'25 Early Season Training Camp - behind the scenes

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

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

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

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

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

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

2025 Trimarni Camps - open for registration

As you begin to plan out your 2025 triathlon racing season, we hope to see you at a 2025 Trimarni camp.

We have three different camp experiences for you to choose from.

Since our very first group training camp in Clermont, Florida in March 2014, our focus has remained the same. Our mission is to provide you with an unforgettable camp experience, empowering you to stretch your athletic limits while providing you with a great amount of education and skill focus to help you become a better athlete. When you participate in a Trimarni camp, you will learn new skills and training techniques (and break some old bad habits) to ensure that you can train smarter and race better.

We have the perfect training playground in Greenville, SC and we can't wait to share it with you.

At a Trimarni camp you will leave your stressful and busy life behind you.

Your camp investment will give you the opportunity to train in a group format (alongside two hands-on coaches) while learning a lot. You will eat well, fuel smart and receive a lot of motivation and inspiration from your fellow campers.

You do not have to be a Trimarni coached athlete to attend.

All three camps are open for registration.
Check out our website to learn more about each camp experience.

Gravel Skills


Early Season

Endurance Camp

'24 Early Season Training Camp

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Day 3
2.5 hour ride
40 minute run 

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

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

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

3-day camp stats: 

2.5 hours swimming

7.5 hours cycling (~7000 feet elevation gain)

2:20 running

2023 Trimarni Endurance Camp recap

 

Over 4 days, our campers accumulated: 

• 3.5 hours of swimming (pool and open water)
• Over 10 hours of cycling (and over 9,000 feet elevation gain)
• Around 4 hours of running
• Almost 18 hours of training

As an athlete, you can gain a lot in a group training camp. You discover strengths that you didn't know that you have. You push yourself a lot more than you do when you train alone. You put yourself in new situations and scenarios and you find yourself more willing to stretch your comfort zone.

Day 1

• 90-minute technique focused swim - Camp gives athletes the chance to slow down and focus on the small details. We design our camps so that day 1 is always focused on technique and skills. During this swim, athletes were able to focus on a variety of drills (with pool tools like snorkel, kickboard, fins, paddles, buoy) and then apply each drill to normal swimming. This was helpful to identify which drill(s) were most effective to better (normal) swimming. 
• 80-minute strength based run workout - A common reply after this run workout was "I can't believe how much we ran." The athletes accumulated a lot of elevation and distance in this 80-minute run workout, which included 5 loops of a 1.8 mile rolling hill course. We like to do small loops at our camps so that no one feels too fast or too slow. This allows everyone to focus on their own effort and we can keep everyone close together. We can also provide feedback to each camper and everyone can support one another. The first loop was a recon/warm up that we all ran together and the next 4 loops were strong on the rollers and then reset by the lake. 
• 2-hour bike skills session - We are big proponents of bike handling skills. Most triathletes struggle with basic cycling skills like suddent stopping, cornering, u-turns and standing out of the saddle. Taking time to work on bike handling skills should be a priority on a weekly basis. We consider this "playtime" on the bike. Not only will mastering basic bike skills improve safety when riding outside but it also helps with faster and more confident riding. It's hard to know what to practice (and if you are doing things correctly) if you've never been taught basic bike handling skills. For this session, we helped athletes work through basic skills like suddent stopping, cornering and getting out of the saddle and then we applied those skills to real world conditions. We went to a road that had a turn after a downhill so everyone could practice taking a turn (cornering) at a high speed. We then went to a very steep downhill so athletes could practice their body position while descending. We would never take an athlete on a steep downhill without first teaching basics like sudden braking and body position while descending. Whenever you try a new skill, there can be fears and worries by doing something for the first time. A camp is a great place to try something new when you are surrounded by supportive athletes and coaches. 

Thank you The Feed and Run In for providing swag for our campers. 

