Better trails! Thinner air! More facilities! These are probably a few of the first things that come to mind when I say “the purpose of a training camp.” I wholeheartedly agree with all of them; an ideal training camp provides all of those elements, but, in my opinion, they are not the most important aspect. A training camp aims to facilitate an increase in fitness and race preparedness, beyond what would be possible in the regular training location. While the actual features of the location, like altitude, trails, and facilities, can help with this, they aren’t the game-changer.
The actual act of changing locations for the express purpose of training increases the level of focus and excitement exponentially. It isn’t the place that makes the training better (it can help though), but the knowledge that the purpose of this new place and environment is to TRAIN. There are fewer distractions, more attention to detail, and higher levels of motivation.
A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend, coach, best friend, and I drove to Boise for a training camp. We all immediately felt this boost, even though the camp isn’t at altitude or ordered by a team sponsor. It’s incredible what a purposeful change in location can do. Watch the video below to see our first couple days of training camp.
