Saturday the 12th of April saw the launch of the academy proper and the first real training session, many thanks to all the athletes and parents for braving the elements and coming down to Kelly College in Devon, I would also like to thank the coaching staff which consisted of Harry Wiltshire (Regional talent ID officer), Andy Bullock (Regional Development coach), Rob Moore (Regional Development coach), Andy Gardner (Tri team Glos) and Martin Allen (www.trisportuk.org).

What we did on Saturday
First off we got some turn buoys in the swimming pool and practices open water starts, the different ways to swim around a buoy, swimming in a group and taking a draft both on feet and under the shoulder. We also looked at sighting the buoys and staying on course. Well done to James who managed to save the boys a little bit of face, although it did look like Jessica was going to show us all up at one stage.
 
 
We then headed out on the mountain bikes where Rob went through technique for riding up and down hills, gear selection, getting on and off the bike, cornering and how to keep a smile on your face during a sleet storm on Dartmoor in April.
 
After Lunch Andy B's teeth were still chattering so Andy G ran through 9 basic Strength and Conditioning exercises that will really help to reduce your risk of getting injured. I've attached a copy of these so that you can go through them on a regular basis.
     
 
Mentors
This is the key part of our academy; you should all know who your mentor is. It is your job to keep them update with your training, let them know what competitions you have got coming up and generally keep them posted. The more they get from you the more they can help and advise you building links with your personal support network and single discipline clubs. We are lucky enough to have mentors with huge experience in the world of multisport. So whether the question is “what should look for in my first bike” or “how do I balance my swim and run training” they are there to help.  I can guarantee that any problem of issue you have you won't be the first person to have had it, so by taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available you can avoid having to make some of the mistakes that other athletes have made in the past.

 
What’s Next
The next time we will meet as a group will be at the Gloucester Tri on the 1st of June; this encompasses the Inter regional Championships trials. The other date for your diary is the 20th of July when we will meet at the Plymouth Aquathlon and run an open water session after the race. During August we will organise a training day prior to the Inter Regional Championships in September, then once the season is over and we have dates for next winters major swimming and athletic events we will arrange our winter schedule of monthly training days. We plan to include a trip to the velodrome, some bmx riding, a frosty winter duathlon and much much more!