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Apart from being a brilliant trip with club mates I learned three key things over a four day drip to the cycling mecca of Puerto Pollenca;
Physically I can cope with long rides over hills. Of course the Col de Feminina is not the Alps, but I did well enough to believe that 8 weeks of decent training will prepare me for the worst. I also rode my first back to back 100km rides in a year and my back was OK. Not great, but not pain levels that would stop me.
The Rapha / Apidura bar bag works really well. I was amazed how much kit I could fit in - two bibshorts, three jerseys and four pairs of socks. This is more than I'm planning on taking for the Adventure so it should mean I have space for the kit I need to take. I just need to remember the bag is there when I get out the saddle. Two experiences of hitting the bag with my knee when I got out if the saddle making the bike swerve unnerved me enough. However wearing a rucksack doesn't work. I have ordered the saddle bag from Rapha. I plan for this to carry my 'off bike' kit.
I need to lose weight. Maybe as much as 5kg in the next two months to counter balance the weight of the luggage and kit. I'm going to have to "go nuclear" as Rachel calls it. This is blindingly obvious of course, but I still need to remind myself that lighter people climb better.
Most importantly Mallorca made me think the adventure is possible. I covered 360km in four days. A huge chunk of the on my own. Now I just need to be able to cover another 1400km in 10 days....