Each year as Paradise Triathlon Training, I take a group of athletes to get some preseason training to kick start the season. This year and for many more camps to come we were based out of Almyra Hotel in Pafos Cyprus. The first week was Paradise Tri Camp and then I stayed on for a 2nd week for my own continued training. If anything athletes have got a lot to gain from attending a training camp, it may be for learning technical skills, building fitness or just training hard with other athletes.

A training camp is like a get-a-way for athletes. I get simply focused on the sport I love so much and leave our regular lives aside for a few days. No meetings, no obligations. You just swim, bike, run, and recover for the next day of training. Focused training has a really positive outcome on athletic performance several weeks after a camp has ended. Being able to hang out with coaches and other athletes all day long offers a big opportunity to learn not only more about how to train for triathlon, but also how this training applies to you specifically. All good coaches are always watching you as you train and will have tons of suggestions for improvement. Experiencing training and racing on the level that only a camp environment can provide can give great insight into what potential triathlon can offer you. You may also learn something about yourself as an athlete and as a person. To be able really dig in and make serious progress in your training in a short period of time. This can be through long, hard days out on the bike, or as simple as an hour focusing on transitions skills or swim technique.

Swimming – Certainly with the warmer Mediterranean Sea on the Hotel doorstep and a 50m pool and 25m pool in Pafos, all of my swimming was sea based.  Some longer steady swims and then also some Open Water skills and drills.  The benefit of being able to get in the open water early season is an opportunity not to miss, especially to try out my Sponsors Zone3 Vanquish wetsuit and also those all important Transitions – watch the video here

Bike – Cyprus has a variation of terrain and most certainly more climbing opportunities than back in flat Norfolk UK. The coastal road rolls and climbs from Pafos to Limasol and if you head in land you very quickly start to climb from ocean to Olympus or even Troodos (1,952m). To which I was very determined to summit and did so on the Thursday with 180km ride – view details here

Watch the Troodos summit video here.

Running – Once again, straight out of hotel onto the promenade and then leading onto coastal path. There is also an athletics stadium/track within Pafos, but with a mixture of Tempo, Fartlek and my favorite Descending Endurance sets I utilised the “new highway”.

Weekly totals –

Wk1 

• Swim 10km Sea
• Bike 365km
• Run 50km

Wk2

• Swim 10km Sea
• Bike 360km
• Run 50km

These 2 weeks have been perfect location and also quality weather, being based at Almyra Hotel, facility for families, athletes, non athletes, food, location and also the hotel staff are really keen to provide all of this for people enjoy their holiday or just focus on training Swim/Bike/Run.