'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

'24 Gravel Skills Camp Recap

 

On Friday at noon, we welcomed six athletes to Greenwood, SC for a 3-day gravel camp. Our good friend Alvi was also present as he helped us out throughout the weekend.

Gravel riding is not like riding on the road. Sure, you are on a bike that feels similar to a road bike but the skills needed for off road are more similar to mountain biking than road riding.

Friday was a true skills session. We only covered 13 miles in four hours but the campers learned a lot. Heavy feet/light hands, body bike separation, and body position were repeated and ingrained into our campers with many opportunities to practice. We sectioned specific areas of the Southeast Gravel Greenwood course. Prior to the camp, our campers completed a questionnaire so that we could better understand what our campers wanted to work on. Here were their responses:

-Descending
-Riding on loose chunky gravel

-Riding on single track

-Riding in rain and mud
-Cornering 
-Not crashing/falling 
-Riding in a group
-What is rideable vs. not rideable
-Quickly dismounting

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On Saturday, our campers put their new and improved skills to the test at the Southeast Gravel Greenwood Event. We love this race venue and knew it would make for a great race to included in our gravel camp. It rained throughout the night and throughout the race, which made for a very muddy and dirty day of racing. But our campers had their new skill sets to apply to the unfavorable conditions. We are happy to report that all of our campers finished the race (5 completed the 44 mile and 1 completed the 74 mile) and nobody experienced any significant issues during the race (no major crashes or accidents). One of our campers, Leigh-Ann even made it on the podium and placed 7th female overall in the short course!

After we all got cleaned up and scrubbed all the gravel off our bodies, it was time for our pizza party and race discussion. We got pizza for everyone from The Mill House (it was delicious) and we spent some time talking about the race - what went well and areas that still need to be worked on. 

I booked the cutest Airbnb which happened to be on a farm. I never pass up an opportunity to stay close to farm animals. 

On Sunday, we had one last opportunity to work on skills and to get in a bit more off road riding. We met by the Long Cane Horse Trail/Fel Hunt Campground at 9am. It was chilly in the morning (40s) but we warmed up quickly. We rode for 24 miles (~2 hours) and it was a great opportunity to shake off the soreness from the race and to also continue to work on more skills. Because the conditions were different than on Saturday, we had the opportunity to work on a few different features, like peanut butter mud. 

We've been putting on training camps for the past 10 years and over the years, we have realized how many triathletes 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 a lot of anxiety when it comes to descending.

🚲You worry about tight 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 and safer, we are offering three more training camp opportunities for triathletes.

⭐Early Season Triathlon Camp - April 26-28th (Greenville, SC)

⭐Off-Road Triathlon Skills Camp and off-road triathlon - May 3rd-4th (Whitewater Center, NC)

⭐Long Distance Triathlon Camp - July 12-14th (Greenville, SC. Perfect for anyone who has a hilly long distance triathlon on their summer/fall race schedule).

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 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.

What did we learn/do at our MTB clinic/camp?

 

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In early January, I found myself watching a lot of mountain bike skill videos on YouTube. As a complete newbie, I want to learn as much as I can so that I can improve my skills while building confidence and safety. Although I still love triathlon training and racing, I really love bike riding. It was only a matter of time until I added a mountain bike to my collection of bikes.

Karel is much more experienced and skilled than me in mountain biking, there are several skills that he is struggling to learn on his own. And after breaking his hand last May, there are certain obstacles that cause him to tense up (ex. bumps, drops and jumps). Karel has been an exceptional teacher as he has taught me how to go up and down certain rock garden features and how to safely navigate over roots. But since neither of us don't know what we don't know, we felt it would be worth our time, money and energy to invest into a mountain bike clinic. 

In late January, Karel came across Lon from Single Tracks Skills. I reached out to Lon regarding a private camp for me and Karel. Karel participated in his first Xterra triathlon at Oak Mountain in Pelham, Alabama which is the location where Lon holds his group and private camps. Karel was really excited to share the trails with me as I only saw the trails from my feet (I participated in the trail run race). 

Because of our busy schedule (and Lon's high demand for group and private camps), we set the dates of March 14th and 15th for our private skills session. 

