'I Went On a Hybrid Training "Bootcamp". Here’s What I Learned'
Trail shoes, check. Rucksack, check. Waterproofs, check. Survival kit… umm?! It was probably at this point – reading through my suggested packing list on a humid summer evening – that I began to seriously question my plans for a long weekend away in the Scottish Highlands.
The kit list came courtesy of the Omnia Performance team, who had invited me on this escapade. (Appropriately, they’re named for the Latin phrase in omnia paratus, meaning 'prepared in all things’). Led by Jonathan Pain and Fergus Crawley, Omnia are specialists in hybrid training, coaching more than 7,000 aspiring hybrid athletes worldwide, as well as running IRL experience weekends in Scotland.
Alongside other like-minded athletes, attendees are encouraged to work together to develop resilience while pitting themselves against nature. I had an idea of what hybrid training was, eg, balancing 500lb back squats with sub-5 minute miles. But, as I was about to learn, there’s a lot more to it than that.
A five-hour train journey landed me in central Glasgow, where we were met by Andy, who loaded our hiking bags (the volume of which was evidence that we had all seriously over-packed for every potential weather condition). This was followed by a 50-minute drive to Aldmay House, our residence for the weekend. As the rain came to greet us, the busy city landscape of Glasgow dissolved into postcard-worthy Scottish mountains. We had arrived at our destination.
Testing Trails
That afternoon, we all headed out for a trail run. I love running, so wasn’t really phased by the prospect of a 10km and after all the travelling I was looking forward to getting out in the fresh air. However, I soon realised that a trail run in the Highlands offers a bit more elevation that I was used to back home. As it happened, the change of pace (I occasionally switched to walking when it was really steep) was fairly welcome, and I was able to remind myself to take a breath and experience the trail for all it had to offer.
By this point, the rain had cleared and the sun was starting to break through the clouds. For the first few kilometres, we didn’t see a single person and the hills were stunning. We were also "treated" to a few complimentary mud baths, in the form of deep puddles that were too big to jump over, as well as receiving a warm welcome from the local sheep – plus some unexpected fitness gains when everyone was forced to group together to push a stranded tractor out of a ditch.
Munro Bagging
Aldmay House is situated on the shores of Loch Long, in the stunning Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. A refurbished Victorian fishing lodge dating back to 1854, its grounds lead on to a private beach overlooking the loch and the Arrochar Alps, where we were headed for a day in the mountains.
With ideal conditions forecast for Saturday, we woke early to a home-cooked breakfast of large bowls of porridge, scrambled eggs, ginger shots and fresh fruit. We fuelled ourselves for a long day of hiking before assembling in the common room for a safety briefing and kit check, then we made the short drive by mini-bus to start our route, led by the ex-Royal Marine guides at Nomad Mountaineering and Expeditions.
Happily but unexpectedly, the conditions were perfect for a trip up the mountain and we spent most of the day on the hike. First we tackled Beinn Narnain (3,038ft), then Beinn Ìme (3,317ft ), ending with The Cobbler AKA Ben Arthur (2,900ft).
The first two are ‘Munros’ which is a classification for Scottish Mountains over 3000ft and the Cobbler – perhaps the most beautiful of the three – is a Corbett, which is a mountain over 2000ft but not quite reaching as high as a Munro.
Throughout the day, we stopped at regular intervals to take in the views and re-fuel. With our Munros successfully "bagged", and with weary legs, we began the descent, down gravel trails and eventually into dense tree farms where we were collected by the mini bus to make our way back to Aldmay.
That didn’t mark an end to the day’s activities. After a home-cooked curry, followed by a much-needed hot shower, we sat down for an evening conversation with Sean Conway. An ultra-athlete and adventurer, Conway spoke to us at length about his many endurance feats, including his most recent challenge of completing 105 consecutive Iron-distance triathlons.
Capsized Canoes and Breathwork
On Sunday morning – following a well-deserved lie in, another round of Scottish porridge and a lot of coffee – we headed out to the loch for canoeing. The sun was trying its hardest to break through the clouds, but the weather was fairly mild and the water very still. Loch Long is a sea loch, approximately 30km in length; between 1912 and 1986, it was used for torpedo testing. More recently, it made the news last year after the Royal Navy confirmed the sighting of a humpback whale, surprising locals.
Sadly, there were no whales in sight today. Instead, we navigated our canoes towards the pier where we were able to get out and hunt for starfish. Next up: canoe football, which immediately upturned the very chilled vibe of the morning, as things quickly got competitive. (I also claimed the honour of being the first person to capsize.) Our afternoon was spent doing breathwork exercises, along with cold dips in the loch and pop-up saunas outside the house, taking in those spectacular views. There was also a talk from Omnia’s in-house nutrition coach, Tom, which gave us an insight into how best to fuel our training.
3 Lessons From the Hybrid Training Weekend
1. Switch Up Terrain
Home for me is the Herts countryside, so I don’t have to venture far for the great outdoors. But what I do taken for granted is how flat it is. Those Scottish "hills" are no joke and a great reminder that trail running, walking and getting outside of your postcode is a great way to change up your training with some big fitness gains to be made.
2. Don't Undervalue IRL Experiences
When was the last time you were outside of your social circle, waist deep in mud with a group of strangers? Okay, so this might be a bit of an extreme example, but in a world where our work, dinner and training can all be accessed remotely, this weekend served as a reminder of the value of the bonding experience that comes with a shared struggle. Omina recognises that training for endurance challenges can be isolating, as the long hours of training often mean sacrificing family/social time. So, taking a weekend away to meet people with similar goals and mindsets is even more important.
3. Preparation Goes Beyond Training
Possibly due to the recent #hybridathlete boom on social media, being "hybrid" is much more than the ability to lift something heavy and then instantly run fast (but that is cool). Teaching true flexibility instils athletes with the confidence to tackle daily challenges like managing workloads, fitting in training around family life, and being able to fuel yourself properly when your schedule doesn’t allow for optimal meal prep.
For me, I love to maintain a level of fitness where I can join in a CrossFit workout, a 10km fun run or even a Hyrox relay and not feel like I need six months’ notice to train and these are tools that would help me maintain that. Whether you aspire to be a hybrid athlete or not, the lessons it teaches can benefit any style of training – and our lives beyond the gym.
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