Day 2

• 60-minute swim workout - This swim was all about pacing. We started off with a warmup and then prescribed the kickboard tap drill, which helped most of the campers on day 1. Swimming with others can be extremely helpful when it comes to pushing yourself and staying on track. It's easy to get distracted and as a result, you may find yourself adjusting the prescribed set (and time intervals) when you are alone. Plus, when everyone in your lane is doing the same set, everyone keeps one another accountable to the planned workout.
• 3 hour bike + 25 minute run - After a 2 hour break for refueling, we met at North Greenville University around noon for the afternoon session. The bike workout was "aero bar" focused, which is rare for us in Greenville due to our hilly terrain. But we found the perfect 23-mile route of rollers that allowed the campers to complete most of the miles in their aerobars. The first loop was a recon (we split into two groups, Karel leading one group and me leading the other) and then we had everyone ride their own steady effort for ~14 miles and finish with 8 minutes strong. This required focus, pacing, good fueling/hydration and a present mindset. We were thankful to have Kaley, Ruthanne and Meredith at this workout to help keep everyone together (and safe). 
• After the ride it was time for a run with specific intervals. The run course that we selected for the main set wasn't more than a mile but it included a short steep hill, which provided some variety to the terrain. After a 5 min warm-up, we did the main set on the out and back course, which was 4x3 min steady, 2 min reset (20 min main set). It was great to see all the athletes working hard and staying committed to the main set. 
• In the evening, we had our typical camp pizza party with food from D'Als. It was great to chat with our campers in a non-training setting. 

Day 3

4.5 hour ride + 45 minute run 

• Day 3 of camp is always hard for campers as everyone is carrying around a lot of residual fatigue. This is why there is great power of a training camp. When you are part of a group training camp, you continue to show up despite the tiredness and soreness.  We planned 3 "mountain" passes for our long ride, which was ~63-miles. The first climb was the Watershed (7 miles, ~900 feet elevation gain). Then Hogback mountain (4.3 miles, ~1300 feet). The last was Saluda Grade (7.7 miles, ~1300 feet). And with each climb came the opportunity to practice descending. 
  Although this ride didn't have a big amount of miles, this ride had 6000+ feet of elevation gain. For some of our campers, this was the most elevation that they have ever climbed before. Descending was also new and unfamiliar., especially on switchbacks. But everyone arrived with a can-do attitude and showed their mental and physical strength and toughness. There was a lot of teamwork and support and everyone paid attention to keep the group organized and safe. Our sag support Kaley was incredible as she carried the extra nutrition/bottles in the cooler so that athletes could refill along the route at our designated stops. It's easy to train on familiar roads but it can be scary to ride somewhere new. Camp gives you new tools and experiences to make you a more well-rounded athlete. 
• After the ride, we did a long brick run. While we could have prescribed a short run after a hard, long bike, we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity for our athletes to hold one another accountable to running the entire 45 minutes off the bike. Despite tired and sore legs, everyone completed the duration of the run around North Greenville University athletic complex. We let everyone run wherever they wanted so that each person could focus on what they needed to do to find good form and rhythm off the bike. As with all our camps, we always prescribe good fueling/hydration so everyone runs with a hydration pack/belt. 

We dedicated the run to former Trimarni nutrition and coached athlete and team member Sara Bard who lost her courageous battle with cancer in August. Today was her memorial service and we ran a mile in her honor. 

Day 4

• 45-minute open water swim - We really lucked out with great weather throughout camp. The only time it rained was during our open water swim. It was raining when we drove to the lake (and arrived to the lake). Not ideal for a workout. It would have been easy to skip the swim due to the bad weather but camp gives us the excuse to show up even when conditions are not ideal. We kept with a 200 yard course (out and then back) to keep everyone together and the main set was 6 x 200's build 1-3, 4-6. Everyone worked hard during this swim and had a great workout. Open water swimming is a necessary part of being a triathlete but sadly, most triathletes don't swim in the open water enough before race day. Open water swimming can bring on a lot of panic and anxiety so the more experience, the better.
  
  
• 90-minute run. After 3 days of training, athletes were tired. But there was one workout left before the end of camp. We started off with a 40 minute run on a hard packed gravel road around lake summit and then did 4 x 3+ min strong hill repeaters. Originally we were only going to do 3 but camp means that everyone always has a little more in them to do one more interval. This was not an easy run but no one complained and all athletes supported and cheered on one another. 

