by David Bauerle
If you are an athlete that has never experienced an endurance training camp, you should change that. There are numerous training camps for all endurance athletes focusing on things like mountain biking, road biking, swimming, running, and triathlon just to name a few. Adults can be skeptical about investing their time and money to attend a camp without truly knowing the benefits.
Training camps provide an opportunity to have meaningful dialogues with professional coaches and other athletes of all levels. Most camps have coach-led discussions and presentations on topics that will make you a better athlete and more proficient at your chosen sport. There are also group activities such as road and mountain bike rides, road and trail runs, open water and pool swims. Training camps are not only a place for you to learn more but also a safe environment to push yourself and perhaps achieve things you thought you could not do. Some camps are race specific, where you get to train on the actually race course and listen to race reviews from others that have previously completed that race. Some are destination camps that offer a welcome change of scenery in places like Hawaii, Colorado, Florida, or Idaho.
I often hear from athletes “I am not fast enough to go to a training camp.” That is a misconception that you need to be a fast or be an elite athlete. Many training camps are designed to benefit all athletes from beginners to elite. Recently I was one of the coaches at a triathlon camp where we had athletes from 17 to 72 years old, from beginners to those who had completed the IRONMAN World championships. We had people whose goal was to complete a 100 mile bike ride while others just wanted to get to the top of a very steep hill. We worked with all of the athletes to help them achieve their goals.
Endurance training camps are for everyone who wants to have fun, learn, and push their limits. Find a training camp that fits your sport and go, I guarantee you will learn from it as well as have a great time.
(There's still time to experience a camp this year! Team MPI still has one more in 2019: The Florida Triathlon Skills and Training Camp, September 13-15 in Pensacola Beach, FL. The 2020 camp calendar will include a MTB, triathlon, and other camps.)