The Benefits of a Training Camp

Training camps are a great way to build on your fitness in a more exotic location. should you consider going on a training camp and how can you get the most out of them?

I have been guiding with Andaulucian Cycling Experience for the last 10 years in February / March. I have used this time as my training camp every year to get ready for the race season. Going abroad especially somewhere with better weather is a great way to focus on your training. So should you consider a training camp and how can you get the most out of them?

Where and when should you go?

The benefit of going abroad to a training camp is that you can train in nice weather. Consider the time of year you choose to go away on a training camp. Maybe the best time to go is when the weather at home is at it's worst. In the UK February/March is a cold and wet time of the year, going away to Spain means I can seek out sun and dry weather to train in. However also consider that it might be too hot to train. Andalucia, Spain in July/August can be over 40 degrees.

Also consider the terrain and facilities. Find out if there are local swimming pools or somewhere you can swim open water. For cycling do you want to focus on climbing in the mountains to build your strength and climbing ability? Or do you want somwhere flat where you can train on your triathlon bike setup? You may think that running will always be easy to accomodate but if you are going away to the mountains then it may be hard to find flat terrain. Again consider if you want to practice hilly trail running or need somewhere flat?

Benefits of a training camp

The main benefit of going away to a training camp is that you leave your normal routine of work and life behind, all of your focus can go on training and building your fitness. The term TRAIN - EAT - SLEEP is used to best describe how to approach your training camp. All other stress and distractions are gone so make the most of your time away.

Here are my top tips on how to get the best out of your training camp :

1. Include the little things that are often missed at home. At a training camp you have time to include stretching, using the foam roller, S&C exercises and any other "small gains" you can include each day.

2. Eat healthy and the right amount for the training you are doing. You may want to consider booking accomodation with self catering so you can cook healthy and with the foods you are used to. Also factor into your nutrition the additional training you are doing. You may be doing up to double the amount of training you normally do at home, this will require a big increase in the food you need each day.

3. Do not aim to lose weight. This is an important one that people often get wrong. It may be tempting to aim for weight loss on your training camp, however this is not the correct time to do this. You need to make sure you are eating enough food to fuel your workouts each day and as you are increasing your training you need to be eating more. It can actually be challenging to eat enough food if you are putting in a lot more training. Aim for weight loss when you get back home. Your metabolism will adapt throughout the training camp and when you get back home it will continue to be spiked and burn more fat.

4. Get plenty of sleep. If you are training every day or most days then sleep is very important, this is the time your body needs to recover for the next day. Set an early bed time and stick to it.

5. Make sure you kit is in good working condition. Have your bike serviced before you travel. Buy any kit or equipment before you go if you need it, replace any worn equipment. It may be difficult to find or replace equipiment when you are there, especially if you are staying somewhere remote. Consider taking spare kit with you for your bike such as brake pads, chain, inner tubes, tyre, batteries etc.

6. Know what you are doing each day. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the plan for each day and for the training camp week. You can then plan what food and drink you need to take with you each day and what clothing/equipment you need. Take a look at the weather each day and take the correct clothing for the conditions. Consider that in the mountains you may be hot at lower altitude but once up the top of the mountain you will need additional layers for the descent.

7. Enjoy the experience. Although you are there to train hard and build your fitness, this is also your holiday. Enjoy your time, take pictures, connect with others who you meet and enjoy your evenings. Just make sure that you are ready to go the next day.

8. Continue the good habits when you get back home. The first week you are back home should be a recovery week. All those little things that you had the time to include when away are important. Try to bring back as many of those good habits with you as you can and build them into your routine back at home.

Do your research on training camps, where to go and if you choose a company to go with which one will be best for your needs. Check their reviews and facilities. Contact them to find out if they best meet your requirements.

Training camps are a fantastic way to explore the world, train and cycle in popular and beautiful locations. You can choose to go cycle up the famous climbs from the Tour De France, or train where the professional triathletes train. I have explored Spain, France and Italy with Andalucian Cycling Experience. If you want to find out more about them then check out www.andaluciancyclingexperience.com

Enjoy your next training camp experience.

TRI - COACH - MALC