Earlier on this year we sent Tri247 columnist Colette O'Neill off to Majorca, to try out a triathlon training camp with SportActive (www.sportactive.net), which included riding with Irish cycling legend Sean Kelly. Here is her report.

Friday - where is everyone?

Training: Run

Mid April, I arrived at Palma airport, Majorca, around lunchtime where Carla, a newbee tri lady introduced herself while we waited for another pickup, Tony, on a slightly later flight. On the 20 minute transfer to the hotel we chatted a bit about training but, being English, more about the weather - which was sunny and warm.

Arriving at training camp base, we checked into the wonderful Estrella De Mar hotel apartments in Alcudia, Mallorca. My four-star accommodation was lovely, clean and spacious with twin beds, a huge bathroom, sitting room, kitchenette and balcony, which I was to share with the swim coach.

Met up with Carla for a late lunch then feeling a bit lost and surprised to have no specific reception, we bumped into the head honchos, Dave and Martin, who gave us a run-down on set-up and the bike shed in the hotel basement. We also discovered that larger numbers were arriving later that day and the following morning.

Before dinner, we went for a run down the beach and felt the sea water which we'd been told was "always warm" as it's the Mediterranean.

Dinner offered lots of healthy help-yourself choices with various hot and cold meats (including ostrich), and fish, pasta, salads and veg, plus lots of desserts.

Saturday - on yer bike.

Training: Bike / Run

There were no bananas at breakfast! This seemed to be the norm so I learned to take them at dinner for the next day.

Met up in the basement conference room for a welcome talk at 09:30. The room was full of Irish, both triathletes and ex-pro cyclist coaches including the big man himself, Sean Kelly (who was ranked world number one cyclist for four years among other mighty achievements). Despite my surname, I found it difficult to understand much of the broad-accented conversations. The holiday seems very popular with the Irish, some of whom have returned in increasing numbers year on year. Communications did improve for the English gang through the week, aside from a couple of amusing incidents of complete non-comprehension on our part. We were given a rundown of the week to come, starting with the collection of our bikes and signing our "contracts" - a bit scary when finding out that we could be charged for damaged bar tape.

The bike shed was pretty cool, full of racked bikes, a mini shop for gels, bottles etc, and mechanics on hand for set up and maintenance. We were given a numbered padlock to use with our assigned rack. My hire bike was pretty good, one up from the basic model due to availability. Remember though, that if you bring your own bike, aerobars are a dirty word and should never be seen when around pure cyclists!

Next up, the initial bike ride. We met up outside the hotel and picked from three ability groups to ride with, based upon average cycle speed. With guidance from Dave the coach, I chose to ride with the faster Group One, despite being unsure of my fitness due to only a few turbo sessions and no outdoor riding since Christmas. Led by Dave and another coach, the ride started steady with some near crashes from the men as we passed a beach volleyball session near the hotel. The pace then picked up before we had left the built-up areas and I almost got dropped at a roundabout, but luckily Dave was behind to pull me back in. Rolling off the front with each blow of the coaches’ whistle, I was almost flat out when leading. Once rolled back, I was able to take in some of the lovely surroundings in the rolling Spanish countryside... until first day group excitement took over. Without warning, the group split, the leaders speeding off ahead over the undulations. Determined not to give up - there were girls in the front group - I worked hard with our pack to regain contact. The coaches then stopped us to split the group again, explaining that this was a usual occurrence for the first ride, as cyclists find their pace and group. I opted to split into the second group with Dave and we had a more comfortable ride back to the hotel whilst chatting to Sally, a Scottish girlie from New York. The homeward stretch had us champing at the bit and led to an exhilarating fast 10k through-and-off run. Ours was the only group to return early and miss the rain that followed the sunshine, the others all arriving back later, freezing and wet. Totalled 88k in 3.5 hours with no coffee stop, averaging 20-21 mph - a right proper shock to the system, but which set me and Sally up for the week.

