Chris “Macca” McCormack hits Asia, February 2010

Following on from the success of the Macca-X BPM Pro camp last July, Multiple World Champion triathlete and friend of BPM, Chris “Macca” McCormack returned to Singapore for a 3 day training camp with athletes from Singapore and Hong Kong. Prior to the camp, Chris made headlines with his comment “I am the fittest man in the world” and everyone was keen to see exactly how true this statement was.

Day 1 started at the track and camp participants being offered the chance to trial Newton running shoes thanks to our friends at Key Power International and Newton. What followed was a grueling 2 hour track session that had Chris pushing athletes to their limits and seeing what they were really capable of. What many participants believed to be impossible, slowly became very possible. The BPM Coaches were extremely impressed with several athletes who pulled out Personal best times on the track. What a fantastic way to start the Camp!

 All enjoyed a recovery jog through the East Coast Park to breakfast where we were able to refuel and get to know each other better before another light jog to camp HQ and the day of training that lay ahead.

 The group was split into 2 to allow athletes to receive personalised attention from Daniel and Sarah from Focus Pilates or from camp host Chris McCormack at the simulated open water swim session in the leisure pool of Costa Del Sol – much nicer than swimming in the murky ocean off the coast of Singapore!

The Pilates session, run by our friends at Focus Pilates was introduced this year after several requests by previous camp participants. The session was aimed at teaching everyone the importance of good core strength for triathlon and the importance of regular muscular releases thanks to the dreaded “foam roller”. Participants walked away from the session with a new found understanding of “engaging” the core and just how much a foam roller can hurt the ITB, hamstring, calf, trapezius…….!

 Meanwhile, the open water swim taught participants the importance of sighting, correct buoy rounding and Macca’s secret weapons to ensure you exit the swim leg near the front.

 After a busy morning of training and learning, participants enjoyed the opportunity for some lunch, a chat and plenty of laughs before the 2 groups were swapped for more torture…sorry, that is training. The afternoon was spent listening to Chris tell stories of life as a Pro triathlete and answering athletes questions. You could have heard a pin drop as Chris answered all questions thrown at him and everyone listened intently to all of the inside tips and tricks of the trade learnt over many years on the road training, living and racing with the best in the world. It was then home for an early night and to get ready for 2 days of training in Malaysia.

 Day 2 started with athletes meeting at Changi Point Ferry Terminal where they caught a traditional bumboat across the Straits of Melaka to Pengerang in Malaysia. From here, the group headed out on a 140km ride along the coastal road towards Desaru and Sedili Kecil. The pack managed a steady pace for the first 50km to Desaru before splitting into smaller groups with many determined to make the turn around point.

The heat of Desaru and the intensity of the session saw a few fall behind and taking the smart decision to opt for a shorter ride at a more manageable pace with one of the BPM Coaches. The lead pack continued to push the pace until the turn around where they happily enjoyed a short rest and refuel thanks to Shotz Nutrition, before heading back to Desaru and the camp base for the next 2 days…..but not before a short run off the bike.

Lunch brought a welcome break and respite from the heat as everyone devoured their lunches and inhaled plenty of Iced Milo’s which became one of the favoured recovery drinks of the weekend. After some down time, the day finished with a short recovery swim, welcome pre-dinner drinks and a BBQ dinner. Exhausted from the day, athletes headed to bed early for some much needed rest.

Day 3 began at sunrise where athletes gathered by the pool at the request of Chris through their personal Valentines Day card! This Valentines Day wasn’t going to be filled with beachside strolls or candle lit dinners though. The group was once again put through their paces in the pool ahead of another day of riding and running.

After breakfast, camp participants gathered at the hotel foyer and set up their transition in preparation for the upcoming brick session. Everyone headed out on their bikes for a warm up loop and then unleashed their inner Tiger for a further 1 lap followed by a run off the bike. This was then repeated depending on each individual level of training and abilities. Everyone had the opportunity for hit outs during this session with Macca “in their ear” pushing them to places some have never been…and surviving. All finished pleased with their efforts but mindful of the hot, unrelenting ride back to the ferry.

With lunch over, participants prepared for the final ride back to the ferry. Many athletes were by now already at their peak training load so the group worked together to ensure everyone made it back safely, although it did become evident that some had not hydrated well enough throughout the day and required a little extra assistance to make it. Training in tough conditions with big training loads such as this teaches people one thing if nothing else…listen to the coach and correct hydration and fueling is the key. Back at Pengerang and everyone was happy to be on the ferry for the 45 minute ride back to Singapore.

 No BPM Macca-X camp is complete without a post camp dinner, and this was no exception. All participants and some families gathered at Café Iguana, Clarke Quay for a dinner of beer, margaritas and all things Mexican! As soon as the food arrived, it was devoured by anyone within reaching distance – a sign of a good training weekend and great food!! BPM and sponsors for the night, Café Iguana were happy to put on free beer and Margarita’s as we were confident that given how tired everyone was they’d struggle to get more than a glass and a half down……we were wrong! As the drinks and food flowed the volume rose and the laughter increased. 

Once dinner was finished, it was time for Macca’s camp awards which saw a couple of “Tigers Unleashed” in Tomoya and Yolanda who both received Year of the Tiger shirts thanks to our good friends Paul and Celeste at Trix-Gear. Other awards for the night went to Richard, who picked up an Orca full length speed suit as worn by Macca, Ian who took home the second only pair of Under Armour prototype training shoes as designed by Macca and the team at Under Armour and Kevin who managed to snare a limited edition Under Armour cycling kit designed for Macca himself. Others received race kits, sunglasses, training gear and more due to their efforts over the weekend.

It was a night of laughter and sharing some great tales from the past few days with new friends. With the eyes slowly dropping and the beer and margarita’s running out, it was time to say goodnight to everyone and wish them well for their upcoming races

BPM and Macca wish to pass on a huge thank you for the participation from a wonderful crew of athletes during the camp. Everyone got into the spirit of the Macca-X BPM training camp whether they were seasoned, top level ironman athletes or first season short course triathletes wanting to learn from the best. As coaches and professional athletes, it is always great to see participants trying new skills and developing their race techniques.