I’m not going near a bike!
When cycling golden girl Laura Trott took a Jamaican break, she made a vow...
TEN days in the sun, some peace and quiet and a chance to swim with dolphins – what more could anyone want from a holiday? After a really busy year, I just wanted to get away with my fiance, fellow Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Jason Kenny. We headed to Ocho Rios in Jamaica – our first Caribbean holiday – and we loved it. We stayed in the adultsonly Couples Tower Isle hotel, which sits in glorious tropical gardens and has its own private beach.
We took a bit of a risk because we went during what is traditionally the hurricane season in the Caribbean. Lots of people said ‘Oh, you might get rubbish weather,’ but it was absolutely fine. It just goes to show that sometimes it pays to be bold. We had just one thunderstorm which happened one morning and lasted for about an hour. For the rest of the time we had unbelievable weather.
Because we wanted to chill out, we didn’t do too much in the way of activities at the resort. We went shopping in the town one day, but there wasn’t much there, to be honest. Our best excursions were swimming with dolphins and a canoeing expedition.
The week before we went to Jamaica, Jason and I had been taking part in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow so we didn’t even have to think about keeping fit or training while we were on holiday, which suited us fine.
Actually, we did go to the gym once, just to keep things ticking over. The gym was excellent – it had all the machines we needed.
We didn’t get on a bicycle though, I’m pleased to say, for the entire time we were at the resort. However, from what we saw of the island, Jamaica looks like a good place for cycling. One of the excursions on offer was being driven up a mountain and then cycling back down, freewheeling all the way.
Ordinarily our lives are pretty much taken up with being on a bike. In a normal week, Sunday is our rest day – and as far as holidays are concerned, the sort of break like we had in Jamaica we get just once every two years. Some people think we might find it difficult to switch off and relax, but no, I love it! I could just sit there all day long stretched out on a sunbed. I absolutely love doing nothing. Jason’s pretty much the same, so it works out quite well.
We also took a break from our strict diet. We ate what we liked – and the food at the hotel was amazing. There were four different restaurants at Couples Tower Isle – our favourite was the Bay Restaurant, a small place above the sea with fabulous views. We had wonderful curries and watched incredi- ble sunsets. That was definitely one of the highlights.
The restaurants also served lots of fish. I’m not really a fan of fish but I did try crab for the first time, which I liked. If I could eat what I wanted every day, I’d have Chinese.
Fortunately I don’t really have to be too careful about what I eat – I have the odd piece of cake – because I don’t tend to put on weight that easily. But obviously, when it comes to being fit, I can’t eat meals like curries every day. I am expected to have lots of carbohydrates for energy. Still, I don’t tend to spend that much time with a nutritionist because I’ve been doing my job for so long now that I know what I can and cannot have.
As for alcohol, if I’m on holiday, the odd tipple is fine, but I’m not really a drinker. Cocktails are OK because they’re fruity, but I don’t like anything fizzy. That rules out beer and champagne, so when I go to a bar, don’t expect me to hit the hard stuff. It’s not that I’m being good – it’s more that I just don’t like it.
At the end of the holiday I weighed myself and discovered I hadn’t put on a single pound.
In competitive cycling, travel is part of the job – being away from home becomes the norm. I’ve also got used to long flights. The nine- hour journey to Jamaica was something both Jason and I are very familiar with.
When we go overseas for training, we go to Majorca quite a lot. In the winter two years ago we went to Australia, which was great, and the weather there was amazing. But whether it’s Majorca – we stay in Alcudia – or Australia, it’s not a holiday: we don’t have any leisure time because we go there to train. That
means there are no trips to the clubs of Magaluf! We go out for a ride, come back, eat lunch, go out for a second ride, eat dinner and go to bed. We’re now looking ahead to the Olympics in Rio – we won’t have another holiday before then. I’ve never been to Brazil, so it’s a trip we’re all really looking forward to. It’ll be hard work but I can’t wait to get there.