Club La Santa training camp: 6-13 March 2008
STRONG March winds may have been blowing across the island of Lanzarote, but that didn’t stop a group of four Stubbies from enjoying a week of warm weather training and action packed multi-sport racing.
For Mark Le Gassick, Mike Harper, and Andy Simpson it was their third visit to Club La Santa - the well renowned training camp that provides athletes from across Europe with first class training facilities, including a 50m Olympic sized swimming pool, athletics track, fully equipped gymnasium, plus a variety of fitness classes and a personal coaching service.
For Club La Santa debutant, Ray Gunner, the trip enabled him to get in some quality training and racing, as well as providing him with the opportunity to try a number of new activities, such as spinning and windsurfing.
As usual, most days started bright and early with a steady 5k run around the lagoon, with the exception of the first day when we opted for the 8k off road run that took us out across the rock-strewn tracks and lava fields surrounding the camp.
After soaking our legs in the icy cold waters of the leisure pool, breakfast was usually followed by a group class, such as stretch and relax, yoga, or Pilates. These classes are ideal because they stretch out all of the body’s muscle groups, and help to strengthen the core areas that are so important for good running performance, such as the lower back, abdominals, and external obliques.
On most days, at midday, we ventured down to the 50m swimming pool where, during the first part of the week, some seriously good swimming groups from Denmark and Germany were being put through their paces. With the aquathlon and mini triathlon races to prepare for later in the week, our much needed daily swim practice came in very useful.
During the afternoons, there was no less choice of sporting activities on offer - including hiring out road bikes, gym sessions, spinning classes, and windsurfing and kayaking down at the surf school. There were also a number of useful instructional classes to attend, such as an introduction to massage and a bike maintenance workshop.
On some evenings of the week, entertainment was laid on in the square at the centre of the complex, where we ate most nights. It included an amazingly bendy woman whose incredible spine-bending exploits brought tears to the eyes, a fantastic quartet of African acrobats, plus the legendary Club La Santa green team show involving comedy sketches and acrobatic and dance routines by the club’s instructors and coaches.
Race results
5k road race - Saturday 8th March
2 Mike 19.08
(19 finishers – 13 male, 6 female)
10k road race - Saturday 8th March
3 Andy 36.35
6 Ray 38.41
(13 finishers – 10 male, 3 female)
Concept II 200m rowing challenge (<75kg) – Sunday 9th March
2 Mark – 7.30
(3 finishers)
Duathlon (2.5k run, 14.8k cycle, 2.5k run) – Monday 10th March
5 Ray – 50.55 (10.07, 30.13, 10.37)
7 Andy – 52.45 (9.26, 33.04, 10.15)
(34 finishers – 17 male, 17 female)
Aquathlon (200m swim, 3k run) – Monday 10th March
4 Mike – 17.08 (4.32, 12.36)
7 Andy – 17.49 (5.53, 11.56)
(16 finishers – 9 male, 7 female)
Half-marathon – Tuesday 11th March
6 Andy Simpson – 1.25.21
7 Ray Gunner – 1.26.14
(56 finishers – 39 male, 17 female)
Club La Santa fitness challenge
The Club La Santa fitness challenge involves performing nine consecutive exercises in a specific order. The challenge is timed and there are three different difficulty levels to choose from - green (beginner), blue (intermediate), and red (advanced). The exercises are; fitness bike, rowing machine, hip flexors, press ups, sit ups, weighted step ups, shoulder press, running machine, and bench press.
Green level: Ray – 12.50, Mike – 13.01, Andy – 14.57
Blue level: Mark – 22.06
Mini triathlon (400m swim, 15.2k cycle, 4.8k run) – Wednesday 12th March
Individual
19 Andy – 1.02.58 (11.28, 33.59, 17.32)
(37 finishers – 19 male, 18 female)
Team
2 Mike/Mark/Ray – 54.47 (8.25, 29.15, 17.09)
(5 teams)