Front: Gerard Hung, Estelle Gilbert, Pieter Badenhorst
Back: Louise Strydom (Coach), Jacky van Heerden, San-Mari Badenhorst, Carin Badenhorst, Andrew Crocker, Jarryd Irvine (Coach)
Photographer: Andre van Heerden
Our triathlon season is from September to June, so most of my athletes have to train over December holidays anyway, so why not get a solid week of training in before the year ends in the form of a training camp? I do believe that this gives my group that mental edge to carry them over into the new year. Think about how important it is for a sportsteam to score before half time? Same concept. So we had a Training Camp…
Since most of our athletes are based in the Gauteng area, I always feel it is good idea to get the “Vaalies” down to the coast for some lower altitude training and to get them to test their wetsuits in the ocean and not the gym pool. Our base camp is situated just outside the small town of Alexandria at Nduna Game Lodge, just a 100km from Port Elizabeth which plays host to #IMSouthAfrica each April. This is the second year they accommodated us and as always, it was superb (check out our review on this incredible place that was our playground for a few days).
The goal of this training camp is to fine tune the work that has been done throughout the year in preparation for IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo City taking place in January and IRONMAN Africa Championships in April. Yes, there are smaller events in between these, but these are the main coastal events that most of the Gauteng group is prepping for.
This week gave me as a coach the opportunity to see my athletes train in person. Training data can only give me so much insight into an athlete’s training and physically being with them gives me the opportunity to see beyond the power or heart rate zones. I push them as hard as I can during this week (within in reason of course – injuring an athlete is not the goal). I get insight into their mental processes when the bodies and minds are exhausted. There is no place to hide from me, because I am either swimming and biking along, waiting on top of a hill or standing next to them while they do a sweat session on the trainer. And I was not disappointed. Not once. They rose to every challenge I gave them. No matter the level of their fitness or the distance they were training for. Heads were put down, horns were grabbed and they went all out. Every day.
Blogs on the training days will follow…so keep an eye out for those within the next few days.
#infinitudecoaching #havenolimits #infinitudetrainingcamp2018 #triathlontraining #swim #bike #run #ndunalodge #tribetime #singletrackfuel #redx #novastar #mascot
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