Today my Coach and good friend Helen flew out to Mallorca to set up her annual training camp venue. On Saturday she'll be joined by my fellow PBscience athletes. This is the first year that I've not been able to attend. Over the last couple of years her training camp has been a vital part of my early season schedule; a time to really focus on training and to plan the competitive season. It is a first-class springboard for the build up to the National Time Trial competitions that take place in May and June. Aside from this it's a fantastic opportunity for the amateur to experience the lifestyle of the pro cyclist if only for a week; to remove the stresses and strains of normal life, and to concentrate on little else other than training, recovering, eating and sleeping. I have found it invaluable in focussing my mind on what it takes to succeed and to get the best out of the limited time I have for training when back in the real world.
This year though, my real world has changed. Pre-Christmas, I had deferred the decision on whether I would attend the camp this year until I got to the bottom of the problem that was causing the swelling in my leg. Once I got the diagnosis of Lymphoedema, I must admit that attending a training camp was far from my mind. After Helen and I held our council of war though and concocted our ‘Lymphoedema Management Project’, we revisited the decision about whether the training camp was a viable option. My heart said ‘yes’ but unfortunately the call of wisdom was far more vociferous and my head won through. There were two main factors behind the decision; firstly we are employing a flat training structure during the current 12-week testing phase while we evaluate the efficacy of the various management techniques. This means keeping the training stress even. This would be daunting to achieve on camp when there is the opportunity to train harder, longer, and generally push out the boundaries. To have gone and not participated fully would have been frustrating; to have gone and trained harder would have invalidated the findings; a no-win situation. The other factor is the impact of flying. Although having Lymphoedema does not preclude me from flying, it certainly has an impact on the swelling and will require broader and more embracing management. Introducing this additional stress during the testing period would have biased the results and made it hard to interpret them. So, with a heavy heart, the decision not to attend this year was made. Helen and I both knew that this was for the best, but still I feel that I am missing out.
This year though, my real world has changed. Pre-Christmas, I had deferred the decision on whether I would attend the camp this year until I got to the bottom of the problem that was causing the swelling in my leg. Once I got the diagnosis of Lymphoedema, I must admit that attending a training camp was far from my mind. After Helen and I held our council of war though and concocted our ‘Lymphoedema Management Project’, we revisited the decision about whether the training camp was a viable option. My heart said ‘yes’ but unfortunately the call of wisdom was far more vociferous and my head won through. There were two main factors behind the decision; firstly we are employing a flat training structure during the current 12-week testing phase while we evaluate the efficacy of the various management techniques. This means keeping the training stress even. This would be daunting to achieve on camp when there is the opportunity to train harder, longer, and generally push out the boundaries. To have gone and not participated fully would have been frustrating; to have gone and trained harder would have invalidated the findings; a no-win situation. The other factor is the impact of flying. Although having Lymphoedema does not preclude me from flying, it certainly has an impact on the swelling and will require broader and more embracing management. Introducing this additional stress during the testing period would have biased the results and made it hard to interpret them. So, with a heavy heart, the decision not to attend this year was made. Helen and I both knew that this was for the best, but still I feel that I am missing out.
Nevertheless, I would like to wish all my fellow PBscience athletes the best of time on camp. Embrace it for what it is, make the most out of every minute, and enjoy a superb trip. I understand that even the weather is going to be nice for you!
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