Tuesday 19 April 2016

Majorca training camp

Following my holiday in Dubai I headed off for a five day training camp in Majorca with my coach and 5 other triathletes.  We ran 4 days out of five, mostly after the bike ride.  I was running strong off the bike so this pleased me especially as we did some long bike rides.  We only did two swims and worked on technique.
I took my "new steed" out with me and it performed well - felt like I had ridden it all my life.  I covered 420km and climbed 22,000 ft - it was absolutely exhausting but I know I have come back a stronger rider and fitter.
I climbed all the major climbs including Sa Colabra after a few long hard days before it.  I really didn't feel up to that climb but persuaded "the chimp" that this was a leg building exercise.  52 minutes of steep climbing certainly proved that to be the case and there is still plenty of climbing on the way home!  Then I went out for a run off the bike and did my fasted average speed probably this year!
That has probably been the hardest training I have ever done and on top of all that we had fun.  Majorca has a lot of hard technical riding which is confirmed by the 146 hospitalisations of cyclists since Feb this year and the 5 deaths!  So while working hard you have to keep your concentration at all times.  74 days to Ironman and a lot of work still to be done.  Bring it on but first of all, I need some sleep followed by more food!

Thursday 7 April 2016

The desert

I'm currently on a short family holiday in Dubai and yesterday we headed off into the high red dunes in the desert.  It was slightly different from the last time I was in a desert.  We were in a luxurious 4x4 dune bashing i.e. an expert driver took the car to its limits with gravity.  Great fun and the fact you had air conditioning and chilled water made it much more comfortable.  But it did bring back memories especially in the evening when we ate in a camp - simple tasty local food, oh and a chilled beer!  It's a holiday after all.
But it hasn't been all sunshine and fun.  Three days in a row I have got up early and gone for a 10km run.  I'm strating to get used to the heat and my pace is increasing but these are tough conditions to run in.  I managed a short swim yesterday but the pool isn't ideal and I got boared.
It would have been nice to take a complete break but that is not adviseable at this stage of my programme.  In a weeks time I head off for some proper triathlon training in Majorca.  It's "just what the doctor ordered" and it will be good to take out my "secret weapon" - watch this space!  In the meantime breakfast calls as I'm starving after that run.