When Karel and I arrived to Pelham on Sunday afternoon (13th), we headed right to Oak Mountain. The 5 hour drive went by rather quickly. I was really tired and sore from my morning long run (with hill repeaters) but I was really excited to get out on my mountain bike. I was surprised with my skills as I hadn't been on my mountain bike in two weeks (I'm trying to balance Ironman training and riding off-road) and this was a new trail that I had never scene before. With Karel as my guide, we rode for ~90 minutes and loved every minute of being in the company of all the trees. The trails were very well maintained and each trail had its own special features. I could tell Karel was super happy as he loves riding his mountain bike and it only feels like "play time" for him - never training/work. 

We met Lon at 10am at the South trail parking lot in Oak Mountain (FYI - the entry fee is $5 per person per day). Lon was extremely personable and throughout the entire day, we could tell that he was very invested in us and wanted to help us however he could. I really liked how he would show us a skill, break it down for us, tell us why it was important and then have us practice. He also gave each of us different cues and skill progressions based on our abilities. With Karel being much more advanced than me, Lon did a great job working with each of us - paying attention to and recognizing each of our skill sets. Karel enjoyed seeing me progress and I really loved seeing Karel do things that he didn't think that he could do. Karel's objective from this camp was to improve his skills, speed and terrain awareness so that he can ride faster, stronger and better in his races. Although I want all of that too, I'm not there yet. My focus is on riding "fast" and technical sections better (and safer). I really like mountain biking because it's very similar to swimming - fitness can only take you so far. There are so many skills to learn with specific movement patterns and techniques. Although some people have a natural ability to learn skills quickly, many people get on a mountain bike and get lucky with certain skills.....until they don't. It's very important to me that I learn skills correctly so that when I advance my skills and fitness, I can keep myself safe so I don't get seriously injured. 

Because we purchased Lon's online clinic in February, we had watched most of the videos which allowed us to move quickly through the ground control skills. For the first two hours of our camp, we spent time on a grass field practicing "ground control" skills like body positioning, braking, jumping, hops, pedal drops and turning. As much as we wanted to ride the trails and practice skills there, we found great value in practicing skills in the field. Just before lunch we went to the trails to practice some of the skills that we learned. Immediately I felt so much more confident with higher speed off camber cornering and riding over small obstacles. Karel was learning super quickly and he found himself doing skills he could never do before (like jumping over logs). 

After eating lunch by our car (we brought bagel sandwiches that I made in our Airbnb),  it was time to head out into the trails. 

Although we spent all afternoon on the trails (in perfect sunny 60-degree conditions!), we didn't cover a lot of miles. To get the most out of this camp, Lon would stop us at certain sections of the trail to discuss specific features. "Section training" is something that Karel does with me when we ride. Anytime we come up to a specific trail feature that requires a specific series of skills (or something that scares/worries me), we will stop at that feature and discuss it. Sometimes Karel will help me understand the best "line" to take whereas other times Karel will demonstrate how to go over/around the feature a few times before I try. Sometimes I will succeed and sometimes I won't. But I always try a few times before moving on. 

Lon new the trails so well that we covered so many different features. There were so many teachable moments out on the trail and it was extremely beneficial to be able to spend time on each specific feature. Because Lon's skills are exceptional, Karel found it really helpful to ride behind Lon and to learn directly from him. Lon even played a game with Karel where he would call out when to jump or bump over certain features and Karel would do whatever Lon told him to do. It was truly a "game" for Karel and I think that's why he loves "playing" on his mountain bike. 

Around 4:30pm, we made our way up to "blood rock" which is a series of tricky to maneuver, uneven and jagged rocks (this was also part of the Xterra Oak Mountain bike course). This segment was more for Karel but I learned a lot watching Lon (and Karel). Nearing 6pm, we headed down the mountain on the trails and I felt really confident with my skills. I learned so much after one packed day! Karel and I were exhausted and we couldn't wait to do it again the next day. 

Unfortunately, we only had one nice day of weather. We shorted our next day to two hours and focused on pumping and jumps at the BMX track and then went to the "lightening" trail which was a series of steep bumps and berms. Even though it was a little sketchy due to the light rain (and cold), we spent a good amount of time on two specific jumps where we both practiced jumping. I have a long way to go but it was fun to feel my progress and to feel much more confident on this type of terrain. The nice thing about Oak Mountain is that for every advanced feature, there is also a less advanced feature on the side. To be honest, even though the weather wasn't ideal on Tuesday, it provided a great "real life" scenario of how to ride on wet conditions. Karel and I learned so much about how to ride over roots/rocks and selecting the best line when it's wet/rainy. 

