Writing in an plane with sore muscles… This last 5 days I went a bit back to my last year’s life, training, eating, hanging out with good friends, just a few clothes in a backpack and my bike. It still feels more normal than my “new life” in Germany.
About 3 weeks ago my dear friend Lu asked me to come to Mallorca, “we will be a bunch of girls training there, will be great for you for the ICAN Marbella”, what I didn’t know, that it was THE training camp of ICAN, my first official training camp. First I thought I couldn’t go, because of work (yes, I do work again ;) , but I could convince my boss, change meetings and booked a flight. Last Friday, the morning of my travel to Mallorca, I got the great news, that it wouldn’t be only Lu and Jenny training there, but also, Santi e Idoya, my coach Jaime and some other dear friends.
So this german girl made her way to Mallorca, the Spanish german island. I swear, I never saw so many bikes coming out of the special baggage claim, I guess there were 40? 50? Bike tourism in Mallorca is huge! Rebeca, from the Ican picked me up on the airport to take me to the hotel Palmira in Paguera, in the west of Palma, about 25min from the airport. I was surprised about the nice hotel and was received so kindly by Sunil (Mr. Ican). And there they were finishing dinner, not my real family but the one I chose some years ago, these people who make their way into your life without noticing it, the ones who share good and bad moments with you, the ones you can laugh with, the ones who love you despite your failures and scars. I knew that I had missed them a lot, but even more I knew it when I saw them. It felt like I’ve never been away, and I loved it.
So, quick dinner, a glass of cava with the crowd and hitting the hay to get ready for some good training sessions the next morning.
After breakfast our ride started with delay due to some more (Idoya) or less serious mechanical problems on the bikes, climbing some hills thru Sierra de Tramuntana. It still isn’t summer, but we had great weather, could sit outside on a stop in “I don’t remember where” for a quick bite. The new SOAS kit feels great and comfy, important to know for long distance racing.
3h20min ride on the first day and a 2thousand something swim in the afternoon and a quick spa session in the hotel, dinner buffet (good one!) and good night.
Day 2: 5h ride (planned 4h, but we know Jaime), not as hilly as the first one, but awesome training! Sunny day, nice ride, perfect company! The afternoon run dropped because of the long ride and a circuit training in the hotel gym, abs, shoulders and run (on a funny treadmill with proper will, got faster without telling her).
Day 3: solid swim session in the morning and run in the afternoon. Was planned to be an easy run, but its never how you think it is… Lu had an accident during the run; she went down and hit the ground roughly. Luckily she “only” has a bad elbow now, so legs are working and she’s okay.
Day 4: planned: 4h ride, weather: stormy, pouring rain, no riding. So, plans changed, heading to the pool to get a swim session designed by Ivan Tejero, technique exercises and filming by coach Jaime, thanks to Pablo Cabeza for making the pace for me ;) After swimming another funny circuit training in the gym next to the pool, so much fun and, hello, I have muscles who are not working! Hahaha.
Our buddy Nico didn’t join us in the gym, he went for a ride and in the afternoon we got the message that he had an accident with the bike and is in the hospital. Everyone was worried, but when we got back from the run we got the message that nothing broke, “only” shoulder out and bruises. Unfortunately he didn’t just have the crash but also his bike was stolen! The guy who picked him off the road to get him to the hospital, hided it, but either he came back for it or he did it so badly that someone else took it. I really hope for Nico that they find the bike! Despite a lot of pain he is always smiling, an example to follow!
After dinner we got our feedback about the swim techniques, now I know what to work on and that there’s still a lot to improve (I knew that before, but it’s great to see where the problems are)!!
Well, and today, day 5, only half bike ride for me. I could only do 2h and said goodbye to my folks, Lu came back with me, lucky to be able to do 2h rides already with her sore arm.
I can’t believe that the 5 days are over already, but my batteries are charged by spending time with best friends, I’m motivated to hit the painbox the next 3 weeks for IcanMarbella.And I forgot: the dinner invitation from the local politics who see Ican and Icantrainingcamps as an oportunity for the area! WE LOVE THAT!!! Nice people, great place, awesome food, thank you Paguera!!