2023 Trimarni Early Season Tri Camp recap

 

Day 1 Friday: 

8:30-9:30am - Long Course Swim at Westside Aquatic Center (technique and skills) 
11am-12:30pm - Run workout at Furman (hills - strength and posterior chain activation)
2-4:30pm - Tour of Boyd Cycling followed by a bike skills and terrain management discussion 

We have a great group of 10 athletes, with over half first-time Trimarni campers. We love returning campers but we also really enjoy having new ears and eyes to absorb new skills and information. Every Trimarni camper received Amp Human PR lotion (3 packets), Run In socks and a Trimarni water bottle. At the end of camp, every camper received a gift from us. 
We started the morning with an hour long course swim focused on the technique and skills.
After the swim, we had a short break before a late morning run workout. We are passionate about building strong and economical runners off the bike so the run workout included hills, strides, bounding and best EZ pace running.

Our afternoon session was at the Boyd Wheels facility. We had a very informative tour, learning about how the wheels are produced in-house and the great attention to detail to each wheel. We finished off the afternoon with a discussion on bike handling skills and terrain management.

Day 2 Saturday: 

8:30-9:30am - Long Course Swim at Westside (open water focus)
11am-2pm - Bike workout from Travelers Rest (terrain management and skill focus)
2:30-3:15pm - Run workout (pacing, form)

The goal of our early season camp is to help our campers develop and/or fine tune their skills in route to their upcoming early season events. Our morning 1hr long course swim session was entirely focused on open water skills and race day simulation.
During our 3-hr ride, Karel took every camper through specific descending, cornering, u-turn and climbing skills to help with safety and confidence on two wheels. After the sectioning session, the athletes did a 5-mile TT on rolling terrain to put all the skills to good use. Then it was time for a 25-35 min brick run with a bit of spice (long hill). Travelers rest was busy so we enjoyed the vibe as if it was race day. Everyone was amazing and worked really hard and applied all of their new skills to the workouts. 


Day 3 Sunday: 

9:30-11:30am - Run/Bike/Bike/Run/Bike/Run/Bike/Run/Bike/Run at Furman
Transition practice
The inaugural 2023 Trimarni camp duathlon x5.

We know that the majority of triathletes do not practice transitions in training and if they do, it’s never with the high heart rate, nervous and pressure that you feel on race day. For the last workout of our 3-day early season camp, our campers had ten opportunities to practice transitions with a
Run/bike (course recon) bike/run/bike/run/bike/run/bike/run workout.
The bike course was around 2.8 miles and our campers had an opportunity to get their heart rate up on the hills and work on bike handling skills like cornering. For the almost 1-mile run, they had to climb a steep hill before settling into a steady rhythm. Only to do it all over again…and again, and again and again, etc. We also had a designated mount and dismount line.
The workout was over 90 minutes total and the athletes collected almost 15 miles of cycling and 5 miles of running.
I’ll be honest, their transitions were very rusty to start 😵‍💫 with lots of mistakes and fumbles but toward the end, everyone mastered their transitions with confidence. Mission accomplished.
We really enjoyed working with this group of athletes. They learned, applied and worked hard. We had all different levels and everyone felt included and supported.

We'd love to have you at a future Trimarni camp. Here's a video sharing a bit more about our camp. 

Trimarni Clermont Camp - Day 4

The time finally came. The last day of camp. Surprisingly, our campers were a bit giddy and full of energy. Over the past 4.5 days, we never had the TV on and had little discussion of what was going in the outside world. I feel this really helped with the moral of camp as everyone was positive and encouraging - and staying passionate and dedicated to their swim/bike/run workouts.

Our last day of camp started at the Clay trail around 8am. We specifically selected the trail for the Sunday run as we had planned for it to be the day after the race (softer surface = easier on the legs). But since we worked our campers pretty hard on Saturday, everyone enjoyed the run workout on the clay trail.

We gave the campers a specific run workout with varying speeds and it was awesome to see everyone supporting one another. We kept with an out and back segment on the trail so that we could all cheer for one another.

