Get with the programme

OK Peeps - the tri camp then.....

It was BRILLIANT and exhausting, although not impossible (although I thought it was when I first saw the programme!), in fact I wish I could have hung on for the second week with Jules and Anita for more of the same - but some of us (ok just me) had to go back to work!

Arrived in the volcanic island of Lanzarote early evening on 26th, only for the skies to darken, not with the setting sun but with a storm cloud brewing! I had managed to "pick up" one stray guy at the airport in England who was heading on the camp (the tell tell bike box gave me all the excuse I needed to go and chat!) and Anita came with two pals who happened to be staying at the resort, the five of us then picked up another "stray" heading to La Santa on arrival on the island and so six people with four bikes ventured to find a couple of taxi's to squeeze ourselves and our trusty wrapped up steads into to get us up to camp. That's when the heavens opened and it lashed down. I mean serious lashings of thunder and lighting! Crikey! There was me thinking I was coming to a warm weather camp!

Got to the resort and got soaked in the 5 yard bag drop dash between taxi and hotel reception. Now Jules had arrived on an earlier flight so we couldn't let our roomie miss out on a soaking so I promptly called him up and asked if he'd mind being a porter for the bags ;o)

Having thus arrived we unpacked the steads, Jules already had done this early so supervised us, when Anita had this bright idea that we could go for an early ride in the morning, *PRE*camp to test out the wheels... I mere 14k hike (half of which is up hill!). Yeah - sounds like a fab plan prior to getting a beasting for a week. Still we did get up early and did the ride (well I hadn't seen the programme then), and Jules and my bike were happy! Anita had a slight misalignment of the rear wheel but soon sorted.... later however on the camp group ride she had two flats and a snapped chain.... oh the irony!!

Anyhow - to the programme - this is what it looked like, I did complete the ones in green and didn't the ones in red (usually because of a sulk or tiredness - or both!)

Friday
0900 - Welcome meeting
1100 - Bike Ride (approx 2 hours), followed by 3k run off
1700 - Swim session

Saturday
0900 - Bike Ride (approx 2 hours)
1300 - 1 hours hill run (negative split)
1500 - Swim session
1900 - Lecture; nutrition

Sunday
1000 - Brick.... GET THIS.... 20kB, 3kR, 20kB, 6kR, 20kB, 9kR
(note; this was madness - I realised waking in the morning that I'd not do it in the allocated time of four hours so did my runs as 3k, 3k, 6k - some 3hrs 45mins later I was done in all sorts of ways!)
1600 - Swim

Monday
0900 - Sea Swim (only did half the session due to work conf call... WTH!)
1300 - Run Drills

Tuesday
0930 - Long Bike (approx 5 hours), I did this very easy due to hip issue/ excuse ;o)
1700 - Swim session (was too tired for words and sulking/ sleeping!)

Wednesday
0830 - Long run (1.5 to 2hrs, supposed to be 3*8k loops)
Didn't do this - long story!
1300 - Swim
1600 - Bike (didn't do this frankly too lazy, oh and I needed to pack bike up!)
1930 - Dinner and copious amounts of red wine!

Wednesday night finished with camp meal and wine. Those lucky enough to be staying on for the second week got two Wednesday nights - lucky them!

Got some good feedback on my swim (ie at least I know now what I'm doing wrong!), and I'm certainly stronger on the bike this year (although still in the lowest group...lol... although could/ should have gone up a group). Also my running is quicker (ok that is marginal but I'll take it!).

It was an awesome and inspiring week - some incredible age group athletes and pro's (would you believe!) either on or helping the course. I selection of nations also represented (not just Welsh, English, Irish and Scottish), no there was one girl from the Faroe Islands (she was a pro!) and even one guy from Bedford!!

Back to work with a bump this week. Still no news on the restructure/ redundancies - so the gray cloud still lingers over us at work - but at least whilst it lingers my bills happily are being paid!

More next time - thanks for checking in! Will grab sometime before the weekend to check you all out (as it were, before you think I'm coming on too strong .. lol!)