If your family holiday is getting in the way of your training, don't worry #TeamTCUK athlete, Ed Crisp, has the answer!

It’s a perennial problem for the enthusiastic triathlete how to fit in everyday life around your training schedule, especially when coach is telling you consistency is the key.

Ideally you want to go into the season off the back of one of TCUKs excellent training camps (unconfirmed dates for 2023 out now). If you’re really lucky your partner and kids have also been bitten by the triathlon bug so book onto a training camp, happy days.

For those not so lucky, there is a possible family-friendly option available. In fact it’s so cunning the family may not even realise they have been duped into tagging along on a training camp with so many other distractions available.

The answer…Neilson Active Holidays (no, I’m not sponsored by them before you ask just impressed at what they have to offer in solving the family holiday/ training camp conundrum).

I’ve have just returned from my third visit to Neilson Messini Beach Club in the Peloponnese region of the Greek mainland. Just a short 20 minute transfer from the very small Kalamata International Airport (not too far to drag your bike box). You can fly there from Manchester, Birmingham and London airports.

The resort itself is set in pleasant well-maintained grounds just back from a beautiful sandy beach and turquoise sea. With a choice of hotel rooms or small apartment blocks there are a variety of rooms. We opted for one of the garden apartments with two balconies (one for relaxing, one for bike storage)

Swim
For the stealth triathlete on holiday this particular resort offers two pools. One is at the Messini Beach Club which is almost 50 metres long. The other is at the neighbouring hotel Buca Beach Club, is 45 metres long and is an elevated pool and has a glass side ideal if you want to enrol family members to film you for stroke analysis.

 

For open water practice the sea nearby is a very nice bay which does have a life guard on duty. In addition to surreptitiously enrollingl family members into your stealth training camp, there are sit on kayaks and stand-up paddle boards available for them to accompany you.

Swimming lessons are also available for swimmers of all abilities.
 

Bike
Bikes are available. They are currently using Boardman Bikes (Road, Gravel and MTB). You can upgrade to a premium bike which is a slightly better bike and is assigned to you for the duration of your stay. Personally, I like to take my own bike. The bike team do have a work stand and track pump that they let you use to build your bike if you so wish.

Messini Beach Club is apparently one of the best out of all the Neilson destinations for cycling offering both guided road and mountain bike riding.

The rides are graded like ski runs green, blue, red and black (easy to hard) in addition to this you can just free ride (You can find the routes on Strava search for Neilson Messini Buca Bike Team)

There’s a short ride into the nearby town (30km round trip) which has a great selection of cafes and ice cream shops that you can tempt the family along to under the guise of sight seeing

 

Run
The area around Messini Beach Club is largely agricultural and there's minimal traffic on the roads if road running is your bag. In addition, some of the shorter mountain bike routes (see Strava) make suitable trail running routes. For sadists who like running on sand, the beach extends for several kilometres.

If you don’t fancy running on sand or in the heat there are a couple of treadmills in the air conditioned gym.

If you still don’t feel like you have trained enough there are a number of classes including spin, yoga, HIIT, Aqua fit, and stretch and relax.

Then to top in all off, head for the spa for a sports massage, treat your partner too maybe to something more relaxing than a sports massage.

For non-triathletes
For the lesser mortals in the family who haven’t yet discovered the exhilarating world of triathlon, there are numerous other activities to distract them from your stealth training camp.

Kids can be kept entertained in age-appropriate kids clubs. Group leaders look after the kids making to most of the activities available for most of the day leaving you to train/relax in peace.

In addition to all the activities a triathlete or supporting family member might need there is a myriad of other sporting and not so sporting options available including; sailing, tennis, climbing, excursions, wind surfing, table tennis, water skiing, wake boarding, spa and beauty treatments.

 

As Neilson themselves say “Relax as hard as you like”

We booked directly with Neilson, flights were with Jet2 from Birmingham, accommodation was in a garden bungalow and food is on a full board basis apart from two evening meals when you can either join an organised BBQ or event or head out to a local taverna.