXPERIENCE WITH EXPERT GUIDANCE?
 YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

We are 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.

                               
Our mission is to provide our campers with an unforgettable camp experience, empowering you to stretch your athletic limits while providing you with a great amount of education and skill focus to help you become a better triathlete. When you participate in a Trimarni camp, we will give you our full attention as we want you to learn new training techniques (and break some old bad habits) to ensure that you can train effectively in your home environment, after your time at camp has concluded.

As you travel to a picturesque training location, surrounded by like-minded triathletes, you will leave your stressful and busy life behind you. We want to take care of everything for you so that all you have to do is book your travel and show-up to camp. Your camp investment will give you the unique opportunity to train in a group format (alongside two experienced coaches and SAG support), while getting great sleep, eating well, fueling smart and receiving a lot of motivation and inspiration from your fellow campers.

We look forward to giving you an unforgettable training experience at a Trimarni training camp.
Take a look at our camps to decide which camp will best fit your needs. If you aren't sure, send us an email and let us help.

$1 of your purchase will go directly to The Greenville Humane Society, which is one of the largest no-kill facilities in the Southeast. Thank you for helping us support our local community to create an environment where all animals are treated with compassion and respect.

All Level Triathlon Camp

Date: March 21st-25th, 2018

For: All Fitness Levels

Where: Greenville, SC

REGISTER HERE

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Advanced Endurance Triathlon Camp

Date: August 8th-12th, 2018

For: Advanced Endurance Triathletes

Where: Greenville, SC

REGISTER HERE

Not sure which camp is right for you or general questions about camp? Send us an email. 

Can you benefit from a group training camp?

Preparing for a triathlon or running event requires a lot of time - often alone time This leaves little time for socializing with others who share the same (crazy) passion with you. Although your spouse/friends may support your training, the enthusiasm at a group camp is often much greater than what you would experience alone. 

While you may be 100% personally invested into your athletic journey right now in your life, you are more likely to stick with your sport when your enjoyment factor is high. Although we all need to embrace the solo grind that is needed for self improvement, your sport allows you to live a active, happy and healthy lifestyle - thus, it's important to find ways to keep that “fun” factor going and you can do that through a training camp. 

When most of your training is done by yourself, it allows you to focus on your own journey. Your training environment becomes very controlled and familiar and you know what to do to deliver yourself to a quality training session. This can also keep you from stepping outside of your comfort zone for anything new becomes uncomfortable. 

Because most athletes have a competitive side (and an ego), training with others can tempt you to compete against others, forcing you to go above and beyond what you are supposed to do. Also, in a group environment, you may find that you are constantly comparing yourself to other people, who may be faster than you. Training solo keeps you in a reality-check and allows you to focus on your form, breathing, nutrition and anything else that will help you on race day.

So why should you participate in a group training camp?

At a training camp, you are paying someone to take care of everything for you - logistics, routes, SAG stops and schedules. You are also paying for education and support. This means that all you have to do is show up and train. What a treat!

Whereas many training camps focus on accumulating miles, we believe in a nice mix of training, education and skill development. Ultimately, our goal at our camps is to help our athletes explore their true physical and mental capabilities. We help them overcome fears and what was once uneasy, becomes familiar and more comfortable. We love stretching comfort zones. Our hope is that when our campers return home, they not only have improved confidence and self-belief but they can apply what they learned at camp to their own training and racing.

Although we have a lot of fun at our camps (there is no shortage of laughs), we spend a lot of time on posture, running form, swim mechanics, terrain management, up and downhill running, bike handling skills, descending, cornering or terrain management – all things that may be new, unfamiliar, uneasy/uncomfortable or rarely practiced. At a training camp, you have the unique experience to apply workouts (in your own controlled/familiar setting) to the open road (or water).

A group camp also brings out the best in you – if you let it. You are less likely to make excuses, you stretch your comfort zone and you give a little bit more than you think you are capable of giving. 

A group training camp also provides you with the opportunity to experience what it is like to train when you are rested (good sleep), fueled (good eating) and present (mentally strong). It is important to us that our campers return to their home environment with a better understanding of how important good sleep, proper fueling, nutrient timing and application of sport nutrition, alongside better mental strength, can assist in improved fitness.  For many athletes, home habits sabotage performance improvements so in a group training environment, campers have the opportunity to explore new strategies for fueling, training and mental strength. Imagine what it would be like to perform with a body that is well rested, well fueled and mentally focused??

Regardless of the camp focus, whether it is solo as a weekend getaway, a private training or in a group, your camp experience should be fun, educational and energizing so that when you return home, you feel excited to apply what you learned at camp.

In our opinion, a training camp is so much more than just adding up training miles. 

A training camp is a big investment, requiring time away from work/family but what you get in return is an inspiring, education, fun, challenging, memorable and life-changing experience where you can stretch your comfort zone, learn, explore new boundaires, push your physical and mental limits and become the athlete that you are capable of being. 

2017 Trimarni camps - now open for registration!

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MEMORABLE, VALUABLE, EDUCATIONAL, Challenging AND FUN TRIATHLON TRAINING EXPERIENCE WITH EXPERT GUIDANCE and athlete support?

 YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

At Trimarni, we are extremely passionate about our 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.



Our mission is to provide our campers with an unforgettable camp experience, empowering you to stretch your athletic limits while providing you with a great amount of education and skill focus to help you become a better triathlete. 



When you participate in a Trimarni camp, we will give you our full attention as we want you to learn new training techniques (and break some old bad habits) to ensure that you can train effectively in your home environment, after your time at camp has concluded.


As you travel to a picturesque training location, surrounded by like-minded triathletes, you will leave your stressful and busy life behind you. 



We want to take care of everything for you so that all you have to do is book your travel and show-up to camp.

Your camp investment will give you the unique opportunity to train in a group format (alongside two experienced coaches and SAG support), while getting great sleep, eating well, fueling smart and receiving a lot of motivation and inspiration from your fellow campers.

Take a look at our camps to decide which camp will best fit your athletic needs.
All camps are open to all triathletes.
You do not have to be a Trimarni coaching athlete to participate in a Trimarni group or private camp.



If you are coached by another coach/coaching company, we would be happy to discuss your needs with your coach, before a group or private Trimarni camp, to ensure the best camp training experience possible to assist in your athletic season development. 

If you aren't sure which camp is right for you, send us an email and let us help.

We look forward to giving you an unforgettable training experience at a 2017 Trimarni group or private training camp.

Be sure to register quickly as several of our camps are over 50% filled at this time.
(Trimarni coaching athletes receive first priority sign-up.)

FIND OUT MORE HERE