Day 1 - Portugal here we come!

It was a early and cold start to the day, with most of us having a 5am alarm call. Check in went smoothly but passing through security was a long drawn out affair that left us with no time to have the pre flight breakfast! Runners are notoriously always  hungry and can only be described as hangry without food in their bellies. So a meal deal from Boots to start the day it was for the majority of us, then straight on the plane. The flight passed quickly and before we knew it we were checking in at the Hotel. The gentle warm weather was a refreshing change to the wind and cold we had left behind. The Hotel rooms are beautiful. The Marina is stunning! The surroundings perfect for training!

First run of the camp is 4pm, an easy 60 minutes around the harbour, along the sea front then off road looping back in land. The pace is excitable to start, but settles to allow everyone the opportunity to chat. The miles fly by and that’s the beauty of running in a group, It makes the training so much more pleasurable. 

 The evening was taken up by a quick Housekeeping talk from Coach Dave, and then our evening meal. Previous years have been a Buffet style arrangement but due to Covid the Hotel had switched to A la Carte. The food was nice, but a long day and being underfed since the morning meant the mood dampened a little. But then the banter started and the Group rallied to end the night in high spirits. Tomorrow we would talk to the Hotel Team. Being a Table of 19 athletes needs a slick approach!
Early night, ready for the first full day of training!