Training camps are of course great fun, but in terms of training benefit, while they can be high reward, they are also high risk.
Get it right and you get a fitness bump that can set you up well for race season. Get it wrong and at best, you might need a few weeks to recover with no net gain, or even worse, you get ill or injured and thus botch your season.
I've been on some great camps over the years; Tri camps with the club, Mallorca bike camps with Andy Cook, and DIY trips to Club La Santa, and have experienced both ends of the spectrum.
In March 2013, I had a cracking week with MTC at Kinetic PB in Spain, racking up almost 30 hours, we thrashed each other in the hills, and got plenty of swimming and running in on top. I got away with it, and this launched a breakthrough season.
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| Highlight of the week: the Inaugural MTC Easter Sunday Aquathlon (Photo credit N.Heystek) |
In 2014, my first time to Mallorca, again I rode long and hard, smashing it up many of the classic climbs. But a week later I got really ill; 2 weeks off sick, another 7 weeks with not much training, had to defer my A-race and even then, still notched up my first DNF, at IM Mallorca. Hopefully I am a bit wiser now.
Indeed, for the Manchester Triathlon Club’s 2023 Mallorca camp I was determined to try and be as disciplined as possible, enjoy it but not overdo it, and hopefully get the fitness bump. The main focus was cycling, Mallorca is after all a cycling paradise. The roads are good and generally quiet, the drivers courteous, and in April the weather should be hotting up so getting out on the bike should be a joy. Meanwhile, the plan was to just keep the swimming and running ticking over.
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| Five wet-suited-competitors exit the swim leg of the Aquathlon neck and neck, closely followed by Ramsbottom's answer to The Hoff (Photo credit N.Booker) |
Monday: Jacky and I arrived late Sunday evening, so picked up the rental bikes early Monday morning, then took them out on an easy 60k route to Campanet, including a coffee stop at the Coves. 60k, 2.5 hours all Zone 1.
Tuesday: I had already taken a strategic decision to get my big ride in on the Tuesday. The Sunday before we travelled, I’d raced the Wilmslow Half Marathon, so in the week running up to the camp I was in recovery mode and by now was well rested. The rationale was to get the big ride in early rather than later in the week when I would likely be fatigued from back-to-back riding. Also, the rest of the gang were arriving today so an easy/short-ish bike-test route was planned for tomorrow.
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| Charging out of transition: channeling ones inner-Hoff is clearly contagious (Photo credit E.King) |
Jacky rode with me along the flats to Santa Maria del Cami then I went solo up to Valldemossa, down to Soller, up and over to Bunyola, up Coll d’Honor, to Orient and back via the foothills. 158km, 6.5 hrs with only 1% of HR time above Zone 2.
Wednesday: as planned, an easy group ride to Betlem. 60k, 2 hrs, all easy with only 13% in Zone 2. Plus an easy 30 minute run before breakfast and a 10x 200 easy swim in the afternoon. Great to catch up with the rest of team-MTC!
Thursday: Fran and Alan wanted to do the Lluc route, plus Calobra, in the clockwise direction, my preferred way around, so after a 30-minute easy run and quick breakfast, I rode out with them. Coll de sa Batalla up to the monastery at Lluc is an iconic climb and the temptation to go for it is strong. However, I kept my discipline, constantly eying my Garmin to keep my heart rate down. A brief rest at the top then solo down the fantastic descent into Port de Pollença and along the coast back to Alcudia. 80k, 3 hours, all Zone1/2. Felt fresh and went for a swim, another easy 10x 200m.
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| Pamboli in Port de Pollença |
Saturday: rest day! A lie in, laundry and a full body stretch. An easy 40k ride out to Cala San Vicenç with Jacky, including a pa-amb-oli stop in Port de Pollença. Then I gave the bikes a bit of a clean.
Sunday – part 1: Another easy 30-minute run as the sun came up, then a group ride out to Cap Formentor, and for the first time my discipline went a bit AWOL. As soon as the road went up, the group shot off, and by trying to keep my HR down I got dropped. A few minutes into the climb and now properly warmed up, the animalistic part of my brain decided to give chase, pumping out a 2023 10 min power PB. We regrouped at the lighthouse and on the way back, Alan, Rich T, Chris and myself decided to throw hand grenades at each other. Coffee at PdP, then a hard drive into a headwind back to the hotel for lunch and a swim, another easy 10x 200m. In total, I racked up about 25 mins in Z3/4, but it was great fun.
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| Practicing their running off the bike skills on the way back from Cap Formentor (Photo from S.Rose) |
Sunday – part 2: the highlight of the week – the inaugural Manchester Triathlon Easter Sunday Aquathlon. A 300m out-and-back sea swim starting and finishing in the shadow of Hoff Tower, a quick transition just off the beach, followed by a 2k run around the block, half on the road/pavement and half back on the beach, followed by a 20m egg-and-spoon race to finish, once again next to Hoff Tower. A handicap wave start based on predicted times meant that it was close racing. Net effect, a 13-minute VO2max effort.
Monday: I fancied another decent ride so one option was Bunyola-Orient, but I had done it already and the youngsters had plotted another big ride, Lluc-Puig-Soller-Bunyola, so I went with them. However, up to Lluc I realised that the week had caught up with me so at the top I made my apologies and noodled back to the hotel on my own. 3hrs, 70k, all Z1/2. After a quick lunch I crashed on the sofa and slept for a good hour or so. Glad I got my big ride in earlier in the week, and glad that this time the more rationale part of my brain won the inner debate.
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| Taking it steady up to Lluc but still hot! (Mallorca Bike Photos) |
Tuesday: last day, woke feeling refreshed so went for another easy 30-minute run then a leisurely ride with Jacky out to Petra, including a beautiful detour into Totally Unnecessary Valley. 3.5 hrs riding time, 80k, all Zone 1. Then one final swim, another easy 2k.
Scores on the doors: Over 9 days, about 35 hours including 717 km on the bike, 9700 m swimming and 29k running. So, while I certainly had a great time, in terms of training benefit, did I get it right? Will I get a fitness bump that sets me up well for the season? Or did I overdo it and nuke my season? The proof of the pudding will be at the Outlaw Half in 5 weeks’ time! Bring it on.
Meanwhile, thanks to all our club mates for making it such a fantastic trip. It’s wonderful to see the vets enjoying our sport as much as they did 10+ years ago. It’s also inspiring to see the relatively newer members and youngsters embracing the sport, and to see their endurance and triathlon skills improve.
And finally, big thank you to MTC Head Coach Sarah and Rich H for organising, coaching, route planning and most importantly making it such great fun – the aquathlon was genius and the trip was perfectly rounded off with the award ceremony. Bravo!
[Edit: it's now Saturday morning and looking good. Avoided picking up any bugs on the way home, a S,B & R done, feel fresh and looking forward to a 25m TT this afternoon]
