In March 2018 I had the pleasure of working with world-class athletes for the first time. Shameless name dropping: Sam Briggs, Sara Sigmundsdottir and Emma McQuaid.
The first takeaway was the staggering amount of training they get done in a single day. On one day I watched them do four sessions I would consider total write-offs, nearly back to back: ninety minutes of near non-stop gymnastics pyramids, heavy 5x10 deadlifts, 10x400m on the running track, then swim intervals. The quality held across all of it; a quick drink and a snack between sessions was all they needed. The evening feeds, however, were enormous.
The week had great variety: competitions, styles of training, a 100km cycle, competition simulations. Observing the interpersonal dynamics was just as fascinating: how they worked together and egged each other on across their various strengths and weaknesses.
As an individual sport, it's rare for top-flight athletes to spend that much time together. I believe it's necessary to keep pushing to higher levels when you're already near the top.