5 ways your cottage long weekend can become a mini training camp

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Another long weekend is on the horizon in most Canadian provinces. This means that many people will pack up and head out of town for some rest and relaxation at a cottage.

If you’re currently in the middle of your marathon build, you might not have three days to entirely neglect your training. But the good news is, the long weekend is the ideal time to create a mini training camp, no matter where your weekend takes you. 

You don’t have to be an elite heading to altitude to create a training camp. A training camp is just a few days in a new setting with an extra emphasis on running and recovery. The cottage is, in fact, the ideal place to do that. 

Canadian distance runner Sasha Gollish left the city for the summer to train up north. The Torontonian has been living and training out of her cottage, which is roughly two hours northwest of the city. 

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“Right outside my door I have the cottage roads for a total of roughly 21 kilometres. And if that wasn’t enough I can drive over to Balm Beach and run under the tree canopy that covers Tiny Beaches Road,” Gollish says. “From there you could run all the way to Wasaga Beach along the water if you want. When I don’t want to head into town for a lift one of my neighbours lets me into his garage, where he has a squat rack set up, and a whole slew of free weights.”

Gollish continued, “There is nothing better than jumping in the car and heading up to the cottage. I’m really fortunate and I can take my PhD project with me anywhere, so early in the year I started planning for a summer of training at the cottage. ”

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Five reasons to make your cottage weekend a mini training camp:

1. When you leave the big city, access to trails and soft surfaces are plentiful and easier to get to.  Running on concrete day in and day out can take a toll on your legs. Mix up the surface you’re training on by adding in some trail runs to your weekend mileage. Your body will thank you in September. 
2. Take the opportunity to top up your runs with a little cross-training. Love swimming and or biking? Perfect. The cottage usually has a lake or river steps from your door, along with winding roads that are nearly empty. Take advantage of these “facilities” by adding in a little extra training without any of the impact. 
3. Use the extra time to prioritize sleep and nutrition. Use the extra 24 hours in your weekend to make a nice meal or two, and maybe even take a nap. Nutrition and sleep are nearly as important as the training itself. You can’t work hard without taking time to build you body back up after breaking it down. 
4. Recovery tools at your finger tips. A post-run swim is basically an ice bath. So hop in after your run and recover those legs. 
5. Relax. A happy runner is a fast runner. Spending time with friends and family in a place that you love is great for your mind, which will translate to better running.