News

09 February 2010

I really enjoyed the first Training Camp. It was 10 days in length and great to finally get out there and ride our bikes together. The camp was held in Spain, close to Valencia. The hotel we stayed in had more than enough facilities to keep us busy if we had any energy left after training.

The weather was a little ordinary for the first couple of days so the hours we got to spend out on the road was limited however the weather cleared up for the final week of the camp and we got some really solid work done. I made a real effort to spend some time training beside everyone and also having a chat with each of the riders at dinnertime. It doesn’t take long for the personalities in the group to stand out, whether it’s the quieter guys or the jokers. The one thing that really stood out about our team was that everyone gets along really well, both staff and riders. Another thing that really impressed me during the camp was how hard all the staff worked. It was never a problem for a mechanic to adjust something on my bike, or for a carer to spend a little extra time during a massage to work out any problems. All the directors, administration staff and medical staff were also more than happy to help out in any way they could.

Unfortunately following the training camp I got a little sick. I think the massive temperature change that I went through, from training in Australia on New Years Eve in 45 degree heat to the SKY ride in London in minus temperatures just a few days later, as well as the hard km’s we did on the camp got the better of me. I was pretty disappointed to get crook with my first encounter with the cold. I’m just not used to training in freezing conditions.

I had to take a few days pretty easy to get over my sickness, which was not a big deal. I was planning to back things off a little following the camp anyway so the down time gave me the opportunity relocate to Spain for a few weeks and take advantage of the good weather. With a second training camp coming up near Valencia as well as my first couple of races also in Spain, it makes sense to stay put in the one area for the time being.

Simon.

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