Performance Cycling's first camp hosted by Parkside Resort and Spa in downtown Victoria was an absolute success. During the week, clients were exposed to a scaled version of the training a professional cyclist would undergo in preparation for their upcoming season.
Andreas (L) and Seamus prepare workout equipment for participants
Seamus McGrath and Andreas Hestler both Canadian Olympians founded Performance Cycling Camps (PCC) to ensure that the knowledge they gained with the Canadian National Cycling Team and their combined experience of over 40 cycling years was not lost, but passed on. Having both competed in short course World Cup style and the new growth sector of Epic Mountain biking such as BC Bike Race, they saw an exchange of knowledge was needed in the pre-season to ensure people’s absolute achievement of their summer goals, whatever they were.
Trailside views off Vancouver island
During the camp all facets of building a complete cycling season were covered. During the days, base miles; both long road and mountain bike rides were provided with some technical practice thrown in, while the evenings were reserved for cross training and an exchange of knowledge. The evening sessions saw a diverse range of offerings; physiological testing with useable heart rate and wattage zones provided, core strength training, stretching, video position analysis, bike set up, season preparation, mental training, goal setting, recovery techniques and a nutritional discussion was also conducted. To aid in recovery, the clients were treated to a hydrotherapy session and a massage mid-week.
Road riding from the hotel? Yeah, that's what the pros do for training.
Client Craig Gillette said “I learned so much during the camp; Andreas and Seamus really know a lot about cycling. I can’t wait to put some of the fitness and knowledge I gained into training for this year’s BC Bike Race.”
Victoria, the former Canadian National Cycling Training Center was chosen for the wide variety of available facilities and the bike friendly nature of the city cannot be matched anywhere else.
Victoria offers lots of cycling opportunities on and off road--and it's the Jewel of British Columbia.
A special ‘thank you’ goes out to Parkside Hotel in Victoria, www.parksidevictoria.com, who hosted this year’s camp, providing us with excellent facilities and luxurious accommodations. Performance Cycling Camps will be hosting another training camp in December 2010.