Training in Mallorca at Easter

A quick look on the BBC weather app for the week ahead, revealed rain/poor weather in the North East of England for Easter weekend; by comparison, the weather in Mallorca – basically sun (and a little bit of cloud) and a good 10° warmer – so within 24 hours – a quick burst of training was organised (in spite (or is it despite?)) of the fact, I was due in Mallorca at the end of the month for Mallorca 312.

Mallorca and cycling to me are synonymous; and I love being on the island; it has my favourite climb – being Lluc (the wiggly side) (not sure, I like the idea of it being called the Garage Climb)!

And with my quick training break, I get to visit some of my favourite haunts:

i) Petra (and the town square) – where it is obligatory (under all circumstances) to stay for coffee;

ii) Col de Soller;

iii) Sa Calobra;

iv) Randa; and as a first for me;

v) San Salvador – but now I can’t work out why it took so long to find the climb (see picture).

But one of the many things, I enjoyed was scrolling back through the memories of my first cycling camp in Mallorca (2009).

If I said I was heavy that would be an understatement; before I left home in 2009 I marked out a 3% gradient and thought I could do that (not realising that it was an average and cycling just doesn’t work like that)!!

So random memories:-

1. Having my bike pushed (with me on it!!) on the incline between Llubi and Sineu by Tim Lawson (@Secret Training).

Mind Secret Training is still giving me the push I need; and absolutely loving their new juice bars and the banoffee tasting banana recovery training drink!

2. Being raced up Lluc by Denise (Lawson); no race it took me hours (and I didn’t see her after the first bend!).

3. Climbing Col de Soller with Andy Cook (@Andy Cook Cycling) and deciding to stay on the training camp for 4 more days.

I love climbing; I wish I was lighter (even now), faster at it and generally better.

4. The first time up the Randa Monastery climb……..

And when I compare those memories to the current training rides; I now get, how and I’ll use Tim as an example he could cycle to San Salvador; and then do Lluc (wiggly side) as a dessert for the day….. (a ride I’d now recommend)!

So I’ll follow up with the story when it has happened of Mallorca 312 – roll on the 29th.