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Majorca winter Training Camp - some pictures!
I went with my closest friends to majorca last week for a training camp. We decided on it and booked it a few weeks ago (but had been kind of half joking about the idea of breaking up this winter for a while)
So both my friends were super ill on the first couple of days, from picking up aeroplane bugs to just general life stress / too much work and little sleep. So the first couple of days were pretty chill and more about just getting some riding in and some good nights sleep. This kind of became the focus of the camp. Instead of it being a 'ruin yourself in november' typical camp - arguably pointless - it became more about using the week simply for rest and relaxation, including riding. I was always going into this seeing it as base mileage / just being with friends more than anything else so I didn't have a problem with this at all.
We still managed to get 3 big rides in (one of which I had to miss, couldn't sit on the bike that day, whatever) and cafe rides the other days.
My friend blogged about each of the days on his personal blog. It would mean the world to me if you gave it a read:
Days 1+2 - Majorca 2k17 – The Backwards Training Camp
Days 3+4 - Majorca 2k17 – Going uphill
Days 5+6 - Majorca 2k17 – The Final, mega 6 hour ride
He's also much better at summarising what we did (and knowing where we were!), so just give them a read.
We had beautiful weather all week. 19 degrees or above most days. But a warm 19-20, not like the UK where the sun is warm but the air isn't. I think we were fairly lucky; on our return morning we woke up to rain.
The roads were outstanding, as quite a few of you already know. As smooth as the alps, but much more slippery corners! Scenery that you really only can take in when you look back at it. It's something really nice to experience with friends. I kind of wish we just sat and took it in, sometimes. But I'm soppy like that.
It was the best week of my life, for personal reasons. but just having an adventure with no actual plan and with mates is really something to remember. We crammed a lot in that week. It seems, like a lot of people on here would attest to, whenever you do things like this, you can't believe how 'long ago' just two days ago feels. I guess that comes from taking in so much.
My friends are pretty mega on the bike, and were going 'middle of zone 3' up a bunch of the climbs. Not something I could even hold for ten minutes, but I was happy to just sit on the wheels and hold 280 all the way up. Turns out for anyone who's interested or cares, after looking at the data and how I actually felt, and with a bit of self belief, I could have pushed at 300 up the climbs. But probably a good thing I didn't. It's still only november and would have put me well and truly in a box.
We're heading back out, very luckily I'm aware, for five weeks in mid january. Hopefully with some discipline and lots of sweet spot / turbo between now and then some good gains will be made. And memories to last forever.
Hopefully you'll get a vibe from the gallery on my blog just how deeply meaningful this is to me. And please read ollie's blogs
Here are a few pics, you can view the rest on my blog here.
Here are a few pics, you can view the rest on my blog here.
Here are a few pics, you can view the rest on my blog here:
So both my friends were super ill on the first couple of days, from picking up aeroplane bugs to just general life stress / too much work and little sleep. So the first couple of days were pretty chill and more about just getting some riding in and some good nights sleep. This kind of became the focus of the camp. Instead of it being a 'ruin yourself in november' typical camp - arguably pointless - it became more about using the week simply for rest and relaxation, including riding. I was always going into this seeing it as base mileage / just being with friends more than anything else so I didn't have a problem with this at all.
We still managed to get 3 big rides in (one of which I had to miss, couldn't sit on the bike that day, whatever) and cafe rides the other days.
My friend blogged about each of the days on his personal blog. It would mean the world to me if you gave it a read:
Days 1+2 - Majorca 2k17 – The Backwards Training Camp
Days 3+4 - Majorca 2k17 – Going uphill
Days 5+6 - Majorca 2k17 – The Final, mega 6 hour ride
He's also much better at summarising what we did (and knowing where we were!), so just give them a read.
We had beautiful weather all week. 19 degrees or above most days. But a warm 19-20, not like the UK where the sun is warm but the air isn't. I think we were fairly lucky; on our return morning we woke up to rain.
The roads were outstanding, as quite a few of you already know. As smooth as the alps, but much more slippery corners! Scenery that you really only can take in when you look back at it. It's something really nice to experience with friends. I kind of wish we just sat and took it in, sometimes. But I'm soppy like that.
It was the best week of my life, for personal reasons. but just having an adventure with no actual plan and with mates is really something to remember. We crammed a lot in that week. It seems, like a lot of people on here would attest to, whenever you do things like this, you can't believe how 'long ago' just two days ago feels. I guess that comes from taking in so much.
My friends are pretty mega on the bike, and were going 'middle of zone 3' up a bunch of the climbs. Not something I could even hold for ten minutes, but I was happy to just sit on the wheels and hold 280 all the way up. Turns out for anyone who's interested or cares, after looking at the data and how I actually felt, and with a bit of self belief, I could have pushed at 300 up the climbs. But probably a good thing I didn't. It's still only november and would have put me well and truly in a box.
We're heading back out, very luckily I'm aware, for five weeks in mid january. Hopefully with some discipline and lots of sweet spot / turbo between now and then some good gains will be made. And memories to last forever.
Hopefully you'll get a vibe from the gallery on my blog just how deeply meaningful this is to me. And please read ollie's blogs
Here are a few pics, you can view the rest on my blog here.
Here are a few pics, you can view the rest on my blog here.
Here are a few pics, you can view the rest on my blog here:
Comments
‘‘Tis a fantastic place to ride a bike. Haven’t found anywhere more consistently better yet. Maybe Girona or Cote D’Azir and hope to try both soon.
Keep up the good work. You have talent chap both behind the lense and in the saddle !
soft so come up here and harden up also :-)
James - Girona looks fantastic! A lot of riders have chosen it as their home, must be for good reason.
Mitchy - travis has / is going to invite you to a camp on Facebook. Be sweet to have you out
Geoff - haha. I’ll be a softie alllllll day long. Done enough of harsh winter riding a few years back, I like to be able to pull the brake lever and change gears! Taking a few days off because I now have whatever my mates had but then will just get back to it. Probably on zwift hahah
There is now a(nother) vlog Of our camp!
5 hour ride including sa calobra
Give it a watch
Great Video or Vlog ! Brought back lots of good memories of fantastic cycling weather and beautiful scenery. Some of us discussed a CCA trip to Mallorca next Spring, so if anyone else is interested maybe we can start a new discussion on the forum.
Pretty chill cafe day
You'll absolutely love it. I'm heading to calpe with the guys in a few weeks. Will wave across the water. Take and post pictures! One of my fave things.
Ps. I think people will DEFINITELY be interested
btw another good VLOG