The CCAC/Cape Cod Triathlon Team Training Camp, sponsored by Boston Performance Coaching, Endurance Swimming and Athlete’s Companion, opens this weekend at Camp Nan-Ke-Rafe in Nickerson State Park.  Join us for a single day or camp for the entire weekend with cyclists, runners, triathletes and coaches.  And don’t worry if you’re not a multisport enthusiast – there will be plenty of single-sport work and sessions on technology, nutrition, stretching and strength training and more.  Jump start your training for the summer!  Please register soon so that we have accurate counts for meals, pool training, and other activities.  More information:http://www.capecodathleticclub.org/teams/cctt/tricamp.htm.  See you there!

Why should you attend a triathlon camp?  You're a vet. You still have Richie H.'s pink race t-shirts from the 1990s. You've got your own thing going: your tried-and-true routine, workouts and race strategies. You train alone or with a close friend...usually turning the dial to "hammer"...and to get involved with anything more complicated than that just takes away from training time.

Well, can you swim 100 yards in under a minute? Hold 25+mph on the bike? Run a 5k in 17 minutes? 

We have confirmed attendees at our upcoming training camp who can hit those numbers. We'll be splitting up into groups for our training sessions (don't worry, back-of-packers, the slower paced groups will be perfect for you).  If you want someone who can push you into the red zone, you'll have plenty of opportunity over the weekend of June 19-20.

And we'll be scheduling a discussion group at some point during the weekend, led by people just like you. Share your knowledge with all the bright-eyes! And maybe pick up a few ideas for yourself. 

We passed 20 campers yesterday. We're nearing the time where we need to firm up the numbers with the pool, the restaurant, etc. So sign up today!

Did you know a recent study found that 92% of age group runners and triathletes do not know the correct way to find out their minimum and maximum heartrates?  Do you know how?  

So you think there's nothing you'll learn at the upcoming Cape Cod Tri Team Camp that you don't already know?

Well, can you swim a straighter line than Dan Tarborsky? He's a top age-grouper (11-hour Ironman) who swims 5000 yards four times each week. He admits his buoy sighting skills have been self-taught. So he agreed to have a GPS unit placed in his swim cap for 2 races last season:

Sprint distance:

• Distance traveled by GPS (incl run in & out): 1.02km
• Straight line distance (inc run in & out): 0.82km
• Distance extra swam: 0.20km
• Percentage extra swam: 24%
• Time lost: 2 minutes, 16 seconds

70.3 distance:

• Distance traveled by GPS (inc run in & out): 2.33km
• Straight line distance (inc run in & out): 1.98km
• Distance extra swam: 0.35km
• Percentage extra swam: 18%
• Calculated time lost from swimming extra distance: 10 minutes

Now, unless you're faster than Dan (34-second 50s at race pace) you would gain even more time at these distances by swimming straighter. 

At our June 19-20 camp, two top swim coaches will be helping us with buoy sighting and turning (did you know that by leaving just 6 feet to the side of a turn buoy you swim an extra length of a 50-yard pool?) as well as stroke technique and efficiency.

Just a week after the camp's announcement 12 athletes have signed up. Get on the list!  Go here for much more: http://www.capecodathleticclub.org/teams/cctt/tricamp.htm

I really look forward to this time of year: the weather is warming up and the Multisport World Conference and Expo at MIT is two weeks away which Ali and I are presenting the Strength Training for the Multisport Athlete - it all means the race season is right around the corner. Lastly, it's spring break time at the university. For me, this means some time to catch up on sleep and take advantage of some extra time to train. This week is my training camp and here is how it has started.

FRI: Workout#1 - Swim 5.1K Aerobic intervals. Workout#2 - Brick, Bike 2.5 hrs with a 50' interval at 88-95%, Run 30' transition run
SAT: Workout#1 - Bike 4 hrs with 2 hrs of race pace simulation
SUN: Workout#1 - Brick, Bike 6 hrs including pace line skills practice with Threshold Cycling Team, Run 30' transition run. Workout#2 - Strength Training, Power emphasis followed by a 30' high cadence spin for recovery.
MON: Workout#1 - Swim 4K with a 1650 time trial. Workout#2 - Bike 4 hrs endurance (not including a 30' stop in Concord Center for a muffin and  to talk cycling and training of sorts with Skip Foley?)

It has taken years to learn what my body responds to. And it is volume. Then I will slowly add in small amounts of intensity to give my body another boost in fitness. This week provides a perfect time for me to do it. The key will be to find the right amount of cycling training to mix in with triathlon training as I am spending the first part of the season bike racing and will then transition to triathlon. The second key element will be my recovery methods - really dialing in on recovery nutrition as well as sleep, making sure I get 8-9 hours per night and a 30 min nap if possible at least 2-3 times during the week (can't remember the last time I took one of those). Bottom line, I really enjoy this type of training - the long workouts and challenging your body to see what it can achieve; what can you adapt to, and what can you overcome.

First bike race of the year is slated for March 28 in Marblehead, MA at the Michael Schott Memorial Circuit Race . The triathlon season opens at the Hopkinton Season Opener on May 9.

Get out and train!!!