Goode2Tri is an INCUS Enabled Coaching Partner, providing both Triathlon and Swimming coaching to athletes from their base in the west of England. Here, Head Coach Richard Goode reflects on his multiple years of coaching abroad in Tenerife, and the benefits of a focused training camp for an athlete.
Ricard Goode has been taking athletes to Tenerife since 2000, “I took a group of county swimmers out to train in the 50m pool, 2 weeks before the County Championships, off the back of the camp three of my swimmers obtained gold! It was then that I realised how powerful and useful training camps in Tenerife could be to an athlete.” When he switched to triathlon coaching in 2014 he had no hesitation in going back to the island. “Having had such great success with my previous camp I knew that with another two disciplines to train for (cycling and running), we had a fantastic opportunity to experience more of the island’s training facilities, both natural and man-made!
Here are Richard Goode’s 6 reasons for a triathlon training camp in Tenerife
It's got it all
Tenerife is the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, it is less windy than Lanzarote and has more miles of cycling routes than Gran Canaria. One of its biggest attractions is the 3,718 metre climb to Mt. Teide, which can be done from sea-level, making it the longest continuous climb in Europe.
For a relatively small island it has a huge amount of high quality sports facilities. Our days start with training in the 50m long course swimming pool, before tackling a climb up the infamous Mt.Teide in the afternoon. We then finished the day with a hired 400m lane on a running track. There are also possibilities for open water swims.
Whilst Mt.Teide, right at the centre of the island, has been made famous by pro-cycling camps there are many other cycling routes to choose from, you don't have to just climb to the top each day! For a flavour of the scenery and facilities check out our training camp video from 2018.
Image credit: Photo by Y S on Unsplash 
Training in the presence of champions
Whilst there are a myriad of benefits to a training camp, possibly the biggest benefit and certainly one of my favourite elements is the esteemed company we very regularly find ourselves in. During our 2 hour swimming sessions in the fully equipped Olympic Pool, we are very often surrounded by champion swimmers from other countries. It's a great opportunity just to observe the fantastic ability of these athletes in the water.
On our rides up Mount Teide we share the roads with champion athletes, the most notable being last year, when we met 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and had the opportunity to get some photos with him.
Likewise, at the running training centre the calibre of athlete we rub shoulders with is astonishing. One year we were fortunate enough to share the track with the 4x400m USA Relay Team! Being able to train in the presence of such amazing athletes is incredibly inspirational for any beginner age-group or competitive athlete. It provides a brilliant opportunity to watch the best train.”
Elevate your performance with altitude gains
The altitude training that the athletes are completing is undoubtedly another benefit given its proven efficacy in enhancing the ability of athletes in all three triathlon sports; it gives the athletes a real lift when they get back to the UK and is something many will be unable to recreate in the U.K.
In 2018, an athlete came to our training camp who was very new to duathlon. I had entered them into a competition for the day we got back from the camp, he won by 41 seconds! He then went on to win not only the British, but also the World Duathlon Championships in the same year.
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
Warm weather training
Quite possibly the most important benefit of a training camp, and what makes them so popular, is the warm weather and excellent training conditions. Being able to train in beautiful weather for five days when we have rather dismal weather at home is incredibly motivational for athletes.
Living and breathing triathlon 24/7
The extended amount of time I have with the athletes on these camps allows me to complete more in depth and personal coaching, and allows them to focus on the training planned. I ensure that we offer a more holistic approach than is often possible back at home, for example, we live and breathe training with 3 activities everyday so rest is incredibly important and I make sure all my athletes take a good amount of rest to ensure they are firing on all cylinders.
We can also focus on nutrition in a more proactive way, the food in Tenerife is fantastic in general but we have a very healthy and nutrient rich diet in our camps that helps support the athletes and the effort they are putting in.
image credit Photo by Bastian Pudill on Unsplash
Time to focus on technology and feedback
A training camp allows me , and the other qualified coaches I worked with, to use technology I often wouldn’t have the time to use back in the UK. The changes in technology in the years I have been doing these camps have been incredible. At the beginning we were relying mostly on a trained eye and educated guesses when it came to metrics and form. Now however, we have a huge amount of possibilities at our disposal from slow motion running capture to GoPro for various angles of the same phase.
One of the areas that was lagging behind in terms of performance analysis was swimming technique but INCUS has changed that with its World-first technology and insights . This year I combined use of the INCUS | NOVA device with underwater video footage of the athletes in the pool giving the best all round performance feedback possible.
As well as being able to provide the data and numbers, INCUS has been invaluable in being able to differentiate between each side of the body, providing each athlete with personalised feedback for which specific areas to address. I can’t wait to see what INCUS can do for running performance.
Are you ready to perform better?
Goode2Tri’s next camp, which will be utilising INCUS technology and allowing athletes to try the product for themselves, will be on February 22nd 2021. Visit Goode2Tri for more information.
All are welcome to visit Richard’s training facility in Worcestershire, where he is happy to give trials of the INCUS system.
Want to start improving your performance today? Time to visit our SHOP and join the many other INCUS-enabled athletes, like Clare Cashmore, already benefiting from our unique insights and world-first technology.
