TRAINING CAMP TIPS.
Do things differently during a training camp.
Training camps can make or break your fitness levels for the whole year! You should not come back exhausted and need to have 2 weeks off from fatigue nor should you end up being ill or injured.
MOST IMPORTANT TIP
Do things that you cannot during a normal working week including getting more REST & SLEEP.
ADDRESS – make sure you always carry a map and the contact details of where you are staying (business card -hotel brochure etc) that way if you get lost you can show someone where you need to go, vital if you do not speak the local language! Almost every camp I have been on athletes get lost on the first few days and end up dehydrated and hungry that catches up with them in the preceding days that will eventually ruin the rest of their training camp objectives.
BACK-TO-BACK SESSIONS-Swim to Bike at least once. Take a longer break half way through a session (café stop) as your body starts to recover you resume training again and can have limited energy stores. Long steady bike 4-6 hours, within 5 minutes start running steady for 10-20 minutes. Do not underestimate theses sessions they can be very demanding.
BENEIFT – to get the most from your training camp you need to reduce your training volume when you return home to absorb then recover and remain healthy and injury free.
DIARY-Keep a diary and pencil in what you hope to achieve in distance or timed efforts plus recovery time. Make sure that all that spare available time is not wasted. That does not mean all day training. Aim to get a good balance of training relaxing stretching talking and learning from others and sleeping.
EATING-Do not be tempted to over eat while on a training camp you could end up coming back with a higher fat content. Eat different foods for variety and goodness. See if you benefit from a change of nutrition. Is your skin looking healthier? Our skin can mirror what is going on inside if you develop spots or other problems then you could be lacking certain nutriments.
EVALUATE – Monitor yourself during a training camp. Make a note of your feel good factors. How do you feel out of 10, 1 being depressed 10 being happy, excited and rearing to go! Look for mood trends towards continual fatigue.
How much out of 10 are you tired each day? Do you get more tired as the time goes on? I.e. First day rested but been busy due to travelling etc you gave yourself a 2/10 on the first day and by day 5 are a 7/10 and getting more tired. Time to back off and go with an easier group.
What affect on your morning resting heart rate is because of your training? If getting more sleep you may find you resting Heart rate drops a few beats so a HR that is the same may be a sign of fatigue.
Watch for signs that your HR does not rise by a few beats per day as this is a sure sign of fatigue or you are becoming ill. It is common to be ill in the first 2-4 days because of the stress involved in the build up with work etc the extra training causes you to be more susceptible noticing what wrong in time can avoid becoming sick and not being able to anything.
Mood and happiness, is your well being dropping or declines rapidly after a long day of training? Do you struggle more each day to get out of bed?
Hungry – If you cannot satisfy your hunger needs no matter what you eat this is major signal to back off as you are confusing fatigue with hunger!
FLYING Try to go into any flight slightly rested, if your immune system is low you are more likely to pick up an infection on the plane due to the recycled air. The last thing you want is to get ill when you arrive or when you get back home, all that training time could be wasted.
GROUP TRAINING – rarely do the athletes that do every session benefit from a training camp unless they were able to go easy. Usually only one or two talented athletes gain while the rest are extending themselves in each and every daily session. Be clever and move around in different ability groups. Go with an easy group one day but make sure you do not disrupt their training by forcing the pace. A good time is to do this the day before a long training day so you get more benefit by being less fatigued and are able to keep good form in endurance session. Keeping good economy of movement for longer improves performance.
HOLD BACK – don’t train hard every day like your life depended on it, that’s not the purpose of a training camp.
INTENSITY – If you plan on doing more volume when away on a training camp make sure you will be doing no more than the same intensity as normal. If you normally do one hour of hard training a week then make sure you do not double this because you are increasing your training by twice or three times as much. Your emphasis is on volume and recovery while away. Increasing both intensity and volume at the same will result illness and no improvement in fitness.
INFORMATION-Make sure you know where you are staying and always carry a map. You are more likely to get lost in the first few days. Getting lost without food will have a detrimental impact on your recovery rate can make you tired for the rest of the week. If you have a map & the address details, these can be especially important in a foreign speaking country. Showing someone your address can help being pointed in the right direction.
KIT – make sure you get your clothing ready for the next session – next so you do not end up forgetting something. Always use protection cycling mitts, riding in unfamiliar groups on the opposite side of the road will always end in an accident during every training camp.
MASSAGE – have a relaxing massage at any opportunity before during and after your training camp you have deserved it.
MONITOR – think about how you feel during each session with others do you get stronger or weaker. You should be able to learn a lot of how your fitness levels are. No two training camps will be the same, our fitness levels are continually changing throughout each season and our careers.
OBJECTIVES – have a plan of what you want to achieve during your training camp. Your longest session, biggest volume week, more consistency etc. Aiming to tick every box will result in you not being specific. We are all individuals and have different abilities and ambitions. Each year we need to build up our fitness, it’s a balance between speed strength & endurance while remaining injury free.