After a dynamic warm-up, we spent 30 minutes warming up (15 min EZ then 15 min good form running) and then got into the main set which was:
1 min strong/1 min smooth
2 min strong/1 min smooth
3 min strong/3 min smooth
4 min strong/4 min smooth
5 min strong/4 min smooth
And then back down the pyramid.

The Clay trail includes some rollers so it was a great workout to keep everyone focused. Once the fog lifted near the end of our warm-up, the sun peeped out and it became rather warm. Our campers were well hydrated and fueled as we always require our athletes/campers to bring fuel/hydration with them when they run (belt/band/backpack).

After the run, we made our way to the NTC for the last workout of the camp. Because we had 30 minutes of free time between the run and our scheduled swim (reserved lanes), I put the campers through a 20 minute strength session - no equipment needed. We were all sweating by the end - just in time for their swim workout.

Although an endurance swim, our campers were extremely tired. But everyone worked hard and there were no complainers or excuses being made.

After the 90-minute swim workout, it was time for the final chat of the camp and the final good byes. It was sad to see everyone go but we were so happy that our camp was a huge success! Friendships were made, memories were created and a lot of fitness was gained over 4.5 days.

Karel and I mustered up some energy for a swim soon after the campers left and it was a struggle to complete the set (the same workout we gave to our campers - ha!). We even modified it because we were so tired.

After the swim, it was time to head back to the resort and before crashing from mental exhaustion, I devoured a few slices of leftover pizza, enjoyed a few handfuls of Cheeze-it's and started the packing from all the camp "stuff" - as well as a big pile of sweaty workout clothes that were in serious need of washing. All that was left in the house was Kathleen and Don and me and Karel. It was a very quiet night and I really missed all of our campers!

Because the public health situation was progressing near the end of camp, our coaching duties were in full effect on Sunday evening through Monday as we had a lot of workout modifications to make (ex. closed pools/gyms) for our athletes. Let's just say that we slept really well after our 9.5 hour drive back home on Monday as we were completely exhausted.

Thanks for following us along throughout camp - I hope it helped you maintain some good motivation with your training/exercise routine during this time. Don't give up on yourself! Change the plan but never change the goals.

We hope to see you at a future Trimarni camp!

Trimarni Clermont Camp: First day

Our first official day of camp started around 7am with a kitchen full of campers. There were a lot of happy and excited faces, fueling for a long day of training. At 8:15am, we carpooled to the National Training Center for the first workout of the day. 

After a dryland mobility session, our campers jumped into the perfectly clear water of the NTC pool to start their 90-minute long course swim workout. 

The workout was a mix of drills (sculling, fist progression and single arm) which then progressed into the main set which was a mix of open-water skills and strength/power. We finished the workout with a "race" - two by two in a lane and every camper finished the workout exhausted and accomplished. It was a great start to the day and the weather was amazing. 

After the athletes were finished, our camp helper/athlete Alvi and I did our own swim workout (2200) while Karel and coach Joe confirmed our bike course for our afternoon workout. 

Yay - outdoor swimming!!

I can't express how amazing it has been to have an in-house cook at the camp house. With nearly 20 campers all staying in one house, it's been so nice to have several kitchens, all stocked with food and a camp menu with all lunch/dinner meals prepared in advance. 

At 1:15pm, we drove a few miles down the road to Lake Louisa State Park for our bike/run workout. It was a very warm afternoon so I instructed all our campers to stay well fueled and hydrated throughout the workout. Thankfully we have a lot of sport nutrition products -from a variety of great companies - for our campers to use throughout camp. 

We selected a 2-mile stretch of road that included a mix of rollers and different wind directions for the workout. While our stretch of road was only 4 miles total (out and back), we spent nearly 2 hours doing specific cadence and effort intervals and no one got bored. The quiet road was perfect for our campers to focus on their efforts and for us coaches to spend time with each camper. 

Did I mention it was hot and sunny?!?!

After the bike, it was time for the run workout. Our campers did a solid run off the bike - which was not easy considering that it was nearing 90 degrees outside. 

