Why You Need to Go to Strong Like Bull Training Camps

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have wanted to go on a bike vacation for as long as I've been doing triathlons.  Finally, last week, I did it! It was incredible.

I spent the week training at Strong Like Bull Training Camps in and around Antequera, Spain.  I am tired, sore and on a huge high from the week. Before I get into all the reasons it was great and why all my triathlete/cyclist friends should go next year, I want to add a note about why this type of intense training is a great vacation for me: I check email compulsively and have a lot of trouble detaching from work. Extreme physical exertion makes it nearly impossible for me to focus on work. I can't (safely) check emails when I'm riding a bike, and I was so exhausted at the end of each day that I didn't have the mental bandwidth to really focus on anything too heavy.  This type of training is one of the only ways I can give myself a mental break.  If you're like me, I highly recommend doing an athletic vacation.

Now, all the reasons YOU should join me next year! (I'm aiming for to do both weeks of the camp next year!)

1. It's ridiculously beautiful. The South of Spain is unbelievably gorgeous. Just look at the pictures below. Now imagine yourself biking all over this. There really is nothing better than having your heart race while you're riding a bike in a beautiful place. It's basically euphoria.

2. You'll probably get into the best shape you've ever been in.  Between the bike rides, the runs and the swims, I exercised for around 30 hours last week. This is the most exercise I've ever done in one week (including as a swimmer in college). By the end of the week I was considerably faster on the bike. We also got to swim in a beautiful 25 meter pool and go on a few runs.  This is a great way to start a triathlon season.

3. It's very, very affordable.  The ticket price for seven nights is $1,285, but if you are coached by John Hirsch (or if you register early, I think..), the price is closer to $1,000. This is all inclusive -- the coached rides, the dinners (with lots and lots of wine), lunches, breakfasts, support van, a place to sleep, etc.  It also includes transportation to and from the airport (and if you're me, two additional round trips to Malaga to get bike parts because pieces went missing during my travel).  Compare this to Backroads Spain Andalucia -- they charge around $4,000 for only five nights. It's almost cheaper for me to be at the camp for a week than it is for me to live in Brooklyn for a week.

4. It's run well.  John and company have been running this camp for eleven years and they've got their logistics down. With fifteen different people at a camp, there are a lot of competing interests, and they were able to accommodate us all pretty well.

5. Make new friends who are as into cycling/triathlon as you are. The camp is run out of a villa in Antequera where all of the athletes live for the week. It's like being at summer camp for adults who love endurance events.  Nerding out about athletics is totally acceptable and encouraged.

6. Learn new things. Despite having been a triathlete for five years, there is still a ton I don't know about the sport. There were a handful of athletes and coaches at the camp who have done triathlons and cycling professionally, so I learned a ton from them. For example, I didn't fully understand the importance of hydration and nutrition for long workouts, and learned a lot about how and when I should eat if my body is moving for more than two hours.  I also learned about descending hills properly, drafting and riding in a group.  I even learned some new tricks for open water swimming.

Basically, if you are a cyclist or a triathlete looking for a great way to start your season, you would be silly not to go to this camp.

Here are the photos!

Sunset

A Room With a View!