Karel and I drove home on Tues afternoon and left with so much excitement and eagerness to continue to work on our skills. Lucky for us, we have an awesome pump track just a few miles down the road in TR where we can practice our skills. I'm really excited about my next MTB event on March 26th. It's been fun to combine Ironman training with mountain biking but I've never considered us to adhere to "conventional" Ironman training methods. 

If you are new to mountain biking or want to improve your skills, we highly recommend Lon from Single Tracks Skills. He's an exceptional teacher and phenomenal rider...and an all around incredible human. 

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.

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 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). 

How to fuel for a training camp (or train-cation)

Disclaimer: Neither Campy nor I encourage the consumption of alcohol during a training camp.
Truth be told - I don't never drink alcohol. 

Although your racing may be on hold, your training shouldn't stop. More so, you should still feel the need to fuel your inner athlete...which means incorporating big training days, personal challenges or a heavy training week into your training regime.

Better fueling and hydration strategies before/during/after workouts give you better performances and improved health. It’s that simple. With races postponed, there's no better time than now to start (or to continue) designing and fine-tuning your personalized hydration and fueling plan. Event day is not the time to try the latest sport bar or to invent a new homemade sport drink. Instead, use your big training days and personal challenges (ex. virtual or mock races) to figure out the best sport nutrition strategy for your needs.

While the nutrition you consume during workouts is extremely important, your body performs at its best when you put energy into your daily diet. In other words, well-timed daily and exercise hydration practices will help reduce the risk of dehydration and heat illness, minimize early fatigue, improve central nervous functioning, optimize cardiovascular, digestive and thermoregulatory functioning, enhance recovery, protect the immune system, maintain energy levels throughout the day and make for a more enjoyable training session.

To learn more about what and when to eat before and after a training camp, here are four detailed blogs from Kathleen at Eat Love Triathlon (our Trimarni camp chef) who did a wonderful job explaining the meals and snacks that we consumed throughout camp (and why)....not to mention an incredible job keeping us well fueled and nourished!

Camp Day 1
Camp Day 2

Camp Day 3

Camp Day 4

Trimarni Clermont Camp - Day 3

Our campers were able to sleep-in a bit (compared to waking up early for the race - which was cancelled) and the overall energy in the house was positive, uplifting and motivating. Everyone was excited to spend the morning outside, on another beautiful and warm day. Although our race was cancelled, life was not cancelled. One can never plan for the unexpected. Sometimes the best moments are the ones you don't plan for. Trust the magic of the unknown. 

Around 8:15am, we all caravanned to Waterfront Park (just as we did on Friday) and got ready for our long ride. For many of our campers, our planned 4-hour ride was the most they had ridden in a very long time - and for some, it was their longest ride ever! We feel that it's important to not only teach our campers good skills and provide a lot of education at our campers but also put our campers into situations that they may not be able to (or are afraid to) experience alone as we feel every athlete is capable of so much more than they think they are capable of accomplishing. 

We once again broke into our three groups - which included athletes of similar fitness abilities and skills. However, for some athletes we put them in groups where they would be forced to work a little harder than normal - all because we believed in their abilities. Everyone worked so well together and we were constantly impressed with their teamwork and terrain management skills. 

We rode on the same route as Friday (which was the race course) and branched off the course on Sugarloaf Moutain Road. We then descended down Sugarloaf and continued on the ~5 mile Buckhill "loop" which was the course for the main set of the day. 

Alvaro positioned the car on Bruce Hunt road so that campers could exchange bottles from the cooler (already prepared to save time), get a snack/drink if needed and regroup. We gave our campers 90-minutes on the loop to ride as they wished - practicing skills, descending, climbing and terrain management. It was really hot out (upper 80's) so fueling and hydration were key. I had instructed all of our campers how to fuel/hydrate for their 4 hour ride and everyone did a great job.

Joe, Karel and I were able to ride with almost everyone throughout each loop and provide feedback and instruction as to how to best manage the terrain. For some campers, we had them stay on our wheel and we paced them throughout the loop and instructed how to change gears and ride the hills. The group was really attentive and hard working. 

