At this time of year many people travel abroad for a training camp.
As well as providing the opportunity to develop your endurance and fitness by racking up the miles in warm weather and often hilly terrain, a training camp can help you develop the climbing and descending skills vital for a mountainous sportive, and which are hard to work on in the UK (because it’s a bit flatter over here).
This year’s Etape includes three, long 15-22km climbs, as well as descents to match. This type of terrain is simply unavailable in the UK, so, if you’re planning a few days overseas, look for a region with mountains that will provide ample opportunity to learn to climb and descend well.
It’s possible to get some great training benefits from a week away on your own but many people choose an organised training camp. This means you get to ‘train like a pro’ for a week, without worrying about life’s normal daily stresses. It’s the little differences like being catered for or not having to worry about the route that will allow for a slightly higher training load than you might achieve at home and really bring home the benefits.
An organised camp has the added bonus of giving you the opportunity to work on your group riding skills on exactly the mountainous roads and descents you’ll encounter in the Etape. Most training camps should have planned routes that are adaptable to your ability, and coaches or guides who can not only show you the way but share their riding experience and pass on tips such as how to descend quickly and, more importantly, safely.
Well organised camps might also include other services such as video analysis and workshops on how to improve your technique, training and nutrition so you’re not just spending your evenings bored in your room or negating your hard-earned training gains in the bar!
There’s still a long way to go to achieve peak fitness in time for your goal summer sportive but now is the time to put in the key work to reach that peak – and conquer the 2,074m Col de la Croix de Fer on the way! Plan your training and get into the routine, think about skill development, perhaps head to a warm weather training camp and remember – consistency is the key.
Tom Kirk is a coach for Custom Cycle Coaching
