Hi Guys,
Hope you’ve all had a great March.
As some of you might have seen if you follow Team Nagi Coaching on Instagram, we’ve just returned from 2 glorious weeks at Club La Santa in Lanzarote. I had a week training on my own first then 11 of my team joined me for the second week. What an amazing group of athletes they turned out to be because they had everything thrown at them out there!
Lanzarote is famous for a few things, it’s sunny weather, tough hilly cycling but more so it’s the crazy wind! No Island is immune to it so when it blows it really blows and biking in it becomes a big challenge. I’m really pleased to say they all overcame this extra challenge with flying colours and will be better more confident cyclists for the experience. One of the reasons we choose Lanzarote is because the biking is tough but beautiful at the same time, it can only be described as what it might be like to cycle on Mars with it red volcanic landscapes.
There’s many reasons some of the best athletes in the world go there to train, its guaranteed year round sunshine, the best training facility in the world at Club La Santa (and they don’t pay me a penny for saying that, there really is nothing like it) but also because after a week of cycling there you can probably cycle through brick walls when you return home. If you want to take your cycling to the next level, then this is the place to be.
Each year I return there I fall a little bit more in love with the place. There’s something about its raw charm and beauty that is like no other place on Earth. It can both inspire and challenge you to elevate your game to new levels. It really is a bucket list place to visit for all swimmers, triathletes, and cyclists alike. Or if you just love to be active, it’s a one stop shop.
This year, as in many years I was blessed with an incredible group of athletes who came out on my camp. Like I said to them at the end of the camp, it takes a Coach to guide a camp but it’s the athletes that make it. Training camps are places to help get your fitness to the next level, they are also a perfect opportunity to refine your skills sets and craft so that you are more prepared than ever before for racing. We make sure every base is covered on these camps, and it was wonderful to see their confidence and skill sets growing across the week. It’s amazing the change that can happen in just 8 days.
What was also wonderful, and I think this is captured in the photos is the amazing friendships & bonds that start to grow across the week. The camps are made up of a range of age and abilities and I wouldn’t have it any other way because everyone in their way brings something to the table. They all learn, encourage and inspire each other to do great things or be that little bit better in some way shape or form. They also did it with a tremendous sense of fun and humour and laughter was a constant across the whole week.
The impact of training camps on those that attend both physically, mentally and technically should not be underestimated. It is 100% worth the investment to attend a good training camp if you want to take your game to the next level (even if you go solo). I for one, seeing what I saw this past week can’t wait to see what these athletes can do later this year at their chosen A-races. The foundation they have built are so much stronger now it will pay huge dividends for them later in the year.
Should anyone wish to attend my camp in 2026, please feel free to drop me an email stating your interest. I will then keep you informed of future dates.
Very best
Julian
Race results
Meta Sprint Triathlon (Singapore)
- Vicki Hill Â
- Splits: run 17:42/ bike 30:50 / run 23:09
- Total Time: 1:16:37
- 1st in the 50-54 category / 2nd female overall
‘The Pocket Rocket’ was back in action this month taking another age group win and nearly taking the overall win too. From duathlon to triathlon that’s two wins on the bounce in 2 months. A great start to 2025 Vickster, keep them coming!
Frosty Aquathlon (800m swim / 10km run)
- Tony JarvisÂ
- Splits: swim 12:59 / run 42:36
- Total Time: 58:02
- 8th male overall
5k run TT (solo)
- Tony JarvisÂ
- Total Time: 19.44
So good to see Tony Jarvis AKA ‘The Rocket’ coming back to racing in great style. He was so keen to get racing again this month after a long time out he also requested a solo 5km time trial from me. To go sub 20mins at his first attempt and do it on his own just shows some terrific early season run form. Nice work TJ.
Draycote Water (Half Marathon)
- Andrew ReardonÂ
- Total Time: 1:29:30
- 4th in the 45-49 category / 30th male overall
Terrific to see Andrew dipping under 1:30 so early this year after big run focussed block of training. With a string of excellent running races under his belt he is well and truly on track to kick off the first races of the season in style.
Battersea Half Marathon
- David Magyar
- Total Time: 1:35:58
- 3rd in the 60-64 category
- Oliver Wagner
- Total Time: 1:36:37
- 10th in the 50-54 category
- Helen BurtonÂ
- Total Time: 2:54:23
- 1st in the 70-74 category
Huge congrats to our 3 amigos who absolutely nailed their performances at The Battersea Half Marathon. The sun shone and the weather was perfect for running. I’m hugely pleased to see they all more than delivered on race day with efforts to be proud of.
Huge congrats to our swimming mermaid Bridget Trefgrane for flying the Team Nagi flag at the 2.2km open water swim in Clifton Beach, Cape Town, South Africa (3rd from right). Pretty impressive when you consider the water was 11 degrees and she usually spends most of her time on her back swimming 200m at National level. Impressive stuff.
What I’ve been watching this month…
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When Jasmine Paris became the first women to ever finish the notorious Barkley Marathons in 2024, she did something so extraordinary it can only be seen on a par with such achievements as running the first sub 4min mile. This fascinating documentary shows exactly what it took for this incredible woman to achieve this goal. My favourite (tongue in cheek I’m sure) quote from race Director Lazarus Lake was this…
“The race is too hard for women to finish; they are simply not tough enough to do it”
Once he said that it really was just a matter of time, step forward Jasmine Paris.
“In 2024, Jasmin Paris made history by becoming the first woman to finish the Barkley Marathons, widely known as one of the hardest races in the world and a defining test in ultrarunning and trail running. With over 100 miles of brutal terrain, cryptic course markings, and a near-impossible success rate, the Barkley has long been considered the ultimate challenge in endurance sports.
“The Finisher” chronicles Jasmin’s extraordinary three-year journey (2022–2024) to achieve this groundbreaking feat. The film features exclusive interviews with legendary race director Lazarus Lake, ultrarunning icons Courtney Dauwalter, Amelia Boone, and Jared Campbell, as well as rare insights from Jasmin herself.
Through never-before-seen footage from her home mountains in Scotland, in-depth analysis of her Barkley race strategy, and a deep dive into her endurance athlete mindset, this documentary reveals the resilience and determination behind one of the greatest achievements in ultrarunning history.
Whether you’re fascinated by the Barkley Marathons, inspired by women in endurance sports, or eager to witness an incredible story of perseverance, The Finisher is a must-watch.”
Team Nagi – Class of 2025