A short run off the bike down the rainy beach rounded off the day’s training, then a visit to the spa. The sauna revealed more than expected. I’d heard a story from Sally about her first evening’s surprise so was a bit unsure and asked one of the lads to accompany me. Majorca is very accommodating to the many visiting Germans but we broke the rules and sat there in our swimsuits. The big window onto a garden with pretty flowers was useful to avert my gaze whilst pondering the European variances on the how-high-do-you-go rule of shaving for triathletes.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the large Irish contingent from mainly 3 triathlon clubs, our anglo-group for dinner grew each evening. These guys showed the strengths of the camp in that they returned in increasing numbers each year. In the bar, Sally pulled a cute german guy who we had ‘met’ in the sauna and who bought us drinks in the bar until late.

Sunday - no rest for the wicked.

Training: Swim / Bike / Run

We were late for the 09:00 first swim session at the pool 10 minutes walk away – we hadn't understood that we were meant to meet up earlier than the planned time to be shown the way, unlike everyone else. We were given directions but not accompanied, which delayed us further. The 25m indoor pool is lovely and clean, but wear old swim kit here though, as the walls are rough and without a grip bar at the deep end, the roughness resulted in a new swimsuit looking quite old after only two sessions. The session consisted of mainly drills of about 1100m, with time slots for different abilities.

Sensibly deciding to miss the earlier Group One cycle and opting for Group Two, we had a couple of hours to kill. This camp prioritises cycling rather than packing in three disciplines a day as on some other camps. We waited outside and debated what to wear whilst waiting for the coach who was 20 minutes late. With changeable weather, I was glad I wore a base layer despite the sun and took arm-warmers and a rain jacket as we stopped in the sudden downpour. Our coach explained that the white lines on the road there can become very slippery in the wet, and we waited until the shower passed. We set off as it cleared then encountered hail followed by warm sun. A steady two hour ride over flat terrain following Saturday's introductory session, around 30 miles averaging 16-17 mph.

A run off the bike followed, rather than waiting for the organised run an hour later, then a visit to the spa. The distinct comparison between the faces and postures in each of the two small pools became clear once we decided to do the cold dip thing. Gritted teeth and fixed self-hugs compared to the relaxed hippo look in the Jacuzzi, but this became a daily obligation for most of us OCD tri-crowd as we increased our times in the freezing purgatory and progressed to a full head and body plunge. A sudden swarm of grinning blokes was explained by some german girls preparing for the sauna behind us, the rules being to remove your kit before you enter. Conversely, Sally's deutschlander date later in the sauna turned up wearing his trunks - which is apparently as rude as us not wearing ours down at our local Virgin Active, but he was trying to impress the English way... Sunday night involved some refueling at the bar.

Monday - Prickly when tired.

Training: Swim / Bike / Run

Ooops - whilst the swim coach was ready at 7am, no-one turned up due to training in the bar the night before. Next up, the bike and we dared to join the fastest group again. Chatted to quite a few ironmen-in-training before the pace picked up, then hit a big hill to spread out the group. Once at the top, those at the back were invited forward to take the lead for their benefit - big man Sean asked if he could too, since he'd been at the back. A worrying moment when one cyclist said things weren't looking good before he went off road, over his handlebars and landed in a cactus. I was feeling a bit grumpy by the lunch stop after 3.5 hours, since the fast pace prevented me refuelling. With the cycle-friendly café full, and the next shut, Sean offered us a Powerbar or his body for 10 euros …he received one offer for the bar. Found a café at last to refuel on baguettes, then off again in the sun for an hour’s return ride.  With two other girls at the front of the pack, Sean led us into a plowed field while the rest of the group whizzed off up the road behind us, which amused him heaps. Later, Dave was leading and found it hilarious to dive behind a wall at a junction to leave everyone dazed and confused. The entertainment is included in the cost. All in all, a great ride of 75 miles over 5 hours at 17-18 mph. Feeling good after a great ride with the sun shining at last, we ran down the beach and finished off with a short sea swim which had warmed up nicely.

Tuesday - Power drills.

