The Pro Experience
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 7:00AM
John, Jessie, and some of the campers at this year's ZenTri Camp
Some friends and I call hanging out with pro triathlete John Hirsch the "John Hirsch Experience." It really is amazing to see how a pro grabs life by the horns to get in all the training necessary to be successful. At ZenTri Base and Nutrition Camp, it's a total immersion program where you get to see some great athletes making it all work every day. It is an opportunity to learn a lot.
John biked between locations instead of driving a car. That's pretty cool, especially because the mileage that adds up is substantial. San Diego is great for this because there's bike lanes everywhere.
He also got up and moving with incredible efficiency in the mornings. I was sleeping in the same room as John at our camp, and was surprised how fast he got going. There was definitely no hitting the snooze button. His alarm went off, he got up, and his training day began right then. In comparison, I was trying to motivate myself to get up and get moving while he was already downstairs and making a pre-run snack.
John's early rises have a lot to do with his bedtime. I get made fun of for having an alarm on my phone that reminds me to go to sleep at 9:00 PM. Well, when my alarm went off, John had already been in bed for half an hour. Wow.
Jessi Stensland was at camp, too. She's an age-grouper now, but she was a world-class pro for many years. Her approach to food was great; she treated it as fuel for the day and didn't get caught up in any kind of emotional eating. Eat right and train well was what it all boiled down to. The greatest part was that she eats so focused, but doesn't seem to work at it at all.
I love coming home from camp and putting into practice what I saw around me. No matter how much somebody tries to tell you how to get it all done, nothing is quite like seeing it in action.
Here's to a great start to the year and hopefully seeing you at next year's camp!
Reader Comments (1)
It's amazing to see pro athletes bond and enjoy every moment of adventure.