So… we recently came home from Riva del Garda after a week of bloody hard work. It was supposed to be a low intensity camp, they said. It was supposed to be fun, they said. They were wrong.

No, I’m tiny bit over dramatic like usual, but about the low intensity part I wasn’t joking. Our coaches called it a boot camp to really get a kick start to our dryland training. We had 19 sessions in 5 days, that means an average of 3,8 sessions a day. Anybody who can do math know that’s quite a lot. This camp was all about pushing the limits for how much you can do, how much you can push yourself to your limit and figuring out where those limits are. Its more of a mental game than a physical one. Our coaches planed it to be as stressful as it could be, with barely enough time to eat and not much time to recover between each session. Our days were varied, but they all started with getting up at 5.30 AM for the morning jog, before breakfast. Then it continued with hiking or/and running like crazy people through town before the sun had shown its face to solve puzzles and quests. Biking….and A LOT of it…I still can’t feel my ass and I’m quite sure I’m not the only one saying that. We biked around the whole lake, had strength sessions, hill intervals, windsurfing, etc, and it all ended with a triathlon. Not a full one off course, then we would for sure have died, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t die just a little bit. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been that tired. No matter how much training and exercise they threw at us, we only came out the other side stronger… There is a reason they have a saying: – What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger…literally and metaphorically.

As top athletes you are in a very fortunate position… All you do and practically every choice you have to take are in regards of trying to be the best you can be. Competing with the best in the world, makes only the best good enough. Super selfish, I know, and especially when you do an individual sport too. Its not everyone who can go to work and try to get fitter, stronger and only do stuff that makes YOU better. Doesn’t mean its easy though; there are no excuses, no one to blame but yourself. Then again, you get the satisfaction and reward when you stand at the top of the podium, thinking back to moments when you pushed yourself harder than you thought was possible.

Now awaits a week of training and physical testing. If you asked me a week ago, I would say I was dreading those tests cause they are tough! After that week in Garda and when I’m feeling tired, I’m more like…”When is the next session?”

  
I stole some photos from our Norwegian Alpine Ski Team (Ladies) Facebook page as well: