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19 FEB 2026

THREE Spots Left For CAMP!

Last week we said four but now we are down to our last THREE SPOTS, having expanded from 16 available to 18. This is going to be an amazing camp, with guest coaches David Tilbury-Davis and Cam Wynhof. We're going back to all dinners AND all breakfasts provided (most lunches are consumed out on the road), and we're gonna pack in a lot of training—for you! We adjust workouts and distances for your ability level, but also aiming to push you regardless of your ability level.

Here's what will change in your fitness and race readiness after camp:

• With five DENSE days of training (lower end of training = 15 hours and higher end will be 20-25) plus a solid recovery Wednesday-Sunday the following week, you can expect a BIG fitness bump in the first half of July...Oregon 70.3, anyone?
• Clear sense of your swim CSS or threshold pace, plus how to schedule your swim training week in a balanced way.
• High run frequency will help insulate you from injury, and we clear up misconceptions about hill running and fartlek runs.
• We program race-specific intervals for you and your upcoming races on the two long rides and long run, getting you personalized training that focuses on your goals
• A deeper understanding of how your body responds to stress and how to apply that in your own training—regardless of whether you work with a coach or not.

But don't wait—we usually sell out by the end of March, and interest is HIGH this year. Make an investment in your 2026 fitness and reserve your spot early.​

Don't Chase Flow State | Train it Instead

“Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Way out in the water, see it swimming.”

—The Pixies, “Where Is My Mind?”

Chris' note: If you want to read this piece in full, you can do so for FREE on our Substack. This is an abbreviated version.

​As we discussed last week, there really is nothing good or bad until you layer your thoughts and your perspective on top of that thing. We talked about the Buddhist mindset about deferring judgment, because you never really know the final outcome of a certain event—all you can do is be present with what is happening right now and do your best to react in the manner that seems productive or “correct” for you right then. Racing is no different. We covered the fact that so many things happen in a sporting event that could be “bad” or “good” in any particular moment, but then flip-flop moments later. The best athletes release their attachment to a fixed mindset that concretely asserts an event as good or bad, choosing instead the growth mindset of continuing to focus on what they can control.

Now we’re going to go through an exercise to help you train this ability. Many of us have tried meditation at some point, since it has definitely become en vogue in the last 15 years, in sport, business, and daily life. For me at least, the first few years of meditation felt like sitting in one place thinking like crazy with my eyes closed. It was neither productive nor helpful, and I sometimes ended meditation sessions more stressed than when I had begun. This is supposed to help? I remember thinking. I just wasted 15 minutes that I could have spent working.

So how do we do this? There are several steps.

1. Notice and Watch. During your next workout with difficult intervals in it, simply observe what your brain does during that interval. If you have a way of tracking it (maybe when you’re riding indoors, please!), make a little mark whenever your mind drifts away from the interval to somewhere else. You may be surprised by how often this occurs. Don’t try to change it the first few times, though. Simply observe, giving yourself grace due to the fact that you are NOT your thoughts—you are the entity that can OBSERVE your thoughts.
2. Notice, Name, and Return. After you’ve tracked this fact for a few workouts, now it’s time to try what I call “interval meditation.” In your next difficult session with intervals in it, when your mind drifts to something different you will notice it, because you’ve been practicing noting for several workouts (this is why you need to try this for more sessions than one—noting is a skill like any other). When you notice your mind has drifted, say the following to yourself “Ah, I’ve been distracted. Let’s return to the interval.” Focus on the fundamentals of the movement: good pedal stroke, proper catch-and-pull, excellent running posture. Also focus on your effort—feeling what your body is doing and supporting it in that endeavor. Keep your attitude positive, even if you’re experiencing difficulty in the session. Above all, do not punish yourself for losing focus. It is natural.
3. As many times as you can, catch your focus drifting away and returning to your process. At first this will be incredibly frustrating, as you discover that your brain really is like monkey with ADHD in a banana grove filled with attractive other monkeys. You may come to discover that you are focused on what you are doing a tiny percentage of the time spent doing what you’re doing. It’s OK. You’ve taken a step that most athletes never take: realizing that focus is an area of growth for you. Give yourself credit for that.
4. Practice the Return. Repeat the process, over and over again, doing interval meditation every time you have a session with difficult intervals in it. You are moving from dissociation to association, which many athletes never accomplish, awash as we are in distractions while training: underwater MP3 players, indoor trainers that take care of intensity for us (turn off erg mode, folks), streaming services with an endless array of tv shows and films to watch.* Association without overthinking is a superpower of great athletes, and this is a skill that costs you nothing but time, and is not governed by past training or genetic potential. After you train association for several weeks, you may find yourself reaching that incredibly productive flow state everyone talks about but struggles to tell you how to reach it. Remember that flow state is primarily linked to staying in the current moment and reserving judgment about what you’re doing, and if you practice this skill you can find that place more often.

So that’s it! Your homework is to practice this…practice in your next session, and you can always drop me a line to tell me I’m helpful or crazy—I won’t let either one go to my head.

...READ MORE at our new and totally free Substack

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—The Counselors at Campfire Endurance

Presented by Campfire Endurance Coaching

Today's newsletter is presented by Campfire Endurance Coaching.

We help endurance athletes improve their results (get FASTER), find more joy in the process of getting faster (get HAPPIER), and achieve lifelong wellbeing through sport (get HEALTHIER).

Our company has two major services:

• ​One-to-One Coaching: fully customizable, high-touch coaching built for your life and your goals. Our coaches carry a maximum of 15 athletes so you know you and your goals are always a prioity.
• ​Training Camps and Clinics: immersive multi-day and single-day events aimed at getting you the most improvement in the shortest amount of time.

If any of those sound like something you would like to take advantage of, you should consider booking a 45-minute FREE coaching and training consultation with us​