Monday 16 January 2012

Tenerife training camp - week 1 - quick update


Just a quick update! I try to spend a less as possible time front of my computer! :)
First week is gone already! Time is flying here. I have to say nearly everything went well, except couple of bits and pieces.




We arrived to Tenerife 8th of January. Our apartment is in San Miguel. This little village lays 700m above sea level. Lovely place, nice apartment, very rural area.


I had planned 5 training days during last week. I managed to do 4,5 days! :P I rode far more in the first four days, what my coach gave me in the plan and I made some mistake during my second rest day as well. I didn’t eat enough during my second rest day and I didn’t get fully recovered to yesterday. I felt no energy at the morning, but I tried to make it better. It wasn’t working, I turned back from the top and cut half my training day. Also my plan got a bit modified and I have a rest day today. I ate the kitchen empty since last night.
Also the terrain is quite funny, you can’t ride 1km on flat surface. Road going up or down all the time. You can climb 2330m in one go! Epic! Roads are good quality the most of the time.
Well, 29,5 hours, 740km and nearly 16.000m climbs are done already. I planned a bit more, but it is still good effort. Originally I thought about 900-1000km/week, but it is nearly impossible with this amount of climbs. 


My last week:
Monday: 164km 3550m
Tuesday: 148km 4030m
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: 164km 3550m
Friday: 172km 2500m
Saturday:Rest day
Sunday:90km 2240m

The weather is beautiful, but the temperature can be quite cold in the early hours on the top. Couple of days ago was 4 degrees up there at 10 o’clock. I managed to climb the Teide from 2 directions already, but I have planed at least 2 more other routes.
Downhills are awesome as well! You can come down with 60-70km/h easily. I think I made my best ever tyre choice and I am very impressed with my Micheline Pro Race 3s (thanks Dave!!!!)
I been in the capital as well. I wasn’t really impressed with Santa Cruz. It is a typical Canary type capital, dirty , stinks and full with homeless people. 




I just can’t get over , how beautiful the rest of the island. You can find everything here, it is a micro continent. One side is very dry and full with cactus , other side is full with pine trees. You can find banana fields and orange trees everywhere and the almond trees just started to blossom.

I am looking forward this week. I mapped out couple of very good loops with long climbs already. I try to do my best, don’t kill myself and rode and climb the much as possible. 

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