After we regrouped at 12:15pm, we broke into our three groups again and headed back to the race course. I made a quick stop to say hi to a cow - which I thought was friendly but was not too interested in me. I even told him/her that I was a vegetarian but I don't think that mattered. ;) 

To finish off this endurance workout, our campers went for a 40-60 minute run to give them nearly 5 hours of training for the day. 

It was awesome to see how strong everyone looked and many of them knocked down mental and physical barriers. 

Let's just say that we were toasty at the end of the workout and a cold, fizzy, sugary-filled coke hit the spot at the end of a 5 hour workout in early 90 degree temps. 

After the workout we went back to the camp house, recovered with some delicious snacks and smoothies prepared by Kathleen and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon relaxing (although most campers had to pack up their bikes for flying back home the next day).

All is good when Karel can enjoy his ice cream and quarentine himself away from people ;) 

Alvaro and I went to pick up the pizza that we ordered from Flippers (coaches treat for our campers) and needless to say, our campers were ready to eat when we returned home. 

Kathleen made a few salads to go along with our pizza and we all had a wonderful time yumming on the pool deck. 

After dinner, Karel, Joe and I had a chat with our campers and then we did an activity where I had all of the campers write a letter to themselves, answering questions like "what are your long term triathlon goals, why do you do triathlons, what are your strengths and weaknesses, etc." I also had them write mantra's and key words on a notecard to maintain motivation throughout the season. I will be mailing these letters to each camper in June so that they can re-read their letters to keep enthusiasm high throughout the summer. 

After dinner it was time for a group pic (and one with jazz hands to get us ready to practice social distancing). 

It was early to bed as we had one last day of camp to go on Sunday. 

Trimarni Clermont Camp - Day 2

While our scheduled Olympic distance race for Saturday was not yet cancelled, we proceeded with our planned workout for the day. A 2.5 hour ride followed by a 20-30 minute run off the bike. 

The morning started as usual - the coaches were working hard while the athletes were eating, laughing and anticipating the training day ahead. With such a large house/resort, the coaches (and our camp support Alvaro) were tucked away on the far side of the house (with our own kitchen - one of four kitchens in the house!).

After eating our pre-workout meal, it was time to pack up and drive to Waterfront Park to start our brick workout. 

It was a beautiful sunny and warm day which was a pleasant change from our cooler temps and a big shock to our midwest and northern campers. I love the heat so I said bring it! 

For this ride, we broke into three groups based on fitness levels and each of the coaches (Karel, Me and Joe) had a small handful of campers to follow each of us. This also allowed us to be less cluttered on the road and to provide individual feedback to each camper as needed. Alvaro drove the SAG vehicle to our meeting spot and then joined us for some of our ride as we covered one stretch of road for the "main set" of our workout. 

After our campers covered the first part of the bike race course, we turned off the race course onto Sugarload Moutain road and started our main set which included a series of rollers to work on terrain management. After a short time on that road (out and back), it was time to descend down Sugarload Mountain for a time trial up to the top. Surprise - Clermont has lots of hills! 

Karel's group had so much "fun" the first time that they got to ride up it twice. My group and Joe's group only did one TT. And we were so proud of everyone for working so hard all the way to the top. 

Appropriately, the end of the TT course was by the donkeys (which I had to say hello to). 

It was great to see all of our campers supporting and cheering for one another. A few of our campers had never accomplished such a feat so it was great to see comfort zones being stretched. That is what camp is all about - doing things that you won't do or don't know how to do alone. 

After we all regrouped at Waterfront park, it was time for the brick run. We encouraged our campers to focus on good form running and to not think about the upcoming race on Saturday. 

We finished our 3-hour brick workout around 1pm which left us about an hour before registration opened at 2pm (a few blocks away). So our campers recovered with their recovery drinks and we all gathered under a pavillion for a course talk. 

Sadly, just 30-minutes after picking up our packet for the race, the city told Sommer Sports that they could not hold the race due to the current health situation. While a dissapointment, Karel and I had already planned option B in the case of a cancelled race. 

Vegan Baked Blueberry Oatmeal from my book Essential Sports Nutrition.

When we arrived back to the camp house, we had an absolutely amazingly delicious meal prepared by our camp cook Kathleen. What a treat to have her in the house preparing all of our meals. We truly believe that this made such a positive impact on the recovery and energy levels of our campers throughout their 4.5 day camp. 

Kathleen prepared sweet potato cookies, oatmeal bake and had a spread of fresh fruit, veggie burgers, deli meat and cheese, along with an assortment of breads. 

