Lanzarote Training Camp School broke up for the Easter holidays on the 29th March meaning I had 3 weeks (private school perks) of focused training. This was brilliant because it meant I could get a lot done throughout the weeks. I was also lucky enough to spend 10 days of the holidays training in Lanzarote which is what this blog will focus on. A great benefit of being home is that I can train in the SouthWestSwim squad sessions ran by Jason Tait on a Monday and Friday morning. These are brilliant because I can swim with a group and get awesome coaching. *Sponsor alert* Jason really is an amazing swimming coach, I have been working with him for a long time, both individually and within the squad sessions and I have seen some big improvements. If you are interested in improving your swimming in any way, I would 100% recommend you going to see Jason as soon as possible! I also used the opportunity of being home to go and see Paul Ransome for a TT bike fit. Paul is the Zoot Athlos Racing Team manager and head of Urban Endurance so he has many years of relevant racing and coaching experience meaning he can offer some brilliant services. The bike fit that I had with him worked wonders, my position changed quite dramatically but felt much more comfortable and this has made me considerably more aero (which is the aim). If you are in need of a bike fit, check out the Urban Endurance website and take a look at the options. The term ‘free speed’ is regularly thrown around in triathlon and this is one of the most beneficial things you can do to reach your top speed! The following day, I participated in a small group Strength and Conditioning session led by Joey Rossi from Vibe Fitness. The session was very specific to strengthening sport specific muscle groups for triathlon and introduced me to some new exercises which will hopefully have a big benefit to my sessions. I would strongly recommend having a look at the Vibe Fitness website, there are many options and packages that you can choose from to make you stronger, fitter and healthier. Lanzarote 2019- On Tuesday the 9th April, Mum, Dad, Ollie and I jetted off to the small island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The plan was to stay at the Occidental Lanzarote Playa (Costa Teguise) for 2 nights before travelling up to Club La Santa for a 7 night stay. Although a ‘family holiday’, it was my opportunity to get in as much training as possible before the racing season starts. For the first two days in Costa Teguise I didn’t have a bike, so I spent a lot of time swimming in the 50m pool and running along the coast. The best thing about this part of the holiday was that we were staying all inclusive which meant a lot of food was consumed (to give me energy for the coming week of course!). On the Thursday we drove up to Club La Santa and met our friends the McAdam family (our 3rd year being there with them) and got ourselves booked in for the week. I must apologise in advance because the rest of this blog is probably going to sound like a promo post for Club La Santa, but I really do think it is the best sports resort in the world. Despite this being my 8th time (I think) staying there, there is no way I could ever get bored, the facilities are constantly changing and improving which is what makes it continue to be a huge attraction. One of the best things they’ve introduced is a mobile booking app where you can view all of the classes and activities on offer and then book on with the points you have been given. This is an effortless way of being able to see what you want to do, the availability, and to sign up for it. Anyway, the aim of this week was to get in some big miles with a lot of strength building on the bike. I had also signed up for the mini aquathlon on the Monday and the mini triathlon on the Wednesday, this was to include some high intensity and to also practice my transitions and brick sessions. Thursday This was our first day arriving at Club La Santa, I had already swim in the morning and my programme included a solo 3 hour cycle to make sure the bike was alright and to prepare myself for the week. Rather frustratingly, the wind was unbelievably strong, which just made everything harder. There were many times where I had to continue to pedal downhill or I would’ve simply stopped. The ride totaled at just over 80km but took a little longer than planned. Friday A nice dip in the pool, I was getting more used to swimming in a 50m pool although my shoulders were not very grateful. It felt a lot smoother than a 25m as I could get into a proper rhythm and focus on my technique. I then had a bike session of 3x20min at sweet spot. Generally, I am a big fan of sessions at this tempo however again, the wind was so strong it made it very tough. Rather embarrassingly, the toughest part of the session was the cool down. My legs were knackered, and I was having to ride 15km into a 25mph headwind. Not very pleasant. After the cycle, I chucked on my running shoes and went out for a steady 30 minutes, it was very hot, but I felt better than expected. Saturday Another pool session before breakfast and then heading out for a 60-minute run which became a bit of an adventure as I explored some of the trails around the complex. I followed this with a 60-minute yoga session which was more fun than I was expecting. In the evening it was the organized 5 and 10km races. Oliver raced the 5km and came 2nd and Isaac raced the 10km and came 1st in 35:40. Although in the evening, it was still 18/19 degrees and the wind was very strong making it a tough race. I just watched. Sunday Open water swim morning. I headed down to the on-site tidal lagoon and joined in