SLO Camp March 2010

The San Luis Obispo camp is complete, and what a great experience! (I'm actually in Mallorca, Spain now, for another camp I am running, so more to come on that one!) SLO was our first camp, and we wanted it to be a great combination of training, learning and fun. I think we accomplished it! We had 23 campers, 4 coaches, and 1 camp administrator.

The coaches for the camp were Adam Zucco, Jeff Vicario, Trevor Glavin and myself. We actually started with 3 of us on Monday, with 3 campers, before the other 20 came on Thursday. Here are some photos from the event. (If you can't see the photos, click here)

Here is the group ready to pre-ride the Wildflower Long Course Tri bike course.

The transition rack for our brick intervals workout on Tuesday. TOUGH WORKOUT!

Finishing a lap on the brick interval workout.

A few of the athletes gathering for a pic, after a run at Montana de Oro, in San Luis Obispo. BEAUTIFUL SPOT!

Coaches discuss how the pool session went, while the athletes swim a cool-down.

Debriefing after a run, with the athletes and coaches. Small group on Tuesday, running on a great dirt road up to a mountain top and back down, with ocean views at the top!

Coach Zucco demonstrates a dynamic warm-up drill called Spider-Man.

Coaches Zucco and Vance on deck leading the swim workout.

One of our beautiful rides, heading down to the coast, with some brief rain droplets.

We also had classroom sessions, learning about various topics, from swim and run technique with video assessments, and even training philosophy and practices.

It would be impossible for me to include all the photos from the week, but this should give you a good idea of all the things we did. In total, we had between 16 and 26 hours of training in the 4 day camp, and over 40 hours in the week!

If you're considering a training camp for sometime in the future, this is one you'll want to consider next time we do it!

Coach Vance

Oceanside 70.3 Race Preview - Audio Download

If you couldn't attend my talk at Nytro on Oceanside 70.3 for 2010, you can download it from my store at the link to the right, "Coach Jim Vance Store", or at this link: http://coachjimvance.bigcartel.com/

The download also comes complete with a worksheet for helping athletes plan for the race effectively, strategizing according to the conditions, their strengths and weaknesses and much more.

Another great talk, and well attended again! Just returned from an AWESOME training camp in San Luis Obispo, with 23 athletes, and will post some highlight photos and more in the coming days. Tomorrow morning I am off to Mallorca, Spain, for another camp. This one with Joe Friel. Looking forward to it!

Don't forget to download the Oceanside Preview!

Coach Vance

Dance with the Water Part 4

Here is my latest article in the "Dance with the Water" Series, at Active.com.

Tennis Anyone?

In this "Dance with the Water" article series, we continue discussing the idea that an athlete must listen to the signals the water gives, like a dancer, following the lead of their partner. Move to your own beat, and not in rhythm with the water, and you're bound to struggle. In this article, we again highlight the concept of pressure and how it can make you faster overnight.

One of the more popular drills among athletes is the fist drill. Ask an athlete what the fist drill is for, and you might get a variety of answers. The main idea of the fist drill is to challenge athletes to use their forearms to catch water by greatly reducing the surface area of the hand.

The biggest problem with the fist drill is it goes against our natural tendencies and desire to swim with our hands open. So naturally an athlete begins to cheat and open their fist, even if just ever so slightly. But if we place a tennis ball in the hand of the swimmer, they have to focus on keeping the hand closed around the tennis ball.

Tennis balls are one of the most effective tools I have found in teaching athletes the concept of pressure in the water. Sure, sometimes my athletes get strange looks at the pool when they pull out the tennis balls, but they normally don't care once they see how fast they are swimming. The concept of pressure in the water can dramatically and instantly add speed to a swimmer!

Read the rest of the article here at Active.com

Coach Vance

Last Chance for Tri Camp in San Luis Obispo!

Time is running out! We have the camp next week, so register now! We have 23 athletes registered, and 4 coaches, with only 7 athlete spots remaining.

TrainingBible Coaching California Triathlon Camp
March 11th-14th, 2010, (Thursday – Sunday)
San Luis Obispo/Atascadero, California

The Perfect Training Camp for Wildflower, St. George, or Oceanside!

Camp Features:
• All workouts are coach-led, by a TrainingBible Coach, for swim, bike and run!
• Training on Wildflower Triathlon bike course and surrounding areas
• Coach on-deck for pool sessions
• Fully-sagged rides
• Underwater swim video technique assessment for each athlete, ($100 value!)
• Run video technique assessment for each athlete, ($100 value!)
• 3 classroom sessions, for learning, Q&A, discussion and individual learning, totaling 4 hours in length!
• Free airport shuttle to those flying via San Luis Obispo Airport to/from camp hotel
• 16-25 hours of training in 4 days! (Swim 6 hrs, Bike 7-13 hrs, Run 3-6 hrs)
• Hotel discounted rate (Athletes are responsible for food, lodging and travel to San Luis Obispo.)


The camp will feature training totals of:
Swim - 6 hours
Bike - 7-13 hours
Run - 3-6 hours
Total Training - 16-25 hours in 4 days!

Costs:
March 11th – 14th Camp (Thursday-Sunday): $499 ($449 for TrainingBible Athletes!)

Extended Camp Opportunity March 8th – 14th (Monday – Sunday): $799 ($749 for TrainingBible Athletes!) ****Extended camp opportunity is for those who want to extend the experience and enjoy a full week of training with the TrainingBible Coaching athletes and staff****

Register here at Active.com

See the full camp schedule here

Camp Hotel – Best Western Colony Inn, Atascadero

(805) 466-4449
Hotel Features:
• Free continental breakfast
• Free internet
• Pool access, (Kennedy Club)
• Special rate of $99-$105/night (Based on occupancy)
• Amenities include refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker

Send any questions to the Camp Coordinator, Orlanda Vance, at ovance at trainingbible dot com.

Hope to see you there!

Coach Vance