While there are plenty of places to sit and gather in the camp house, somehow I ended up in a kids rocking chair. As the saying goes "If it fits, you sit." 

Since we were unable to do our afternoon open water swim (oh - forgot to mention that on Thursday, the swim for the race was cancelled due to the water conditions so we had two cancellations - the swim and the race!) our campers had a lot of free time to relax and recover from 3pm until bedtime. They took full advantage of it! 

While some of our campers stayed inside, a few of us ventured outside and had some fun on the swan in the lake. 

That was a workout pedaling around this huge swan!!

After a bit of fun in the lake, we walked on the somewhat-sketchy boardwalk to Lake Louisa...which was incredibly beautiful and peaceful. 

Around 6pm, it was time for dinner. We had an assortmet of chilled pastas, chicken (for the meat eaters) and sweet potatoes. 

With happy bellies, it was time for our evening talk with our campers - which occurred every evening of camp around 7pm. 

Each night we went over the day, answered questions, highlighted the accomplishments and feats of some of our campers and turned over the white board (oh the anticipation by our campers) to reveal the workout plan for the next day. Although the original plan was the Olympic distance race followed by a 2-hour endurance ride, we loaded up the morning with a 5 hour brick workout. Catering to the needs of all of our campers, we were excited for each of them to put in some solid training and enjoy the outdoors for most of Saturday. 

After the talk, our campers mingled for a little and then started to make their way to bed around 8-9pm. As for me, let's just say that I was ready for bed soon after our evening talk. 

Hello from Trimarni camp!

We packed up the car on Tuesday morning and hit the road to Jacksonville, FL around noon. To start the morning, Karel went for a swim at Furman and I did a bike/run workout (indoors) to start the day. The furry crew went to their "spring break" camp at Grandmas.

I drove the first 3 hours of the drive as Karel worked on the computer (thank you hot spot!) and then we swapped. For entertainment, we listened to various triathlon related podcasts. We made one stop at Chipotle and funny enough, Karel and I both got the same dish - a salad bowl w/ rice, beans, veggies and tofu. Yum yum.

We arrived to our friends house in Jax around 6pm and I was quickly greeted with lots of sloppy kisses from sweet Reagan. 

After a delicious dinner prepared by Erica, I got to hang out with Erica and Joe's cute son Weston for a little and then it was off to bed. 

On Wednesday morning, we left around 7:30am for a 2.5 hour drive to Clermont, Florida. Joe, our assistant coach (who also let us stay at his house to break up our trip) lead the way and we followed in our car. When we arrived, we went straight to the NTC for a 3000 yard swim workout. Since our training is pushed to the side during our camp to attend to the needs of our campers, it was nice to get in a solid swim - while enjoying the warm weather.

After the swim, we drove 20 minutes to our camp house "resort" and for the next 3 hours, I was on "party planner" mode, getting the house ready for the campers. 

So much sport nutrition!!

Awesome Trimarni camp swag bags!!

Our 20 campers started to roll in between 2-4:30 and at 5pm (after a brief camp intro) we headed out for a 1-hour social spin. 

We are so grateful that Kathleen is here to cook for our campers. Not only did she do all the grocery shopping (and keeping our kitchens stocked with food) but she is preparing all of our meals. 

In the evening, we had our formal camp introduction and went over the Thursday camp schedule - which will include a full day of training. 

It's camp week!!

While you may have an important triathlon race on your schedule, motivation is sure to ebb and flow throughout the year. Although it's not easy being an athlete, you are more likely to enjoy your training when your enjoyment factor is high. Sure, we need to embrace the solo grind that is needed for self improvement, but let's not forget that your sport also allows you to live a active, happy and healthy lifestyle - thus, it's important to find ways to keep sport fun. 

I can't believe that this will be our 14th group training camp! Over the years, we have learned a lot and have met so many inspiring athletes and human beings. Whereas many training camps focus on accumulating miles, we believe in a nice mix of training, fun, education and skill development. And at our upcoming camp in Clermont, we are even including an Olympic distance race as part of our camp experience!

Ultimately, our goal at each Trimarni camp 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 education - never ever stop learning. 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.

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.

