TRIATHLON TRAINING CAMPS: AN IDEAL GETAWAY FOR YOU BOTH

When my trihubby told me he wanted to go to a triathlon training camp to up his game, I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect or if I even wanted to tag along.  We have written about the various types of camps, but until recently, I’d never been.  I just knew they ranged the spectrum from group housing to pick your own place to stay and that I would pretty much be on my own during the day.  So, my initial reaction was, “have fun”.

When he told me he was choosing Matt Dixon’s PurplePatch Fitness camp in Sausalito, California, however, I chose to tag along.  Duh….. He also told me we could stay at the host hotel or pick our own, but that the camp was going to be a 3-day, all-day ordeal.  Knowing that the only criteria he cared about was that he didn’t have to drive too far, it became more about me at this point.  Yeah!!!  So, MY base camp research began.

Which “camp” are you in?

Being a triathlete’s wife, I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping myself entertained and being pretty self-sufficient.  But, hey, I was going to take advantage of time away, so this became all about what I wanted in a weekend getaway.  He was getting to rise early everyday; sit and listen to lectures on nutrition, the art of climbing up hills, etc; and be put through grueling workouts for 3 glorious days!  So, why shouldn’t I get my ideal getaway too, right?  Hmmmm, let’s see:

• a restaurant
• a spa
• a gym or easy & safe area to walk/run
• activities
• shuttles
• a town for shopping

Now, as far as locations go, he could not have picked better. Sausalito, just across the Golden Gate Bridge, is not too shabby.

A view of the San Francisco skyline from the grounds of Cavallo Point.

Having lived in both northern and southern California, I knew the area fairly well.  Plus, we have friends who live in Napa that we have not seen in several years, so this would be a great opportunity to add on a visit – just like I try and do after triathlons.  After looking at my options, I chose Cavallo Point as it essentially met all of my criteria.  I think having a restaurant on the property was probably most important, as I would be eating breakfast and lunch alone and may not always have a car.

A view of the hotel and some of the activities offered.

The weekend ended up being a definite win-win for both of us.  He learned so much (didn’t know there was much left he didn’t know), met so many nice like-minded people, and got to come back to a gorgeous room and have dinner at great area restaurants.

I got to explore the area, enjoy a morning at the spa, take a hike through the Marin Headlands (we walked up to the Golden Gate Bridge, down to the beach, back up, and back down to the hotel in 2 1/2 hrs), walk around Sausalito, read books, chat with many nice people, try out my new Lumix camera, do some work for this blog, drink some Napa Valley wine, people watch, and shop.  Whew.  Sounds like I did have a great time and I’d say I got the better end of the deal, but I’m sure he’d disagree……

The moral of the story is this:  If your triathlete tells you he wants to go to a triathlon training camp, don’t just dismiss the idea of you going along, like I was ready to do.  Check out the area and see if you can make a nice weekend out of it for yourself.  Why should your triathlete have all the fun?

If you are interested in learning more about Cavallo Point, I did a review on Traveling Mom, so be sure to  check it out.  I give you all the scoop….

DO YOU GO TO TRAINING CAMPS WITH YOUR TRIATHLETE?

Sherry Wernicke

Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.