Nov 3, 2018

Super Beautiful Camp in Mallorca

Do you wanna go with us to training camp in Mallorca in October? Sure! How much would it cost? About 1000 euros. Eeeh, I would love to but I am not gonna spend this much money for one camp. But my heart was beating for going there. As I am quite master in lowcost travelling, I believed I will find some option to go there for about half price.

So I did, booked all flight tickets and accomodations and was so much looking forward to spend nine days full of hard trainings in beautiful Medditeraen mountain nature.

It would be weird if no complications appear. One month to go I was informed that the accomodation price won’t be valid – it would be much higher. Jak jinak.

What to do now? Pay much more than planned? Not to go and loose money for flights I have already paid? I felt like I would be very unhappy if staying in grey wet and dark Rovaniemi alone for ten days. We had independent work week which is nickname for holiday. So even my Erasmus friends won’t bein the city and will travel to explore other countries. Furthermore, it will not be possible to rollerski in Rovaniemi. Wet alshpalt, many old leaves on it and sand. Oh wait, ice, of course. Even the best rollerskis wouldn’t like to ski in this. Not skiing for almost one month is not the best situation for skiers. Furthermore, I knew I will be able to push more when training with other people at camp.

So I decided to go to Mallorca. Called my boss and ask to get more work in order to get more money.

October 16, I landed at Palma de Mallorca together with Finnish ski-o team. Time to change to shorts and tops if yuou don’t wanna melt immediately.

DAY 1

OMG, this looks soo amazing! Mountains, sea, sun, dry leavesless roads! I can’t wait to get out to train!

Roller skiing with few spurts with other girls. After two days or rest I I felt like I could ski forever.

I prefer to travel lowcost as you have no (or low) expectations. Now I have paid the most expensive accomodation in my life so I expected everything to be at least perfect. Have to admit it was. Pool just in front our window. Room with balcony reacheable also through our bedroom window. And that food. OMG again! I didn’t know what to eat first! I love good food and this was really the best food I’ve ever experienced. Both the choice and taste was 11 out of 10 points!

DAY 2

First proper training. Rollerski uphill. Just feel good speed. It was hard to focus for technique as so beautiful views all around. Love to ski in mountains!

In the afternoon it was time to explore our surroundings Great run including some blind roads/paths, picking figs from a figus tree and enjoying wind and splashing water at hidden bay at Sant Vicenc. Some core and swimming afterwards. If all days gonna be like this one, I don’t wanna leave from here.

DAY 3

Easy skiing with focus to technique. Short run and strength. Tomorrow first hard training

DAY 4

Alarm rings. It is totally black outside. You can’t see much but noise we hear sound like a heavy storm. We were right. Heavy rainstorm makes us postpone the arrival time to mountains.

One hour later, it is only light rain. We are not made of sugar and so we go. However, it hasn’t been a long journey. Road from city is closed. There is one other road we can use to get to our training’s destination. When getting on the city exit, big jam of stanading cars appears. One guy come to tell us that road ahead of us is also closed. There are litres of water crossing this road at many places and fallen trees. No chance to go through. First day I couldn’t imagine how there could be floods at Mallorca two weeks ago. Now I can’t imagine how I couldn’t imagine floods here. Few hours of heavy rain and it’s done.

Short Heavy Rain Can Easily Cause Floods in Mallorca

Fast decision about best alternative trainings. Girls run through wild Mallorca’s nature and core instead. So much fun we had!

Classic rollerskiing in the afternoon. Big thanks to Mirka Suutari who borrowed me her classic skiing equipment. DAY 5

No rainstorms. Finally the hard training! Enjoyed the pain!

Afternoon super magnificient run with Salla to double blue bay. It made us feel we run in Africa. Hot weather and many animals around.

DAY 6

Long awaiting long training. Me and Jyri set off to run in mountains. Měli jsme velké oči and planned far too much to make within 2,5hours. I would rather run longer and reach some peak but we decided it is better to stick to the original plan and do some more rollerskiing just after the running.

Rest afternoon. Timo to work to be able to pay this camp.

DAY 7

Another tough uphill by rollerskis. This time famous Sa Calobra by rollerskis.

Sa Salobra Road. Do You Know How Many Turns We Had to Climb Up? Many!

Afternoon run to caves which obviously do not exist. Neither paths from map do so it was a lot of walking and crawling through bushes and sharp stones. Not the best physical training but definitely very good mental one! At least, we've got a beautiful view over Pollenca and its surroundings. And no, we are not that blonde, we were at right place 😉

DAY 8

Hardest training of the camp. I pushed a bit too much yesterday and feel like piece of shit already before the training. When time begins to tik ťak I don’t feel any better. My goal is changing from making those 14km as fast as possible to make it somehow up. I am suffering with huge pain in Achiles tendons after a while. They don’t let me to skate. I am forced to double pole also in skating parts. This is killing one. Ale co tě nezabije, to tě posílí…

Achiles tendons don’t get better till afternoon so I decide to do swimming and core. Still not a bad choice. 😉 And visit to beautiful village of San Vicenc.

DAY 9

I’ve planned a long run in mountains. To finally conquer some magnificient peaks. But I decided to go cycling instead to save my Achiles tendons. I am not a biggest fan of cycling so normally missing great run with Milka and Salla in mountains would make me really sad. But I got to rent a carbon road bike and went with Riikka to rock it out! We had so much fun and got to so see many beautiful places.

Definitely didn’t regret this activity. And yes, we are done.

DAY 10

I could definitely imagine to stay here longer. Sunny days, +25°, beautiful nature, training conditions, amazing friends and that food!

But it is time to say bye bye to summer preparation and get back to Rovaniemi. The next training will be skiing on the snow (and in 30°C colder weather).

I am very happy I decided to go to Mallorca. I think it has been a very efficient camp and one of the most beautiful ones. I have identified new weaknesses so something to work on. I have trained well and got lots of inspiration.