The following is a report from a guest at Brett Sutton's pro squad's training camp held in Red Deer, Alberta this summer.
Enjoy!
Ahhh, summer camp, soccer games, cookouts, hiking in the woods and just relaxing with bunkmates and counselors. Memories of chasing girls, bunk raids and practical jokes. Not at camp Sutto where the counselor is the world renowned triathlon coach Brett Sutton and your bunkmates are World Champions, World Cup Winners and all around wicked fast triathletes.
My coach, Marc Becker, set up the opportunity for me to work with Brett. I arrived at camp Sutto Monday evening in Red Deer, Alberta after racing that weekend and met my fellow campers, Emma Snowsill, Liz Blatchford, Mel Mitchell and Craig Walton. I roomed with Brett, Jen Rose, and Brett’s wonderful family. From the time I met Brett we were down to business. We talked over his philosophies, how we would reform my racing strategy and what he was doing with some of his top athletes. One thing that Brett emphasized is that all the workouts that he prescribes to his athletes are tailored to that athlete. Each athlete is different, has different strengths and weaknesses and training must be geared toward those individual attributes. Thus, although I was training most days in a group with my fellow campers all my workouts were tailored to me, and their workouts were specific for their goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
I am a scientist, believe in scientific method and am very scientific. Brett made sure to tell me everyday he was not scientific, not a scientist and didn’t believe in science. However, after working with Brett it is obvious to me this is not true. He is the most observant coach and watches and pays close attention to every detail of his athlete’s workouts. His observations are key to his method and direct each workout he gives his athletes. I know he’d argue this but this is my story and I’m sticking to it, Brett’s one of the best scientists I’ve ever seen and I know good scientists!
Training with Craig, Emma, Liz and Mel was incredible. These athletes keep things very simple training, recovering and doing it over and over. They also train harder than any athletes I’ve ever trained with. At each and every workout they were machines approaching each workout with complete focus and intensity. Even Glen, Liz’s boyfriend, had picked up this aura of excellence kicking my butt in the pool and riding with Craig and me on several of our rides. Furthermore, each athlete completely trusts that Brett will teach them what it takes to become a champion and after training and talking with him it was obvious why this was the case.
I was introduced to Ironman training Sutton style on my third day at camp. Brett had me run as many milers at the track as possible. Having Brett standing over me and watching every lap I was not going to stop until he said to stop. When things started getting real tough near the end Brett would say, “Ironman is for Iron men” and this had become very clear during this workout. After ten repeats and a good dose of sweat and dry heaves Brett gave me a dollar for a coke and said it was time for lesson #2, adversity. He told me to run home, which after several wrong turns was about a five mile run. I learned more about Ironman in that workout than anything we talked about the days before. The next day was followed up with a long “Ironman day” where Craig and I got to spend plenty of quality time together. By the end of the day I was curled up on my bed watching the ceiling spin when in came Liz with a pizza telling me I should be eating to recover for next days workouts. Not only were these guys incredible athletes but also incredible people.
By the end of the week I learned why these athletes were so good and why Brett is the most successful triathlon coach in the world. He is not scared to think outside the box and his athletes trust the workouts that they are doing are going to make them the best in the world. During my stay at Camp Sutto I quickly gained trust in Brett and his methods and became a believer in his system. And although there were no panty raids or campfires I bonded with my fellow campers and learned more in a week about triathlon than I have in my triathlon career from my counselor, Sutto.
--
ironguides.net : Home of The Method
Join the New Generation of Champions!
--- Your best is our business. ---
Enjoy!
Ahhh, summer camp, soccer games, cookouts, hiking in the woods and just relaxing with bunkmates and counselors. Memories of chasing girls, bunk raids and practical jokes. Not at camp Sutto where the counselor is the world renowned triathlon coach Brett Sutton and your bunkmates are World Champions, World Cup Winners and all around wicked fast triathletes.
My coach, Marc Becker, set up the opportunity for me to work with Brett. I arrived at camp Sutto Monday evening in Red Deer, Alberta after racing that weekend and met my fellow campers, Emma Snowsill, Liz Blatchford, Mel Mitchell and Craig Walton. I roomed with Brett, Jen Rose, and Brett’s wonderful family. From the time I met Brett we were down to business. We talked over his philosophies, how we would reform my racing strategy and what he was doing with some of his top athletes. One thing that Brett emphasized is that all the workouts that he prescribes to his athletes are tailored to that athlete. Each athlete is different, has different strengths and weaknesses and training must be geared toward those individual attributes. Thus, although I was training most days in a group with my fellow campers all my workouts were tailored to me, and their workouts were specific for their goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
I am a scientist, believe in scientific method and am very scientific. Brett made sure to tell me everyday he was not scientific, not a scientist and didn’t believe in science. However, after working with Brett it is obvious to me this is not true. He is the most observant coach and watches and pays close attention to every detail of his athlete’s workouts. His observations are key to his method and direct each workout he gives his athletes. I know he’d argue this but this is my story and I’m sticking to it, Brett’s one of the best scientists I’ve ever seen and I know good scientists!
Training with Craig, Emma, Liz and Mel was incredible. These athletes keep things very simple training, recovering and doing it over and over. They also train harder than any athletes I’ve ever trained with. At each and every workout they were machines approaching each workout with complete focus and intensity. Even Glen, Liz’s boyfriend, had picked up this aura of excellence kicking my butt in the pool and riding with Craig and me on several of our rides. Furthermore, each athlete completely trusts that Brett will teach them what it takes to become a champion and after training and talking with him it was obvious why this was the case.
I was introduced to Ironman training Sutton style on my third day at camp. Brett had me run as many milers at the track as possible. Having Brett standing over me and watching every lap I was not going to stop until he said to stop. When things started getting real tough near the end Brett would say, “Ironman is for Iron men” and this had become very clear during this workout. After ten repeats and a good dose of sweat and dry heaves Brett gave me a dollar for a coke and said it was time for lesson #2, adversity. He told me to run home, which after several wrong turns was about a five mile run. I learned more about Ironman in that workout than anything we talked about the days before. The next day was followed up with a long “Ironman day” where Craig and I got to spend plenty of quality time together. By the end of the day I was curled up on my bed watching the ceiling spin when in came Liz with a pizza telling me I should be eating to recover for next days workouts. Not only were these guys incredible athletes but also incredible people.
By the end of the week I learned why these athletes were so good and why Brett is the most successful triathlon coach in the world. He is not scared to think outside the box and his athletes trust the workouts that they are doing are going to make them the best in the world. During my stay at Camp Sutto I quickly gained trust in Brett and his methods and became a believer in his system. And although there were no panty raids or campfires I bonded with my fellow campers and learned more in a week about triathlon than I have in my triathlon career from my counselor, Sutto.
--
ironguides.net : Home of The Method
Join the New Generation of Champions!
--- Your best is our business. ---