Who would have thought triathlon would get so popular and take such a leading edge in Lifestyle that a kind of training tourism would become an actual thing at the amateur level? Though romantic visions of following the sun and training in places like Stellenbosch and Boulder sound like a reality reserved for professional triathletes, the idea that Normals would take the same approach is still fairly novel.

Offering training camps on Gran Canaria, Elite Training Experience (ETE) recently launched with just this type of approach; Spend a week of your winter in the acceptable climes south of Northern Europe and seek a new level of fitness in the off-season.

ETE have established a set of parameters to make sure their clients know they’re in for a proper training week. With TriSutto Coach Perry Agass leading the training programme, camps are restricted to maximum-sized groups of 14 triathletes, a quota that allows each athlete to receive one-on-one advice on how to improve their technique and fitness across all three disciplines. Perry’s expertise is supplemented by a selection of elite athletes including Double Commonwealth Games Champion Jodie Stimpson who will be helping at a mid-September camp for short distance ambitions, while seasoned pro’s Steve Osborne and Matt Leeman will coach longer distance athletes in subsequent camps.

Though the Autumn training camps sound exceptional and challenging, Elite Training Experience and founder Julian Hucker make it clear that coaches can cater for all levels of ability within a single group. Ambition and commitment appear to be more important principles.

Even if a hardcore training week isn’t for you, think about the sleep, food and recovery scene in a luxury hotel located in Maspalomas, then figure out how much training you need to do to truly deserve some self-investment.

Dive further into ETE’s blog and it looks as though a Stellenbosch training camp may be on the horizon. This prospect – of being trained by elite coaches alongside the best off-season athletes in the world – could well be your best opportunity to bask in a multi-sport lifestyle like Jan Frodeno.

Ping an email to camps@elitetrainingexperience.com stating your interest and see how you can make a 21-degree-Celsius winter a reality worth training for.