Taking a break from training

But I needed motivation this week, if I was to get back into the swing of things and to roll the training gap. Spotify was downloaded and I searched for a playlist from number 1 son, who has an excellent taste in music. The Stelvio was back on YouTube in front of me, I had a Voom Nutrition bar in my rear pocket, a bottle of hydration powdered water on the bike and I was ready. ‘Go to hell covid, I’ll beat you,’ and I’ll also conquer lockdown – I’ll beat you because I never quit. The thing about being a climber is the mental strength. After all, there’s nowhere to hide on a mountain, when all you have for protection is a rope and your wits. Transferring this mental strength to my cycling is the simple part; finding the energy to support it can be tricky 😉 I’m away though, following the road in front of me on the screen. It’s not overly realistic but it’s a start, and quite soon I’ll be hooked up to the new Elite ‘Real World Video’ and adding that sense of realism – I can feel the need for a larger screen already – maybe a projector!

The music plays and it feeds my soul. I’m fired up like Lance Armstrong, albeit legally so and I’m back in the  cycling zone. Natural endorphins and a good nutrition brand is really all that you need Lance 😉 I’m rolling the gap caused by this pandemic and recent events and I’m feeling good again, as sweat pours off me and my legs turn the rollers to the rhythm of the music. I love using the rollers; it’s not simply a case of sitting still and pedalling – you need to add that focus and to switch everything else off. If you have to train indoors, get yourself a good set of rollers, trust me.  The  whole aspect of using them is addictive and it creates energy in you, not just in the motion of the roller itself. Yes, cycling is part of who I am, because it allows me the freedom to just be… and right now that’s exactly what I need.