Scottish Triathletes head for warm weather camp

​Scotland’s promising triathlon talent will swap their Christmas shopping for a warm weather training camp on the Canary Islands.
(retrieved from http://www.triathlonscotland.org/newsArticle.cfm?id=527; 24 Nov 2010)
 
Eleven members of triathlonscotland’s Performance programme, including 2010 Strathclyde Park ETU European Cup winner Ritchie Nicholls, pictured right, will head to Fuertaventura on 17 December, returning on Christmas Eve.
The week-long camp for members of the Development and Podium Level squads will focus on some intensive technical training as the athletes prepare for the 2011 season.
National Performance Development Coach Chris Volley and Assistant National Coach Blair Cartmell are hopeful elite Danish triathlete Rasmus Henning will meet up with the squads and pass on the knowledge which has seen him win the 2009 European Long Distance Championships ad compete at the 2004 Olympic Games.
At the same time, the Foundation squad will meet on 19 December, to build upon the work undertaken at two camps this month.
The first, held at the end of October at the Stirling Performance Centre, based at the University of Stirling, was led by Linda McLean. Working alongside top age group competitor Martin Gore, an Edinburgh RC club member, Stewart Bailey and Psychology Masters student Brigitta Walner, the athletes identified key areas for development.
“It is all about ensuring athletes are focusing on their key limiting points,” explained Chris Volley. “By identifying them, the coaches can then help and support the athletes to change and improve.
“Each triathlete left with three key aims to develop ahead of the next camp, which can be everything from basic conditioning movements to changing their swim or run action. We don’t expect them to solve everything in one go, but start to tackle them with our support.
“The camps aim to foster an atmosphere of learning and development and by extending the areas of support through people like Linda, Martin and Brigitta, the athletes will gather knowledge in different areas while the coaches can also take their skills back to deliver to the Scottish club triathletes.”
The next camp, for Foundation and non-centralised athletes, takes place on 26-27 November in Stirling, led by Bailey.
 
Image: Ritchie Nicholls crosses the line at Strathclyde Park/Photo courtesy of Imac Images