with the organized session. It was roughly 1.7km and I was the only person out of all 12 to not wear a wetsuit which made it a little chilly but fun, nonetheless. After this it was time for my first long ride of the week. I invited Oliver out on this ride with me. Apparently, I had said it would only be 3 hours max but I don’t remember saying that(!). We rode up both Tabayesco and Mirador Del Rio, the two biggest and best climbs in the island. To save embarrassment I won’t go into details but he then bonked and mum and dad came and picked him up in the ‘support car’ and drove him back (Laughing face). All I was thinking is how I wished they would’ve picked me up the first time I bonked! Monday Although I had the aquathlon planned in the afternoon, I still had to get through my proper training plan. This included what was supposed to be a 2hr easy ride and then a 30-minute run off. While out on the ride I came past a lady out riding on her own and we were both going the same route, so I spent the rest of the ride with her. The run off was strong and I felt good. Then came the aquathlon, 200m in the 50m pool followed by a 3km run. For some silly reason, Isaac, Ollie and I all decided to do it in just our funky trunks. There was a young girl in the lane next to me and I asked her if she was fast “not really.” she replied. This was a lie. The race started and she shot off and I tried to stick close to her, I knew it was likely I would take her on the run but I didn’t want to leave it to chance. I stuck close to her and we touched the wall in around 2:50. We jumped out together, I quickly slipped into my shoes and then shot off, as she was still tying her laces (clearly not a multi-sport athlete). I ran a controlled and comfortable pace and crossed the line in first place, roughly 40 seconds ahead of Ollie in second and Isaac a little later in third. Tuesday The second long ride day. This time I had signed up for the advanced bike tour organized at Club La Santa which was planned to be around 3 hours and then I would complete an extra 2 on my own. The group ride was great, my legs felt way better than they should have, and I spent a lot of time on the front. We went into Haria and then attacked the Tabayesco switchbacks which was brilliant. I sprinted off at the start which quickly formed a lead pack of 5 which didn’t take long to become 4. We then hammered up until the last 100m where I attempted a sprint but ran out of gas. One guy who had sat back the whole climb came past with the group leader and they battled it out for 1st and 2nd. After the rest of the group caught up, we quickly descended down to Teguise where I split from the group as they turned back towards Club La Santa and I went south to complete my ride. Another rider from the group (Ironman athlete) joined me so we rode together for a while before I stopped for a coffee and he kept going. As I was about to get started again, a man called Rich pulled into the café and asked if I wanted to ride back to La Santa with him. He was on a very nice Canyon TT bike and we had a good ride together. Wednesday Time for the mini triathlon. 400m swim, 12km bike and 4.6km run. We meandered down to the bike centre and set up our bikes. This would be a good race scenario for me because I would be able to practice the transitions and try wearing my new Zoot Athlos Racing Team tri suit. I was once again in a lane with a very fast swimmer however this time I knew he was part of a relay team. He literally flew off from the start and swam a low 5 minute 400m followed by me in 5:48. I then ran to my bike, chucked off my googles and hat, put on my sunnies and helmet and grabbed the bike. My mount was sweet and I was off and after the team ahead. The bike course was 4 laps around the lagoon and it was fairly flat with minimal wind so I really gassed it. I caught 1st place after 2 laps and we worked together until the end of the bike where I had a smooth dismount, chucked on my running shoes and headed out. I was about 15 seconds down on the team (they don’t have to do transition – just swap the timing chip) and so I set off after them. I caught up with the runner after about 1km and then continued to push for the rest of the race. I crossed the line in 42:51 minutes over 2 ½ minutes ahead of Ollie in second place and Isaac again in third. The team finished between Ollie and Isaac. The race was a little confidence booster as I felt very strong throughout without going full speed. And so the mini tri concluded the Lanzarote training camp and has hopefully got my legs in very good shape for the racing season ahead. I had a brilliant time and particularly enjoyed the sun! Whilst staying there we also played golf, badminton, table tennis, and did windsurfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, mountain biking and basketball. I would thoroughly recommend staying at Club La Santa if you ever get a chance. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. And as always, a huge thanks goes out to- Harry Palmer for coaching and mentoring me in all aspects of my triathlon life. Jason Tait for overlooking my swimming and building me up ready for the start of the season. Sarah Fellows at Dyer St Chiropractic for looking after me and healing my injured body. LPSEVENTS for sponsoring me financially and enabling me to race. Zoot Athlos Racing Team for being great support throughout the season. Finally, to Mum and Dad for helping with everything from behind the scenes!
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Luke CampbellHere will be a monthly review as well as occasional race updates Archives
April 2019
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