Training camp version 2.0, back to the south, to escape the horrible April weather in Germany for a bit, but this time Spain and not Portugal, Mallorca to be precise.
Mallorca? Training camp? Where every forest and meadow district league club celebrates its promotion to the district league? (or the other way around, I have no idea about football).
Yes, that's exactly where we're flying, because apart from the (few) tourist places that dominate the headlines, Mallorca is a dream in terms of landscape and ideal for long runs, trail runs, intervals and we don't even need to start here.
True to the motto of the numerous consultants in our ranks, we scaled up well and this time set up on La Isla with 30 people. We rented two houses and an entire palace in Pollença, including a piano room and our own orange grove.
The northeast of Mallorca and especially Pollença as a base is a clear 10/10, no district league clubs, no bachelor parties, no hotel castles, but perfectly located for flat runs, trail runs in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains and even with your own tartan Track, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a red-painted concrete track. No matter, the spikes stay in the suitcase. It's better to sneak over fences and through hedges in carbon shoes.
The tried and tested plan from the first training camp was used here again, one session in the morning, one session in the afternoon, with sightseeing in the old narrow streets in between, counting steps on Calvary (Wikipedia says 365, Maike says that's not true), one ice cream, two ice creams, Yoga under the orange tree by the pool and, most importantly, eat a lot and eat well.
With heavy legs and just a bit of sunburn on your shoulders instead of the burden of everyday life, you question your current choice of place of residence after a week like this.
Of course, this time went by far too quickly and before you know it, you're standing with your suitcase in your hand at the German S-Bahn station that smells of piss. Luckily, cell phone reception is poor as usual and so the flight tickets can't be booked again straight away.
The next morning your heart is still full and as long as you don't unpack your suitcase, the training camp is theoretically not over, right?
Author: Stefan Otte
Photos : Azib Hamidi , Hanniel Hu