We stuck to our schedule and finished the first day of camp at 5pm and dinner was ready by 6pm. We all yummed over tacos and then finished the evening with our daily chat with coaches/campers. 

Trimarni All-Levels Camp - Behind the scenes

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

Trimarni All-Levels Camp - Day 3 recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a recap of day 3 of camp:

9am - 10am

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

12pm - 4pm

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

4-4:30pm

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

7:30-8:30pm

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

Here are some pics from day 3 of camp: 

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

Ready for transition practice!

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

Ready to swim! 

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

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

Ready to head to the mountains. 

Justine - riding in style. 

All smiles for day 3 of camp. 

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

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

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

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

Trimarni All-Levels Camp - Day 2 recap

The energy and enthusiasm was still high on day 2 of camp. Now that our campers had a full day of training behind them, it was time to step things up a notch with more workout specificity and applying the skills that we focused on in day two of camp.

After we let our campers sleep in and get in a good morning meal, the first workout of the day was an endurance swim. We gave them one of those sets that if you see it on your training plan, it's much more "fun" to do with others than alone with your own thoughts.

After the swim, our campers had a little break to refuel and rest before an afternoon brick workout. The bike portion of the brick allowed our campers to work on the end of ranges for cadences with heavy gear work when climbing and high cadence work when descending. While not necessary to force/apply these end of ranges on race day, it's important to train the end of ranges as an available tool in the race day physiological resource tool box.

After the bike, it was time for a run. The run off the bike is one of our favorites and a very specific run. While the early season bricks are focused on finding form while keeping the running off the bike very short (10-15 minutes), now is the time in the season when our athletes need to be able to adjust efforts while running - without chasing a pace. The brick run was very specific to half IM racing and one that we love to use for our athletes in the weeks leading up to a race to "feel" certain race efforts.

After the brick, day 2 of training camp was complete and per tradition, it was time for our pizza party + coaches Q&A. 

Here's a recap of day 2 of camp:

8:45am-9am

• Dynamic warm-up/mobility work
• Coaches discussion on swim workout

9am-10:30am

• Swim workout at Furman University (entire pool reserved for campers)
• Endurance focus swim

2-4pm

• Bike workout applying end of ranges cadence work on a 2.5 mile rolling hill stretch of road (out and back) 
• Smooth ride back to the camp house

4-5pm

• Brick run on Swamp Rabbit Trail (staying on one stretch of road so that campers can pass by one another for support)

6-7:30pm

• Pizza party (coaches treat) from Sidewall Pizza Company
  Coach discussion/reflect on day 2 of camp
• Athlete/Coach Q&A

Here are some pics from day 2 of camp: 

Swim workout for lanes 5-6 (more experienced swimmers)

Workout for lane 4


Workout for lanes 1-3

Snapping a pic/video of our campers in action

Campers in action at the Furman Pool 

Quick stop for a pic. 


Ready for intervals.


Doogie (aka Mr. Llama) loves a visit from a passing-by cyclist. 


Run workout (two options) for off the bike.

Campers finishing off their brick run. Teamwork makes the dreams work!


This way for pizza for Trimarni athletes!

All Trimarni athletes recognize the importance of fueling/hydrating while running and always run with a hydration belt/pack. 

Pizza and salad from Sidewall!

Campy loves the camp pizza party, especially when he food "accidentally" falls into his mouth.

It's time for camp!

When I was young, I loved going to summer camp. I still have so many unforgettable moments from my many camp experiences. As I grew older, my summer camp experiences were replaced by swimming......lots and lots of swimming. There were swim practices, swim meets and even swim camp (aka "hell week"). Regardless if I was attending summer camp to improve my life skills or attending swimming camp to improve my fitness, there are so many benefits of attending a camp:

• 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
• 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". 

Before I start my recap of camp, I'd like to send a HUGE thank you to the following companies who provide products for our campers at the 2018 Trimarni Greenville All-Levels Triathlon training camp.

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

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

2017 Trimarni camps - now open for registration!

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

 YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

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



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



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


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



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

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

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



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

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

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

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

FIND OUT MORE HERE