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Feedback: Spain Camp 2014
Spain Camp 2014 proved to be another fabulous trilife event, and we’re very proud of what the athletes achieved in the seven days. We’re well aware though that it’s not just what we think of the camp that counts, it’s really all about what the attending athletes thought of the event. As such, we’ve compiled some of the feedback to give you an idea of what the Spain Camp 2014 athletes had to say about their week:-
Swimming
“The pool was very nice and clean”
“The pool at Vera was excellent, always clean and showers always warm afterwards”
“I found Mike to be the best coach for me as he identified some basic things I am doing wrong and explained how to correct them in a way I could understand”
“In general the coaching was structured informative and I benefitted from all the coaches”
“The swim sessions where very good. Every day was a different session but all designed to make you a more efficient and faster swimmer. I though at the start I would have liked open water session however the intense coaching we got in a pool environment was very beneficial to me”
“The coaching was very good. My evidence for this statement is highlighted in my 400m TT. My best 400m TT before the week away was 7:40 and I busted myself to get that time. After one week of coaching and a hard week training I took 8 seconds of my PB! Very happy with that gain in one week.”
“Water was a good temperature. Showers and changing facilities all good.”
“I liked the swapping around of the coaches. They spotted different things and had different ways of saying the same thing which helped my understanding. The ratio of coach to athlete felt particularly good/generous in the swim sessions. Watching the other swimmers from the poolside I found really useful. Being shown how to do the drills properly and be reminded of their purpose was also really useful.”
“The swim coaching was excellent, all the coaches were able to point out weaknesses and gave us excellent advise on what we need to concentrate on to improve our swimming technique.”
Cycling
“Cycle routes where fantastic”
“The cycle routes where well planned for each session as we progressed through the week”
“Great variety in the cycle routes and we had the wind for the first few days to add a bit more of a challenge. Great climbs and descents and fantastic scenery… The road surface was also great…”
“The length of each route was tailored to suit the session, i.e. the hill climb was harder but shorter. Overall very happy with biking for the week.”
“The most memorable route has to be the 10k hill climb. Great sense of achievement when you ride that hill as hard as you can go!!”
“Did I enjoy the cycle routes? Yes, Yes, Yes!! There is never a climb which isn’t worth it for the views and the sheer joy of the descent.”
“I was worried about riding in the group with the strongest, fastest athletes for fear of slowing them down and spoiling their ride but the ratio of coaches and good briefing I don’t think this happened. I was supported, encouraged and very much looked after near the back and the front riders were encouraged to ride up and back to get the most out of their session.”
Running
“Very quickly the running routes felt very remote and out into the desert away from the resort which I loved.”
“I thought I would want to do more running but it was noticeable how the load on the body is so much greater than swimming or biking so to do any more, especially in the heat, is probably not a good thing.”
“The runs were well organised, the off road route was challenging under foot at times but good, the routes were well marked and the coaches made sure they covered the route with the athletes while they were running.”
Coaches
“The coaches where fantastic – all very good at their job – would recommend them to any level of athlete”
“Their expertise and knowledge comes shining through and their different personalities made for interesting and enjoyable sessions. They seemed to know us all individually too and everyone got fair share of attention. Very, very professional at all times and they worked so hard to ensure nothing was left to chance and we were improving as the week went on and all kept safe.”
“I thought the coaches were excellent across all the disciplines, I learnt a lot about my biking skills from Mike and Thom on the rides and found Mike really helpful on the running sessions. I thought his magic glutes session before the runs really helped. Ashleigh was excellent with me poolside and really took time to point out what drills etc. I needed to concentrate on to improve my swimming.”
“The attention to detail that the coaches put into all the sessions was excellent, all the athletes were very well informed before each session about what to expect and during the sessions the coaches were always keeping a really good eye on the athletes, giving excellent advice on cycling technique. I have learnt a lot on the training camp about my biking technique and feel a lot stronger for it.”
Venue
“The resort and accommodation was top draw – suited what we required.”
“The villas/houses well equipped. The downtime is comfortable and very pleasant.”
“The accommodation was excellent, really comfortable. The resort itself is remote and a bit away from the town, but I was there for the training so did not mind that aspect at all.”
Food
“You had all the food you could eat – for me it was all about the carbs.”
Overall
“A fantastic introduction to triathlon in an educational and proactive environment.”
“I would describe this week as the real deal. The coaches soon get a handle on your ability. Coaches trained and coached each athlete, to get the best out of their week. The week was very well planned, time and places clearly communicated. I would recommend this for any one.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for such a fabulous week. So revved up and raring to go for the season ahead.
The training was excellent and t
he icing on the cake is the great fun and good humour we all shared. I cannot think of a better way to spend a week.”“It is fantastic to spend a week just concentrating on our beloved sport. It feels very indulgent to have nothing to worry about other than swim, eat, rest, bike, eat, rest and run, eat, rest with all the details and administration taken care of. It is fantastic to be amongst like minded people where we don’t have to explain ourselves and have a little glimpse into the life of a professional athlete. The generous ratio of trainer to athlete makes for huge improvements throughout the week which just could not be made in a normal week of training at home.”
“I really enjoyed the weeks training camp. I thought the coaches were excellent, the attention to detail and schedule was exceptional and everything was really well planned and executed. The coaches were very helpful. The location was excellent, the weather was perfect, and the opportunity to put in a good weeks training in the sun away from the winter winds and rain and cold back home was not to be missed…. I really enjoyed the company of the other athletes who really made the week a great experience and also challenging as the competition among the group was evident on every climb and finish back to the resort, it certainly added an extra bit of spice to the rides for me and I really enjoyed it… I have hopefully made a lot of friends on the camp and hope to see them all there again at next years camp for “round 2″. A big thank you to all at thetrilife for the experience.”
To see more of the Spain Camp photos and tweets, head over to our Facebook page and check out the Spain Camp 2014 album.
