Posted by: Coach Carter in Untagged on Feb 17, 2009
Back into work Monday morning, and I am greeted with 'How was your holiday Helen?' Holiday I thought? Mmmm.....
Okay, I admit, a week on my bike in sunny Majorca while most of the UK is still gripped by the harsh winter we seem to be suffering under MIGHT seem like a holiday, and I cannot deny, I did enjoy the week a lot. But, it was far from a holiday - running the first PBscience camp was a huge learning experience for me, and one I am thoroughly pleased to have got under my belt.
I was always 'on duty'; from breakfast at 8am, through to the end of the day at 10pm: whether it be questions over meal times and coffee; whilst riding side by side with my athletes on the road; in my 'one to one' discussions with riders; or during the presentations I made after dinner. It might sound draining - but in fact, it was incredibly energising to be within a group so motivated by their training and keen to learn about the science too.
One of the aims of PBscience is to help the athlete understand the science behind training and performance - in fact, its probably the aspect that sets us aside as a cycle coaching service. Indeed, I often explain to athletes I work with that working with me is a little like signing up for a mini sport science course! This training camp was no exception. Take day 3, where we provided the athletes with an opportunity to experience (and practise) a 'split session day' of training: a steady ride in the morning, followed by some quality blocks later in the day. the night before, I presented to the group on the rationale behind using split session days, the benefits of organising training in this way, and finally, the sport science strategies we can use to cope with them (from nutrition, massage, compression tights, and use of cold water immersion post ride). Next day, we put everthing into practice - I think the photo below proves that!
Did the athletes take to it and appreciate the scientific angle of the training camp? I think so - testament was how the dip in the hotel's pool became a widely adapted practice through the rest of the week!
Being a sport scientist who is also a cycle coach, seeing the adoption of these kind of strategies is very rewarding. Also, this camp allowed me to spend a lot of time with the riders I coach: whether it be riding on the road with them, or in conversation about the training ahead during the 'one to one' consultations I had with each of them. During the training camp I thrived on those opportunites, developing the plan, and sensing a shared energy and excitement about the season to come, and the goals set. With each of them, we come away with a deeper and a stronger coach-athlete relationship - I must thank them for that.
I believe going to Majorca in February paid off. While many riders back home struggled to complete their training, we achieved 20 hours plus of good, solid base mileage. Only one ride was affected by the Majorcan weather - unfortunately, the day we wanted to head deeper into the mountains. Of course, it wasn't all hard work. We enjoyed the downtime too - like most cyclists, we drank our fair share of 'cafe con leche'!
All in all, a great week...roll on camp number 2!