mallorcan dream - part I
Earlier this winter, I decided I would not participate in my tri club’s usual training camp in February, as I wanted to give myself a chance to get back to running and be able to enjoy a full camp. As the build back was going well at the time, I started looking for another camp at the back end of the winter season and decided to sign up for a week with Scientific Triathlon, under Mikael Eriksson, in Mallorca at the end of March. ‘I should definitely be back running fully by THEN’, I thought (nothing but a rolling hope-disappointment situation since December). I was desperate to at least have a chance to get to the sun, even at the back end of a miserable UK winter so I just booked it.
Then I thought, why not take the opportunity and make a ‘proper’ holiday of it? So I got Ale on board and decided to head down a week in advance, do some light cycling together as I would be freshening up for the camp, maybe work a little if needed so we can spend two weeks in total.
Of course, after the most recent flare-up of my injury, it became evident that I wouldn’t be running by end of March either, to my continuous disappointment. But this time around I decided not to let that get me down and do my best to at least enjoy the cycling. What bad could there be after all, about two weeks in the sun? Even without running?
Agritourismo Sa Vall and Son Macià
The camp would be based off just outside the town of Pollentia on the North of the island – a classic base for cycling in the famous Tramuntana mountains. So we decided it made sense to spend the first week on the opposite side of the island to explore a little more (and climb a little less the first few days!).
When searching for accommodation, I wasn’t very excited and found it hard to pick something. The towns near the sea on that side did not seem very appealing when browsing online, and the lodging quality seemed low for our budget. The only chance to get something decent was to head off the beaten track, in the countryside, where some Agritourismos looked just what we like. Spacious, quiet, intimate. As usual we ended up in the middle of nowhere, but we had a car anyway.
We picked Agritourismo Sa Vall, just outside a small village called Son Macià, no more than 10’ drive from the town of Manacor. Rapha Nadal’s hometown, that is, as we found out on arrival, who knew!
Palma airport was unexpectedly large and contemporary for ‘island standards’. Something almost felt a bit ‘off’. As we started making our way to Son Macià, the theme continued – Palma seemed like a big centre with the typical surroundings of a mainland city – a fast motorway, big department stores, industrial facilities. Thankfully we were heading away!
It took us about 45’ to reach Sa Vall, hidden around a turn you had to miss at least twice before you can spot it. A small unpaved road led to the ‘finca’ type property, basically an old agricultural residence turned into a guesthouse, where we were welcomed by our lovely host Margalida and her cute dog Coco. The countryside around the property was stunning, with views over lush hills and fields with pines, olive groves, vineyards and scattered sheep. From the first moment I had the sensation of being at my grandparent’s village in the mountains of Epirus. The smells and the sounds, even the slightly chilly temperature whenever a cloud covered the sun, reminded me of the summers I spent there as a child.
Cycling with Ale
This first week was meant to be a pre-camp, lower training week with as much ‘holiday feel’ as possible. If I miss one thing since I started triathlon (and my entire yearly calendar defined by racing) it is travelling and exploring like I used to, fully immersed, not worrying about missing training. It’s a choice but a sacrifice at the same time.
We assembled our bikes and got route-planning. From the very first day, we were stunned by the lush countryside that surrounded the village. Everywhere you looked, you would see cart-postal-worthy images. It was full of traditional stone houses with wooden shutters, terracotta roofs, and small windows, built to withstand the hot summers and cold winters of the island. All so well-maintained and well-fitting their environment, a real treat to the eyes.
We kept the rides relatively short and leisurely pace, up to two-two and a half hours. We loved the little San Salvador climb which served as a warm-up for what was about to come the following week. A steady 5% average climb for 5km, so fun. A pleasant change from the steep Surrey hills where pacing is not an option really. And you could literally see the whole island from the top of this little hill in the middle of the planes. I felt good going up at a comfortable, tempo pace without any intention to push at that point.
We loved Portocolom and had some great food there, right by the sea. I bet it gets quite busy in the summer but it was quiet now, as was the whole island. Another day we cycled all the way up to Far de Capdepera and discovered the local delights called Ensaimadas.
Swimming
During our stay in son Macià I did my swimming and minimal treadmill running at the Rapha Nadal Academy Centre. A pricey 15 euro entry to the pool (‘for the day’) and 10 euro for the gym. But let’s say it was part of touring! The place was fabulous – I just hope their regular members pay a lot less! One thing I have to recognise though: lifeguards there are literally lane moderators. On arrival, they will welcome you and point you to your lane and direct existing swimmers to split the lane if up to two, or, if more, to swim in rotation. When the latter happened, he apologised as ‘it was busy and complicated’! I had to laugh given the carnage of the UK pools I’m used to and swimmers left at our own fate which mostly means frustration. The lifeguard would observe continuously and move people around politely to keep the swimming optimised - this seemed to keep everyone happy. Can we please learnt something from this?!
Exploring by car
We explored a lot by car too – we spent one lovely afternoon walking around Palma which was surprisingly big, vibrant and colourful. Pintxos and Rioja sealed the day. Another day we drove to Soller and Port de Soller for coffee and had a wonderful lunch near the picturesque village of Valdemossa. This island really seems to have it all! The mountain villages had a surreal alpine feeling, hard to believe they were only a short drive from to turquoise waters; all connected with excellent roads I could not wait to cycle on. I am only guessing the downside would be felt in peak touristic season with the crowds everywhere.
Another highlight was a short hike to Cala Magraner and, last but not least, the wonderful Cala Figuera really made me really regret not having brought a decent camera with me. Just to point out how low my expectations were. Embarrassing!
The first week was a great start, and I felt quite rested after a few days, just like tapering, I was now looking forward to training camp!
