Training in the Sun
Nikki and I jetted off for some final preparation training and conditioning in the Sun this week, arriving in Lanzarote for a week of carefully planned running with Run Wild Run Free.
The training camp isn't just for runners, is primarily aimed at Triathletes, offering expert instruction and coaching covering all three disciplines. With a daily schedule allowing you to maximise your time in the pool, on the road and/or on the trail/track, you could easily spend 8 hours a day pushing yourself to your limits.
Whilst training is the main focus we've also had some good group discussions, including an interesting Q&A session on nutrition and the benefits of using sports gels and drinks. I think all of us left the session with more questions than answers, it certainly got the old grey matter going. Having just turned veggie myself and Nikki not long before that, I was surprised to hear her suggest that perhaps we should go back to eating meat midway through this session, based upon missing some of the saturated fat that you only get from eating meat products.
Neither of us have ever attended a camp like this before but I'm sure we will do again next year. I'm keen to pick up a road bike and join in the midday bike sessions to give a further boost to the training, as if the running wasn't enough. What has been amazing is meeting like minded people who are very focussed on hitting their very personal goals, such as swimming the channel, running London in sub 3 hours, Iron Man, double Iron Man, etc. Pretty much everybody here has targets and they are pushing themselves to get the most out of this week.......I've never seen the table clear so quickly after dinner as everybody hits the wall, completely exhausted!
Today is our last day, it's been a fabulous week, I've covered a vast distance, hitting almost 80 miles on the roads & trails, although it hasn't felt like it. Having time to focus purely on exercising and having every possible sport on your doorstep pushes you to new heights. Helped along by the encouragement of the coaches, new friends and of course my partner in crime, Nikki. Good luck everybody and hope to see you all next year for some fun in the sun.
