ISB 2020 - Altea

Traditionally there would be a training camp abroad in the inter semester break after the January exams.

For the 2020 trip we went to Altea, Spain for an incredible week, organised by the brillient Becky and Mollie.

There were opportunities for everyone to participate and no pressure to do anything too difficult.

 

The sport for the week looked like this:

Day 1 – flew from Bristol airport to Alicante airport, then had a transfer to the airport.

It was possible for you to take your own bike, with many opting for this decision, and as a group we were able to hire bike carriers.

Others chose to hire bikes out there which were very suitable for the conditions.

Due to arriving around 6:30pm we did not have time to do any activity that evening.

Day 2 – 80km ride with 1000m climbs, in order to cater to all abilities there were 3 groups of differing paces. Some people also chose to try swimming in the sea however, at that time of year it was a tad chilly.

We were able to book the pool for hour slots throughout the week.

Many people opted to go for early morning runs also.

Day 3 – consisted of the hill climb ride, with the 3 groups meeting at one stretch of road for a race to the top. The groups then split off for different length rides.

Day 4 – ‘rest day’ for most allowing them to experience the culture in the local area with a short ride to a local cafe, however, others decided to do a 100km ride to experience as much of the scenery as possible.

Day 5 – the long awaited ‘challenge day’ this saw groups completing a 200km ride or 30km run.

Day 6 – our last day saw the group cycling up the Coll De Rates climb up 350+ metres.

 

Hotel – we stayed in a lovely hotel called ‘Cap Negret’, they were able to provide numerous facilities such as:

• Buffet for breakfast and dinner
• Packed lunch for our rides
• Great sized rooms (2/3/4 persons)
• Bike storage

The trip provides everyone an opportunity to participate whilst knowing you can complete certain activities, and not get left behind. By doing this your able to mix with different people which allows us to have such a great club community.

We would like to say a big shoutout to Becky and Mollie again, for organising such a great trip that I know we will all look back on fondly. Also thank you to all those that lead rides on the trip, and anyone else that supported the trip.

Due to coronavirus we are unsure what will happen with this trip whether we will have to stay in the UK or if we’ll be able to go abroad, but as soon as we decide on the best option we will let you know.

 

 

 

Winter training camp 2017

Youtube video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysLurxfnMxo&t=2s

It’s that time of year again when we have to sum up an incredible inter semester break in just a few short paragraphs. Safe to say that this year’s trip to Spain did not disappoint and everybody excelled themselves in more ways than one. From athletes who had never cycled more than 40km riding as far as 180km, to seasoned racers chasing each other up mountains, and total beginners completing a half ironman, our trip had it all.

The week began less eventfully than last year, with a smooth journey out to our hotel in Aguilas on Sunday and a short coastal spin to check our bikes were all in one piece.

Monday morning soon arrived and some were up early for a swim before the much awaited buffet breakfast. We were well fuelled for a day of sun, sweat and mountains and before we knew it almost half the group had beaten their previous longest rides and highest climbs.

Tuesday, better known as Hill Climb Day, brought with it the first of the week’s mechanical problems. In fact over the next few days, we (mostly Tate, Connor & Tom) probably brought the local cycling shop enough business to keep them going until next years trip. First to the top of the main climb were Cal and Luke, with Fran not far behind taking the win for the girls. From here, we split off into smaller groups to tackle a selection of distances, further climbs and cafe stops. On returning to the hotel, those who still had strength in their legs headed out for a run, while others hit the beach for some down time.

In true ISB tradition, Wednesday’s “Rest Day” was kicked off with another swim followed by the all important sprint competition. This was a close and hard fought battle, with reigning men’s champion Luke knocked out early and Mike taking the title. The girl’s competition was another close one, but Kate came out on top to retain her title. With the excitement over, everybody headed out for a short ride to a cafe for lunch and the afternoon was occupied by more open water swimming, running and relaxing on the beach.

Having rested up well on Wednesday, challenge day dawned bright and early the next morning. After an early breakfast, several groups set out at sunrise to tackle monster challenges including rides of up to 223km and a half ironman distance triathlon.  After being hindered by a few mechanicals, and one or two stationary crashes, as the sun set, 44 triathletes returned to the hotel all in one piece and having achieved some incredible things.

The only way to follow challenge day was a lie in and a trip to a tri club favourite cafe, No.363. This, of course, was followed by more hills and more impressive riding. Having spent far too much time in the cafe earlier, Ash was desperate to be home before sunset for a swim so the ride home was flat and fast with Merran showing her strength on the front and Emma and Haydn clinging in the wheels.

Saturday came far too soon and with it, the final challenges of the week. This included over 20 athletes (including several who started the week in the beginner group) tackling the brutal climb up La Mezquita, Sam running his first half marathon, and Emily eating 14 pancakes for breakfast.

Our ISB trip offers something for everyone, from beginners to elite athletes (and even the vegans) and develops relationships between members so that despite being a relatively large club, we are a really close knit community of friends and athletes.

We would like to say a huge thanks to all those who helped with organising and leading rides on the trip, most especially to Lucy and Felix, and to our awesome sponsors Sportstix and Blueseventy for their continued support.