As triathletes we are often looked at as slightly mad by those who aren't – questions like "you do what?" and "for how long?" - often followed by "why?" The last being an excellent question and one that is worth considering yourself. However for now – let's think about what it's like to be an athlete often confronted with these questions with no-one nearby offering support.

When I started triathlons, I typically trained on my own which I preferred at the time and often still do – but it left me not having a support group, a club or anyone who I could ask questions of and feel ''normal'' with! Along the way I met other like minded nutters and it was great to be able to discuss things with them, find out what they did, where they raced and so on. I still didn't train with anyone but at least I knew others who I would generally meet up with at races whether they were local or abroad and felt I was part of a community.

My friends and family were at first slightly taken aback as I started doing more training in preparation for longer distances, wondering the 'why?' and why could I not go away on holiday and not train. They have slowly realised it is part of me, who I am and it is now also my life as a coach. New acquaintances, unless they were into sport themselves didn't get it, and often these people wouldn't become friends! I even had one friend advise me NOT to tell people I met how much I train (which isn't excessive by the way) so as to not intimidate them. I found that quite upsetting and didn't take that piece of advice! Accept me for me training and all!

As I became more and more taken over by tri-geekness I decided to venture into the world of training camps and have now been on 2 different ones in France. Both were great experiences, to be able to spend time with others who also loved to train and loved to talk about it and share stories and experiences and it felt warm and cosy!

The Camp Life.

The word 'camp' conjures up certain images – hard core non-stop training, being pushed and shouted at – or maybe that's my impression from army style camps and boot camp stories? My first triathlon camp was nothing of the sort, it was more like a holiday with training a few times a day. That's not to say what we did was easy- a swim every morning, long runs and longer bike rides often with coffee thrown in half way round. Dinner with red wine and dessert and altogether a rather nice experience that I certainly improved from whilst having a good time.

It wasn't however quite what I personally was looking for, so I ventured off to yet another camp in the South of France with a similar set up and the opportunity again to chat lots to various athletes of various abilities.

Training.

Then training began – a little more hard core this time, being in an area surrounded by hills the bike rides were harder and there weren't any coffee stops. We did lake swims followed by interval run sessions, bikes to the lake straight into a swim, pool sessions that involved a lot of drills and mad races across the pool as opposed to down the pool – for me that was hard. This was a bit more like what I had thought it would be, being taken out of my comfort zone and pushed more than I might if I was on my own. That's not to say it was all like that, long slow rides and runs, leisurely lake swims with a picnic afterwards lazing in the sun – and chilling outside for dinner with desserts and rose wine this time!

How to Chose.

Whether or not it is a case of the camp chosen or what you request to experience during your time I'm not sure, but if you are planning to go on one this is my advise when choosing which one to go to:

1.Find out if and how they cater for different levels of athlete – some camps offer beginner weeks or intermediate weeks, others put all athletes together – both work well it is just more which you would rather go on.

2.Does it matter what day you go on, is it a set start day of the week, or can you say do 4 days only? Not everyone has the luxury of taking lots of time off work and you might only want to go for a long weekend – can they accommodate you?

3.The different terrains and facilities on site or nearby – especially if you want to hone your bike hill skills, you need somewhere that is near hills!! It may sound obvious, but it's best not to assume that the area caters for all.

4.How much analysis, technique tips and ''personal'' coaching you receive – this is not about receiving a personal training plan, but at least getting some feedback from someone who knows what they are talking about – check the coaches credentials, just because someone has done a few IronMan races and done well in them, doesn't mean they are able to advise you.

Some of this information could be on the website and I think you can get a feel about somewhere from how well they present themselves online. Especially read the coach's bio, not their race results but their sporting history and coaching qualifications. If this information isn't on the site, is it really a good place to go? You want to ensure you get the best you can for both your time and your money so chose from a well informed place!

Once you've chosen your place, get your dates set as soon as you can, book your tickets, pay your deposit and start to get excited!!!

By Lisa Jones

Working with Coach Richard Laidlow