OPEN WATER SWIMMING – get to complete some early season open water swim sessions. If the water is cool great stand in it after training sessions for 5-15 minutes to reduce inflammation and speed up recovery.
PLANNING YOUR TRAINING -Try and find out a month before you go what the daily training schedule that has been planned so you can be physically and mentally prepared. To improve you need to progress and be ready. Doing the same type of training at home then on a training camp will not stimulate you will not create a training benefit.
PROEFSSIONAL TRIATHLETE – train well and absorb those work outs by sleeping like a king while you are a full time athlete during your training camp.
SPORTS NUTRITION – on each cycle ride aim to carry enough food plus one extra bar. Don’t worry if you bring back a bar with you each day, the very day you need it eat it you will recover so much better. Avoid getting tired from hunger at all times otherwise you will have problem training in the next 2 days.
STRESS - don’t worry if you cannot train in the few days prior to your training camp due to outside factors.
STRETCH-Stretch more as fatigued muscles generally shorten.
If training with a slower athlete makes things more difficult for you, ride in a very easy gear at a high cadence and try and keep up good from high cadence riding. Ride with more emphasis on one leg.
Train hard first on your own, either a hilly or interval session before going out with slower training buddies. This will have the desired effect of making these your group training much harder.
SLEEP-Try and get a little more sleep without extra recovery you could end up ill or injured, even a mid afternoon power nap will make all the difference.
SWIM-Try and swim every day to give your swimming a boost, no need to swim for 60 minutes each day, go for regular swim to gain the feel, this will put you in good stead for the next 6 weeks so it is worth putting in daily sessions. Why not try 2 shorter sessions a day.
Tight back DO NOT SWIM with a pull buoy. This makes your back tighter. Use the swim bungee cord and try different stokes patterns straight pull back and figure of 8 see what suits you.
VARIETY- Train in different groups for variety different training intensity and mental stimulation. In an easier group work on being more relaxed, faster cadence or leg turnover improved technique and clock work nutrition.
VOLUME. - A training camp can be great for training with others daily. Avoid the volume trap as this only fills up your day and training diary (if you have time to keep one!) Most endurance athletes train too much.
GOOD HEALTH
10 HYGENIC DRINKS BOTTLE TIPS
Water, carbohydrate drinks, sugars, heat and salvia all help germs spread rapidly.
These germs can make you sick for many days and keep you from training racing and working.
Ironmate Top tips.
1. Wash all new water bottles thoroughly before their first use not just cold plain water. This will remove the plastic taste smell and make them safer to use. It has been known to find bacteria in the mouthpiece of brand new shop bought cycle bottles.
2. Use light coloured bottles, black or dark bottles will hide any sign of bacteria inside, cleaning with boiling hot water will not always make them hygienic because when you add more fluid and drink it you could be swallowing dead germs or newly formed bacteria. Use a brush to clean them physically inside and out.
3. Put empty cycle bottles into boiling water if they will be standing around for a few hours before turning on the dishwasher. This is a good way to clean your bottles make sure you remove the top and open the mouth piece otherwise this prime spot for bacteria to thrive could still be there when you fill up your clean bottle later. Normally this will make your bottles safe to use afterwards.
4. After each use empty the contents and wash in a bowl of clean hot dishwater with 4-6 tablespoons of bleach. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
5. Training camps are the biggest risks to falling ill to from reused cycling bottles. Being used day in day out topped up not cleaned thoroughly continually drinking from the same harboured germ bottle is asking for trouble. Best to take new ones and change after a few days. They weigh very little when packing and can make all the difference. If the training camp issues new bottles put your name on them otherwise you could be using someone else bottles.
6. Putting half empty or unused cycle bottles in the fridge can transfer bacteria from the outside to the bottles to your fridge. Dead flies worms etc can be transferred. The cold of the fridge will not kill bacteria it just slows them down
7. If you use two different coloured bottles this can be helpful for the following reasons, one may have plain water the other may have electrolyte or carbohydrate. On a long ride you may need to stop and refill an empty bottle with plain water. This helps you tell the difference.
8. Change your cycle bottles every 4-8 weeks. The rule of thumb is if they look dirty on the outside they will be hidden dangers on the inside. Cycle drinks bottles are the ideal place for bacteria and germs to thrive.
9 Never share a drinks bottle we are immune to our own bugs and can easily pick up something from others especially after a hard work out when our immune defences are at their lowest.
10. Some training camps give you free identical sports drinks bottles, so mark your drinks bottle with your name or use tape or a rubber band to easily recognise and avoid yours getting mixed up with others. You can buy sterilising tablets such as bottle cleaner. Hot boiling water can help but to be safe use Tri sodium phosphate sterilizing tablets (available from Science in Sport http://www.scienceinsport.com/) to make them hygienic or a baby bottle cleaner set. If this is not possible use hot boiling water.
For more information on Training Tips Nutrition Injury prevention log onto www.ironmate.co.uk
Mark Kleanthous has been to over 22 training camps & crossed the finish line in over 1,000 races worldwide since 1980.