Training: Swim / Run / Bike / Run

Up early for swim groups at 07:00 and 08:00, which included more drills, drafting and diving. Bob, the run coach, is also a BT coach educator. He took us through some detailed run drills in the sun, which were hard work, but a great warm-up for the following run. After lunch, we cycled out for transition training. Expecting a short ride and a brick-type session, we were surprised to be biking out for half an hour. We were then sent off at intervals on a main road time-trial stylee followed by a transition and hilly 1k run at race pace. Bob was out on the course to shout encouragement which pushed us harder. With some feedback from Bob, this left little time to repeat and return home for the lifestyle talk at 5pm, so we opted to head back. The lecture on power meters and output by Professor Richard Davidson was very well attended although rather academically-focussed, with graphs and research findings, perhaps more geared towards sport science students than tired athletes. However, questions and discussions followed, including the benefits, or not, of riding on the rivet and the views of those who are experienced plus Sean the Great.

Wednesday - Ice-cream head.

Training: Swim / Bath / Bike / Run

No hot water in the room before breakfast meant that the open water swim afterwards would be my shower. Thinking the Mediterranean was balmy in April, I neglected to bring a wetsuit and I was assured by the swim coach that the water would be fine without one. Perhaps the warning here was that this lady is an open water distance specialist and they don’t use wetsuits. Down at the beach, where it was overcast and fleece weather, it took a while to acclimatise – a bit like the first open water swim of the season. We did a group sprint but my arms were so cold I didn't notice that I had scraped one on a stone buoy until someone pointed out the blood running down my arm. I soldiered on for a while despite my lack of neoprene until the cold became too much and I returned to shore. Luckily, help was at hand as I was shaking too much to dress myself and chattering gibberish. A long soak in a hot bath was needed to return life to my frozen body. The following 2.5 hour bike session included 2 x 3k climbs up Cap de Formentor with a beautiful view, then some fast chain-ganging home. The run began with 40 minutes of drills then a half hour group run including timed efforts along the beach.

Thursday - Fast finish.

Training: Bike

We opted out of the early swim to fit in a final long bike ride. Unfortunately, confusion led us to missing the comfort of Group 2, so we bombed off to catch up with the departed fast Group 1 as we were told the groups would meet up en route. Although this was their easy day, the strong riders still made it tough work for us. Dave dropped us at a café while the real fast group did an extra loop for another half an hour. There, I met a cycling friend from back home, also Irish. When the group returned, we visited the outdoor velodrome, where some chose to spin out some fast laps. After lunch in a lovely square, we set off for the 25k home. We whizzed down country lanes and fields, one with a very free-range pig looking on with her piglets. Some of us chose to visit a bike shop before returning home where a deal on kit was too good to miss (although the quality is not as good as the distinctive SportActive kit).

Back at the ranch, a champagne reception was held and some presentations made, plus the opportunity to take photos with Sean. Dinner that night involved an extra glass of wine in celebration of our efforts.

In Summary

I had a great week’s training with experienced and fun cycle coaches, including Sean and this is definitely a camp to return to. The focus on cycling provides a great early season base in a land that seems to be made for the job. The ex-pro coaches know this cycling Mecca of Majorca really well from their training days. I haven’t seen so many cyclists out and about before, and the care of the coaches and general driver consideration provides extra confidence on the road, even for a novice. Terrain is a bit of everything - flat, undulating and hilly, depending on the route. Notably, unlike Lanzarote you can find quality hills without that relentless wind, plus there is some breathtaking scenery. The hotel is situated in the town near the beach with the countryside about half an hour cycle away. A dedicated masseur was also available but his week’s diary was almost full by the first day. Whilst the cost of the week returns value-for-money, the bike hire and insurance cover is an add-on to remember in your budget, if you leave your bike at home.

So, for a seasoned athlete or a total beginner, this is a thoroughly recommended training camp to develop your cycling and fitness, with fun thrown in. Whilst swim and run coaches are on hand, bike-related stuff predominates. Communication could be improved as some details were missed by first-timers, plus a welcome reception on arrival day would have been appreciated. With a few triathlon-specific tweaks, this set up could hold the competitive edge over some well-established training camps and venues.

For more information on training camps with SportActive, check out their website (www.sportactive.net)