If you are considering participating in a group training camp, here are a few things you can expect to gain/receive:

• Trying new things
• Stepping out of the comfort zone
• Discovering new strengths
• Building friendships
• Discovering the value of hard work
• Learning to take healthy risks
• Constructive feedback
• Setting goals
• Being responsible
• Being attentive
• Teamwork
• Learning
• Improving decision making skills
• Overcoming obstacles

Every time we plan a triathlon training camp, we look forward to providing our campers with all the benefits of a training camp, like improving fitness, learning new skills, breaking bad habits and making training fun, but also providing our athletes/campers with the opportunity to escape the day-to-day responsibilities, stressors, distractions and excuses so that they can put all energy, time and focus into training. By creating good habits at camp, there's a great chance that our campers/athletes will bring those habits back home to their familiar environment in order to make better, faster and bigger gains in fitness while keeping the body in good health. And above all, we want our athletes/campers to enjoy this sport for many years to come so we hope that our training camps remind our campers/athletes how much fun the sport of triathlon can be and why all that solo training is "worth it".

What does our winter training look like?

We have been spoiled by incredible weather lately. For the past week we have enjoyed tempertures in the 60's for our highs! Although a few rain showers to navigate through, our "winter" training has been more like spring training. 

Nearing the end of our second month of our 2020 training, much of our training lately has been focused on strength, resilience, endurance and neuromuscular firing. Although many of the sessions are intense, this is only because they stress different physiological systems. There's no "speed" work as it's just way too early to be focusing on getting faster. More so, without a solid foundation of strength, it's difficult to adapt properly to intensity and volume. Seeing that it's only the end of December, it's important to keep everything in perspective when it comes to training. I feel strong, healthy and resilient but not fast or fit. I have training sessions when I feel fresh and energetic but most of the time, I'm carrying around a bit of fatigue from one training session to the next. A carefully designed training plan has the right mix of recovery and training to safely adapt to training stress while maintaining consistency with training. This is the tough part of the year when you just have to embrace the grind - no matter the weather or how you feel, you have to show up and just give your best for the day. 

I've really enjoyed feeling challenged lately and I welcome each training session as an opportunity to explore my abilities. Some workouts are physically challenging and some are mentally tough. As I mentioned before, no workout is too hard or too long but in the big picture of the season, I am still building fitness and adapting to different training stressors. However, the theme for the training right now is strength and neuromuscular firing.

Here are a few of my recent training sessions from this past week (delicious scones and croissants may have been consumed after the Thurs pool training session): 

Tues trainer bike (2:10): 

WU:
10 min + 5 min + 5 min (starting at Z1 and finishing at upper Z2) 

MS: 2 rounds

3 x (3 min Z3, 1 min Z4+ and 100+ rpm, 1 min EZ) 

4 x ( 2 min Z4+ and 100+ rpm, 1 min EZ) 

---

13 min sweet spot choice cadence

---

5 min EZ spin 

Repeat MS one more time

PS: 

Power descending intervals:

1 min Very Strong Z5

2 min Strong Z4+

3 min Strong Z4

3 min Moderate Z3

CD: 

8 min Z1/Z2

3 min Z1

Followed by a 38 minute hilly run - all smooth and form focused. 

Thurs AM swim (4700)

WU:
500 warm-up

MS:
4x400
#1-2: Snorkel, band, buoy.
#3: Buoy, band
#4: Paddles
All w/ 20 sec rest
---
4x300 no toys, descend 1 - 4
All w/ 15 sec rest
---
4x200 w/ buoy, paddles,
descend 1 - 4
All w/ 10 sec rest
---
4x100 no toys
All best effort w/ 30 sec rest!
---
CD as needed

Yumming over this delicious potato, lentil and vegetable coconut curry stew that we enjoyed on Thursday evening.

Wed AM run (1:35)
The first half on rolling hills, then on the flat trail). 
WU:
45 min best EZ pace (walks as needed)

MS:
4 x (30 sec fast / 90 sec EZ )
---
4 x (2.5 min uptempo (Z3+) w/ 30 sec EZ jog/walk)

PS:
15 min top end of aerobic range (Z2/Z3)
---
15 min best EZ pace

We have been trying to get as much sleep as possible, which is about 8-9.5 hours a night. 

