The Pro Experience

John, Jessie, and some of the campers at this year's ZenTri Camp

Some friends and I call hanging out with pro triathlete John Hirsch the "John Hirsch Experience."  It really is amazing to see how a pro grabs life by the horns to get in all the training necessary to be successful.  At ZenTri Base and Nutrition Camp, it's a total immersion program where you get to see some great athletes making it all work every day.  It is an opportunity to learn a lot.

John biked between locations instead of driving a car.  That's pretty cool, especially because the mileage that adds up is substantial.  San Diego is great for this because there's bike lanes everywhere.  

He also got up and moving with incredible efficiency in the mornings.  I was sleeping in the same room as John at our camp, and was surprised how fast he got going.  There was definitely no hitting the snooze button.  His alarm went off, he got up, and his training day began right then.  In comparison, I was trying to motivate myself to get up and get moving while he was already downstairs and making a pre-run snack.

John's early rises have a lot to do with his bedtime.  I get made fun of for having an alarm on my phone that reminds me to go to sleep at 9:00 PM.  Well, when my alarm went off, John had already been in bed for half an hour.  Wow.

Jessi Stensland was at camp, too.  She's an age-grouper now, but she was a world-class pro for many years.  Her approach to food was great; she treated it as fuel for the day and didn't get caught up in any kind of emotional eating.  Eat right and train well was what it all boiled down to.   The greatest part was that she eats so focused, but doesn't seem to work at it at all.

I love coming home from camp and putting into practice what I saw around me.   No matter how much somebody tries to tell you how to get it all done, nothing is quite like seeing it in action.

Here's to a great start to the year and hopefully seeing you at next year's camp!

While We Were at Camp...

Ah, back at the old grindstone.  A couple of interesting bombs dropped while we were gone.  Let's check them out!

Cervelo introduces a human-powered wingsuit motorcycle hybrid.  Also known as the P5, this freak of aerodynamics is pretty cool.  And when you pass the heaving fat guy on one while riding your 15 year-old road bike, you'll be reminded more than ever that, "it's not about the bike."

The most incredible person ever quits being incredible, leaving thousands of people wondering how they will be incredible if she doesn't do it for them. Chrissie Wellington is taking a year off of racing so she can focus on a book or whatever; all we know is it's NOT racing.  Many of her fans pause for a confused look inward while her competition pretends to support her while secretly jumping in joy.  

In essence, it's all the same stuff, showing that the world will keep moving on, whether you train or not.  So, get in gear and get your work done, lest you get left behind. 

If you enjoyed all the pictures and fun from ZenTri Base and Nutrition Camp, stay tuned!  We will be creating a registration page for 2013 very shortly!.

- B

ZenTri Base Camp Update!

Camp 2012 is fantastic!  The location is unbelievable.  We scored a large house only half a mile from the beach, so we go running and riding along the shore.  With a 3-car garage, there's plenty of room for all the bikes.  We also have lots of spare rooms, so we offered them up for campers to stay overnight at the house to add to the camp feel.

Coach Adam and Jessi Stensland continue to impress as the coaches we added to the original crew.  They both are incredibly knowledgeble and their teaching skills are the best in the biz!

John beat me on the hill climb, and so did Ryan... on a tri bike!  It was awesome to have something to train for and I'm thankful to have it on the schedule to keep me focused during the Winter.

Christine is throwing down some awesome food and nutrition knowledge.  I am always so thankful that Coach Adam put us in touch years ago.  She changed how I see food forever!

More later...

- B

ZenTri Base Camp Agenda

Podcast - Happy New Year!

Click Here to Listen to the Show!

This episode is two hours of The Training Log!  I cover all kinds of training tips and tricks, how to do your best over the Holidays, how to recover from a major calf injury, and so much more.

I am writing this post at the kitchen table of ZenTri Base Camp!  The house is incredible!  It's only a few blocks from the San Diego beach and the weather is fantastic. (70 degrees and sunny.)  We will be opening up registration for next year earlier this time, so follow me on Twitter for more details.

Enjoy!

Click here to listen to or download the show!