Training Camp

After the past couple of weeks in Mallorca I can now sit down and write about the time spent away training.

It's funny however, before we went to Mallorca People would say "so are you going anywhere on a training camp" to which the reply of course was "yes, Mallorca" but Training camp is a funny word, a training camp to me is what Teams do, in the respect of members from the same team are in the same place, paid for by the team, and not having to worry about much else other than riding there bikes. 

So what have I just done? Basically I moved away from home for a few weeks to ride my bike, or Train. Yes, in different surroundings all be it, but it's not what the average cyclist thinks or what every one sees from the professional teams, there's not many benefits for us other than the weather, and even in Mallorca it's not always sunshine.

It is if anything a lot harder mentally being away training, there's a bit of a routine, but there's so much time to play with that the routine keeps on changing, but basically a normal day is. Breakfast, training, dinner, cafe (for  wifi), shopping, tea, movie, bed. 

We cook ourselves, we clean ourselves, in other words nothing is done for us, three 19 year olds that club together and get on with it, that's it, and it can be hard, very hard at times, just finding something to do with your easy days, that's what we have in common with the people who do go on a training camp (the professional teams), filling in our time trying not to stare at the ceiling, but that's about it, we however are also thinking about do we have enough to live well for next week? But when you do see the professional teams out training, I certainly think "that's where it's at, that's where I want to be one day".

However living a loan as such is all good preparation, a blessing in disguise perhaps, because the feeling we and I got there is exactly what's going to happen in Belgium as of the end of February + 7 - 8 months longer. 

Now there's a fair bit to think about while your trying to fill up the day, and perhaps an experience I would say younger riders need before making a decision about going to live and race in Europe, if you can't do it for a short period, what about a monthly basis?  

That's where the support from the likes of The Dave Rayner Fund and Pedal Potential come in for me, you will hear me say it over and over again throughout this season, and hopefully longer, but without who it would not be possible to race throughout this season.