On Thursday evening, our athlete Ericka made the long drive down to us from up North to spend three days training with us. Ericka is a super strong and fast athlete and we have enjoyed coaching her over the past few years - seeing her develop her skills, push her boundaries and get more in-tune with her amazing body. Although we called this a mini training camp, we didn't do anything extreme for this phase of the season. It was a great mix of strength and endurance with a bit of neuromuscular firing to keep the brain communicating with the nerves/muscles. 

Campy LOVES when Ericka is in town. Ericka has special dietary needs (no gluten, diary, eggs) but Campy doesn't complain as she always shares her food with him. 

This is how I like to fuel up for a long ride - semi-homemade pizza (fresh store-bought pizza dough). One pizza was veggies and marinara and cheese and the other was kale pesto (vegan) with mozarella. I served my pizza with tempeh for protein.

The mini training camp was as follows:
Friday AM
~1 hour run (I did a treadmill run + weighted vest hill walking and Ericka and Karel ran outside on the hills)

Friday mid day
4000 yard swim - a mix of 100's on a tight interval and smooth swimming w/ buoy and paddles between.

Friday late afternoon 
2 hour endurance ride
(I have been riding my road bike outside since October as my Ventum just received a new paint job and I can't wait to get it back out on the road!)

Saturday AM
4:15 ride - including the Saluda Grade and Green River cove loop with a million switchbacks and lots of climbing/descending). ~6000 feet of elevation gain.
20 min brick run

Sunday AM
~1:25 run (in the rain) w/ a main set of powerful hill running (2 rounds of 15/30/45 sec) followed by a steady run around lake Furman ~10 min) and then one more set of hill running and a steady run around the lake. ~15 min warm-up and cool down.

Sunday afternoon 
3200 yard swim - upper body strength work swim (lots of band and paddle work)

Although it was a solid week of training, no one workout destroyed me. Each day I found myself craving a bit more and wondering what my body could do the next day. Plus, it's always fun to train with others - especially when each person has his/her own strengths/weaknesess. 

Here are some pics from our weekend ride and run. 

Thank you body for being so awesome! 

If you are interested in our style of training, we have updated all of our training plans for 2020!!
All of our training plans are now available on our website.

CHECK OUT OUR TRAINING PLANS HERE.

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!

Private Camper Diane - bike terrain management

Last week we had the pleasure of spending three packed days with our athlete Diane. Coming from Chicago, Diane was thrilled to ride outside. We made sure to give her plenty of time outside on two wheels with three long rides (3 hours, 2.5 hours and 3.5 hours). We have been coaching Diane for over a year and we've seen her develop into a very competitive age-group triathlete (50-54 age group). As a very experienced long-distance triathlete - having completed ten Ironman distance triathlons - we know Diane is a hard-working triathlete. She's motivated and determined. Therefore, we don't need her to train any harder or longer. Instead, she's at the point in her triathlon journey where we just need her to train and race smarter. While we were able to have a big breakthrough in her swimming over her 3-day training camp, we spent the majority of her camp on terrain management and riding skills.

Here are a few pictures from Diane's 3-day private camp. 

Many triathletes have great cycling fitness from indoor riding but when it comes to riding outside, many triathletes fail to transfer that fitness to real world conditions. Even if a triathlete does ride outside, the environment is typically controllable and familiar. It isn't until the athlete arrives to a new or unfamiliar race course and lack of proper bike handling skills often increase anxiety, stress or lack of confidence.

Knowing how to manage any type of terrain is critical when it comes to showcasing your physical abilities. More so, the better you manage the terrain on your bike, the better you'll run off the bike. 

In a world of gadget obsession and virtual indoor riding, it's becoming much more common that triathletes are lacking (or losing) the skills to confidently, safely and efficiently ride outside. Realizing that many triathletes don't have access to safe roads, being confined to the indoors can come at a cost when it comes to knowing how to properly ride your bike outside.

When Karel was young, he road his bike every day. He had no power meter or GPS watch or HR monitor. He learned how to ride his bike on different terrains and in different weather conditions. He gained valuable bike handling skills at a very young age and today, those skills are second nature. When he's on his bike, he is one with his bike. 

Most triathletes didn't grow up riding and racing bikes - particularly in the US. In turn, the bike becomes an expensive piece of equipment that is not well-utilized when taken outside. You need to know how to interact with your bicycle, change your gears, navigate the terrain and be very comfortable on two wheels in order to get the most out of this pricey-ticket item.

