Coming off of the UVU training camp in St. Moritz last August, I didn't think there was going to be a more beautiful place to train. After landing in Florence and driving out to our villa for the week, I knew quickly that Tuscany was going to give St. Moritz a run for its money. The rolling hills lined with cypress trees, old castellos, endless vineyards spanning acres, and peaceful farms made the perfect backdrop for a week of training with the team.

The beauty of running in a place like Tuscany is that every run felt different - each one just as scenic and just as tough as the last. The terrain made even our “easy” runs feel like a bit of a grind, but we still managed to sneak in a couple of harder workouts. One session was on dirt farm roads adjacent to an old air strip, lined with tall grass for miles on end, and the other was a hill workout on none other than the iconic Val d’Orcia - the same one from Gladiator. A whole lot better than doing Cat Hill repeats in Central Park (but not by much).

Every training camp looks a little different depending on where it lands in your racing season, but for us, this one hit the sweet spot: low-pressure miles, some hard efforts, and plenty of time to soak up the views. Everyone left feeling recharged and fired up heading into spring and summer training.

I made a few more stops on my Europe trip (Herzogenaurach, Germany to Adidas HQ and Milan for a few days to recharge) before linking back up with the team in Trieste, Italy for a 21K - a solid way to end an incredible few weeks.

‍

‍