Lanzarote Training Camp in Review

And with a bump the plane landed on Saturday early evening, and it was back to reality…

Our week of training in Lanzarote was hardly what I expected it would be.  I saw (another) knee doctor on Friday – the day before heading out to training camp.  Doctor number two advised me that under no circumstances was I to load my knee – so no running, nor cycling that would cause me to grind and rely on my quads – not for two weeks anyway.  Seeing as I had booked Lanzarote to stretch myself, cycle hard, focus on hill climbs, and do some running to solidify the base that I (should have) built in November/December/January, the prescription was kind of counter to my ambitions.  But the other thing the doctor said – that maybe, just maybe, if I did what he said and got the inflammation cycle under control that I could return to running and hopefully participate in a few triathlons – well, that overrode all other factors.  My week in Lanzarote would just have to be adjusted – because I am just not ready to stop multisport training.  Not yet anyway.

The Numbers

97km: Outdoor Riding (with absolutely no excessive loading on my knee, and no swelling after – RESULT!)

19.2km: Swimming (in a 25m pool – a whole lotta turns)

30 minutes: pool running (holy boredom)

4 hours 15 minutes: turbo training by the pool (with this view, watching pro triathletes train!)

The Outcome

Being in Lanzarote, even with an injury to manage and get under control (because if I can’t get it under control, I have to seriously rethink my future direction when it comes to multisport), was brilliant.  There is something deeply motivating – inspiring – about being around strong, motivated, “leave it all out there” athletes.

Sam, about five minutes after finishing the Tabayesco Time Trial climb (he had managed to get upright by the time I took this photo)

When I watched Sam finish the Tabayesco climb, as he collapsed from giving it his all, I saw a demonstration of what I need to do.  I need to dig deep.  I need to find my inner reserves, the ones that are full of patience and self-belief.  The ones that will help me to rebuild – through intense tedium and boredom, through intense effort and hard work.  The reserves that will help me to push, to go beyond what I think is possible, to become stronger…

Mark and Russ – camp coaches – at the summit of Tabayesco

As I rode home on Friday afternoon with Mark and Russ, I declared that I was not done yet.  That I was willing to commit to the hard work.  To the rebuilding.  I wondered how strong I could become with a year of focused hard work.  If the Tabayesco TT could be mine in 2014…

And I declared that if I could get bike strong, I might event consider walking a marathon – again… 

(you can connect those dots – I’m not quite ready to spell out that conclusion, and I’m still not sure if that was just a training high that led to me uttering them…)

Because what is life for, if it is not for dreaming big – and climbing mountains?!