Lucky for us, we live in an area that has very challenging (yet beautiful) terrain. Greenville has every type of terrain (except flat) to practice bike handling skills. We like to call our terrain "punchy."
For example, here are the elevation files from our three rides with Diane. 

3632 feet elevation gained

2300 feet elevation gained

4780 feet elevation gained

Cycling outside can be scary depending on where you live. But to improve your cycling skills, you need to ride outside. Seeing that every triathlon is outside, gaining the most basic skills of learning how to get out of the saddle, descending, shifting your weight when corning, changing your gears and drinking/fueling while riding can boost your confidence, improve your safety and improve your joy for cycling. Most of all, your hard work from training will noticeably pay off on race day. 

Happy riding!

Recovering from a training camp

A training camp sounds like an awesome experience....and it is!! But it's important to consider the purpose of your training camp in the context of your season so you benefit positively from the camp training.

At our recent Trimarni advanced endurance camp in Greenville, the majority of our campers were training for an Ironman event in the next 4-8 weeks. With months of accumulated training behind them and a lot of resilience and strength, we gently overloaded them with intensity and duration but nothing that would risk injury, burnout, sickness or a health issue. We carefully stretched comfort zones but strictly enforced proper nutrition before and after every workout, sport nutrition usage during all workouts and adequate rest and recovery between sessions. Each workout was planned with the mentality that we will challenge but not break our athletes. We had no issues occur at camp in terms of injury, GI issues or bonking and many of our campers felt stronger as the camp went on.

Having said this, not every camp has the same focus but every camp should be taken seriously for what you do in the days after the camp may make or break your season. Interestingly, many athletes can feel strong during camp and then in the 24-72 hours post camp, they feel weak, run-down, sick and depleted. This isn't unlike what is felt after an Ironman. While it's expected to feel exhausted for a few days after a training camp, it's not normal to feel like you can't get back into training later on in the week. Although each athlete is different, there are risks to participating in a training camp and one of those is not being able to bounce back into structured training.....which kinda defeats the purpose of a training camp - to boost fitness.

Despite feeling superhuman during camp (not to mention enjoying the stress-free atmosphere without work, kids, laundry, commuting and other daily to-do's), most athletes are eager to get back into training way too soon which places extra fatigue on an already fatigued body. Considering that the heart, brain and other organs experience just as much stress as the muscles, tendons and bones, it is important to respect the body in the 24-72 hours and focus on recovery before trying to get fitter, faster and stronger. You must recover first for the magic of camp to take in effect.

Having said this - recovery does not mean laying around, staying up late watching Netflix, drinking beer/wine and indulging on fast food. Exercise does a body good when you can move blood and loosen out stiff joints. However, working out when sleep deprived, run down and exhausted and in an underfueled state does you no good - no matter how "easy" you take it. Sleep and nutrition should be top priorities in assisting in the recovery post camp and should come before any training session. If you can't get a good night of sleep or eat well, don't make yourself train. Get these lifestyle habits dialed in before easing yourself back into training for the sooner you get your diet and sleep schedule back on track, the sooner you'll be able to stay consistent with your training.  And above all, be an active participant during every workout by listening to your body to ensure that you are actually recovering your body and not overworking it.

Although it's important to rest and recover the body and mind after a training camp, it's not always that simple. It's hard to rest a body that is extremely sore, depleted and tired - just ask any Ironman athlete who experiences post-race insomnia. This is why you really need to give your body time to recover and not "train" - but instead exercise with flexibility and attentiveness until your sleep, diet, GI tract, mindset and body return to good health again. You may struggle with motivation, tightness in the chest, fatigue, sleep issues, stiff joints and even question how in the heck did you put together so many great workouts throughout your training camp? This is all normal and expected so the more strenuous your training camp, the more cautious you need to be with your return to training.

Remember, consistency is the key to athletic excellence on race day. What you do on a daily basis matters more than what you can accomplish (or check-off) over the weekend or during a training camp. Be patient with your body and respect it, especially if it's not recovering as quickly as you'd like after a training camp. When you begin to feel healthy and normal again in the mind and body, that is a sign that you are almost ready to ease yourself back into structured training.

Listening to your body doesn't make you weak. It makes you a smart athlete who knows how to avoid injury, fatigue, burnout and sickness in order to prioritize health over training miles/hours. In the big picture, you'll accomplish far more than the athlete who is injured or sick from trying to get back to training too soon.

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!!