Camelback Coaching

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Fountain Hills, AZ
Camelback Coaching

Camelback Coaching is a triathlon coaching company. We offer custom training plans, run technique sessions, underwater swim video analysis and swim instruction.

Sports Training

09/07/2026

Tip of the week - How to utilize run/walk ratios to get through a tough race.

In long distance triathlons or ultra runs we often come to a point in the race where all seems lost. We have no energy, may be sick and each step seems to require herculean effort. This point in a race is a great time to put run/walk ratios to use! When the wheels come off in a race, we often just start walking for an undetermined amount of time. We'll just walk a bit and see if we start to feel better or we might say we'll just walk through the aid station but then that becomes the next tree of the next road sign, etc. We basically keep moving the target and just keep walking. A more disciplined approach is to use your watch and create a run/walk ratio that you can wrap your head around and stick to. A good one is to run 2 min and then walk 1 minute. You can get your head around running for 2 min! If you did this for the entire marathon, you would end up running 66% of the run! Keep the ratios short so that you can mentally deal with the running and stick to the ratio like a dog. Do not deviate. Just become a robot and you will get to the finish before you know it. Better to have 3 wheels still working than have all four fall off!

08/31/2026

Tip of the week - How to run with your bike in transitions.

Getting through transitions quickly is key when racing triathlons. The best way to improve your transition times is to run fast with your bike. A lot of time can be gained if you are able to run quickly with your bike to the bike mount line or back to your transition area after dismounting your bike. The fastest and easiest way to run with your bike is to position yourself to the side and towards the rear of the bike and placing your hand on the saddle so that you can push the bike as you run. This technique keeps your ankles clear of the crank arms or any other portion of the bike and allows an upright position that is good for running. Steer the bike by simply leaning the the bike one way or the other. It is easy to steer the faster you are running. Give it a try in the driveway and then use this technique in your next race!

08/24/2026

Tip of the week - How to ease into the swim

A Lot of trouble can happen in the start of a triathlon swim. Many middle of the pack swimmers hear the gun go off and immediately start sprinting as though the swim was a 50m free! By starting too fast you cause two major issues. The first one is that you are likely way above threshold pace and will eventually become hypoxic and suddenly feel like your wetsuit is too small and that you cannot get enough air. A full blown panic attack can soon set in. This is why most DNFs in the swim occur in the first 400m. The second thing that happens is that you can end up swimming with the truly good swimmers. These athletes are confident and fast and will have no problem swimming over you as you tire. The end result is that you will suffer a lot of contact. The easy fix to these problems is to count to 30 before you start swimming! This gives your wave time to spread out a bit and will get you in the mindset that nothing is going to be decided in the first 50m. You can then ease into your swim and swim your race!

08/18/2026

Tip of the week - warming up for races

Getting your body warmed up and ready to go is key for peak performance in any race but how much and how hard? First, a warm up run is the easiest and best warm up to do not matter what the sport. The run will get your blood moving, increase your core temperature and open your aerobic pathways faster than any other form of exercise. A good rule is that the shorter the race, the longer and more in-depth your warm up should be since you will be operating at max capacity right from the gun. The longer a race gets the shorter the warm up can be since you will have many miles to ease into the event. For 5Ks, 10Ks or Sprint/Olympic Tris, do a 20 min run with 3 x 30 sec efforts at race pace mixed in. Complete this warm up with 30 min to go to the start of the race. For 1/2 marathon, marathon, 70.3 and Ironman racing, simply jump around a bit and do some light stretching - you are going to need your energy for the long day ahead!

08/10/2026

Tip of the week - Head position when swimming

The easiest way to reduce drag while swimming is to have a proper body position int he water. Your shoulders, hips and feet should be on the same plane. May people have a position where the hips are lower than the shoulders and the feet are lower than the hips. This creates a lot of drag. The easiest way to correct your body position is to have correct head position. Focus on keeping your head down, not looking forward. By keeping the head down, you will allow your hips and feet to rise up and be in line with your shoulders. Imagine a laser coming out of the top of your head. Aim that laser at the wall. Another idea is to imagine having to hold a tennis ball between your chin and chest. Keep that head down, raise the hips and swim like a fish!

08/03/2026

Tip of the week - tape your bike number to your seatpost.

At many triathlon races, you are required to have your race number taped to your bike. Sometimes you are provided a few zip ties and a big, bulky race number that many people attach to the frame just behind that head tube. A more elegant solution is to attach the number to your seatpost. Cut the number until it is as small as you can get it without cutting the actual number. Then tape the number to your seat post so that is flags rearward. Some after market number holders make using tape unnecessary. Give it a try!

07/29/2026

Tip of the week - minimal flat tire kit

Whenever your train or race on your bike, you should always bring enough of a tire repair kit to fix one flat tire. At a minimum this will help you finish the race or at least ride back to the transition area. So, this is what you need: One CO2 cartridge with inflator nozzle, one replacement inner tube and one tire iron. That's it. This is all you need to fix a flat clincher tire. Pack it all in a small saddlebag that is no bigger then your fist. Secure this under your saddle and you are good to go!

07/20/2026

Tip of the week - how to breathe when running.

Don't overthink this one. When we exercise, our body will find the most efficient way to get oxygen. Focus on relaxing your shoulders - don't shrug. Keep your hands relaxed as well - gently press your thumb and forefinger together. Breathe normally through your mouth and nose. Never force a breathing pattern or rhythm. Doing so will impede your body's natural instinct to get air. Breathing will be easy and silent when running slowly and become more labored and loud when you work hard. Let it happen naturally!

07/13/2026

Tip of the week - Go Big!

Endurance athletes can sometimes fall into the same routine each year. They go to the same races or choose races that have faster courses to feed their egos. Over time, this routine can feel stale and we can lose some of the excitement that we felt early in our careers. When this happens, it is time to step up and truly challenge yourself to see what you can do. Look for races that are really hard and make you question whether you can even finish them. Having them take place in an epic location makes the challenge even better. Two races come to mind that you should absolutely put on your list. The Alpe d'Huez Triathlon and the Embrunman Triathlon. Both take place in the French alps. The Alpe d'Huez race is a 2.2km swim, 118km bike and 19.2km run. The bike finishes up the ultra famous 21 switchbacks of the Alpe d'Huez climb that features in the Tour de France! Embrunman is an Ironman distance race that includes climbing the equally famous Col d'Izoard. The swim is completed mostly in the dark of early morning. Many Europeans will measure your endurance worth as to whether or not you have done Embrunman. All other races are - "meh". Consider the gauntlet thrown!

07/06/2026

Tip of the week - Fast descending positions.

When descending a long straight away, you can gain quite a bit of sped by using an aggressive aerodynamic position. These positions are best used on a long straight away where you are going so fast that you are no longer pedaling. Keep your feet horizontal in both positions. One option is to slide your butt towards the rear of the saddle and put your chin almost on top of your stem. Bend your elbows and move your hands as narrow as you can get them. Another risky option is to actually sit on the top tube to get even more aerodynamic! If you encounter any high speed wobbles, simply squeeze your knees against the top tube and this will dampen the oscillations.

Address

Fountain Hills, AZ

Telephone

+16023614159

Website

http://www.camelbackcoaching.com/

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