Winter is great

Winter is great, let me elaborate.  There’s the snow, or rather the English climate’s pathetic attempt at this most magical of meteorological conditions; there’s hibernation and migration, though admittedly only animals really benefit from these; and of course there’s Christmas…and New Year…and the holiday period in general, now who doesn’t love that.

However, it is for all these reasons and more that winter is anything but great for us cyclists, a rare breed of people whose favourite pastime is cruelly susceptible to every aspect of ill weather and climate that winter has to offer, not to mention the short days.  Even if you aren’t an avid devotee of the bicycle, hitting the hills (Boxhill, Surrey in my case) at every opportunity, it does not take the greatest stretch of imagination to understand that it is simply not pleasant cycling in the rain, or the dark, or the nipple devastating cold, or worse, a combination of all these.

Put simply, when training, we all know motivation is key, and even the most disciplined struggle to find such motivation when looking out the window to see a rapidly diminishing sun, obscured by the dank drizzle of a miserable February afternoon.  As motivation is the key to training, so a rewarding goal is to motivation, and what’s rewarding about cycling for 82km’s through those conditions?  Well, quite a lot you might say, but not nearly as much as doing the same when the weather is diametrically opposite, or in other words, on a nice, pleasant, sunny day.

The more discerning of you may have picked up on a few things relating to my personal training which I’ve cunningly mentioned, seemingly in passing.  With the Reading Half Marathon looming only a matter of weeks away, my weekly 82km ride across the Surrey Hills, Boxhill to be exact, grows ever more important.  Now, the Boxhill scenery is beautiful at the worst of times, a prime example of Home Counties countryside, and cycling through it always a joy, but 82km’s even through all that still requires motivation, something which I have found has been very hard to find during the winter months.  If you’re reading this thinking that conditions have no effect on motivation, then I’m afraid you are not human, sorry!

However, with winter drawing rapidly to a close, and the much missed conditions of spring being hinted at, such as lengthening, warmer days, the desire to train is becoming easier, and easier to find.  I have to admit, it’s been a battle up to now, today being a prime example.  Compared to the past few months, today was glorious:  The sun was shining and didn’t give way to the evening until 5.30pm, thus taking the chill off the day, the wind was a perfect hint of a breeze, and there wasn’t a drop of rain - All in all, a lovely day.  Today was the start of a new training year for me, and I suspect, for many others.

With new seasons come new rewards.  Cycling, running, whatever your chosen form of torture, the completion of a grueling training session is made all the better when winter has finally given way to spring.  The only factors remaining which still hinder my progress are no longer in the realm of the climate - I have a knee injury, my first for the best part of a year, sustained whilst skiing in France during the Christmas holidays.  While this is only really apparent when undergoing impact exercise, such as running rather than cycling, it is still a concern.  Winter brought with it the Christmas holiday and with that the skiing injury, yet more evidence of the detrimental effect of this season on the active.  Even the best of us still can not help but use the holidays as excuse not to stick to our programs 100%, it is human nature.

Still, winter is now passé, spring is the new black, and with it comes the boost in motivation that will make training infinitely easier.

Riders WAGS!

Cyclist WAGS now where do I start, sitting in the Cafe today during a club run the usual subject of our partners came up. You see our Club runs are more like a weekly counciling session for it's male members. Its a chance for us too vent our home troubles over a large americano and sticky bun.

These troubles can range from 'I'm being dragged off to Milton Keynes shopping later, how many bloody cushions does one house need??' to our Club Pesidents problem that his good women is convinced he is the only binge drinker in Luton! To be fair to her, this is the same man that on the very first night of our Majorcan training camp last March, drank a bottle of Cava to himself then hit the Brandys cos I quote ' well it's cheap here!!', needless to say a hunt for Nurofen was needed next morning before any riding could be done.

But the most common problem with the guys is trying to keep hidden all the new bike kit. I always thought that it was the wifes having to hide the new shoes from the husband, but not with this lot. A gem of a story was when my mate Bronzie thought he had it licked when he hid his new frame in the garage rafters, 'its well out of site' he told me 'she will never find it! The only floor in this plan was not remembering to close the sun roof in the car. You see while pulling the car out of the garge his son spots the said frame through the roof and asks his mum why dad has put a bike in the roof?

The story I can't wait to hear is when James gets busted trying to get his new bike out of the loft. His latest pride and joy is only weeks away from being ridden but is currenty stored nice and warmly next to water tank, I even have photo graphic proof ( don't worry Jimbo i'll sure she won't read this???)

It's amazing what you can get for £500.....cough!

Working in the bike trade does help in the fact I don't have to hide any new parts that I bring home, in fact because my wife rides and races too it normally means I get greeted with 'so where's my new Oakleys then?'. But the thing is having a racing wife brings its own problems, our shelves at home have been over run with Trophies and winners medals but sadly not that many are mine. Yep i've unleashed the devil when told my then girlfriend that she should stop trying to do all the sports she was currenty doing and just concentrate on bikes.........you could do well I said.

Next week sees us at the annual British Cycling awards dinner, yep Theresa is going to collect her Trophy for winning the 'British National cross county mountain bikes series' last year and of course there isn't any jealousy on my part at all.............................honest!

Motivation.

Now we are into February and this evil westerly wind that has been battering us here in Bedfordshire for what seem like forever, my motivation to go out training for the fast approaching race season is up and down like a roller coaster.

Grinding my way up the A6 into Luton to meet up with riding buddies I couldn't help to ask myself why is motivation as short lived as a Big Brother winners career in TV? I mean I got home from Saturdays ride full of it, I'd had a good ride, felt strong and was climbing well and when I rolled up to my garage I felt like I could have done another hour easy.

So why was when I slung my leg over my trusty Trek Pilot training bike this morning it felt like I'd rather be licking road kill than riding my bike again? I mean what could have happened to my motivation while I slept, did the anti motivation pixie visit me in the night and stole it while I was sleeping??

To make matters worst, just as I was heading off when my phone rang. As pulled it from pocket my heart sank, it was my mate Simon calling. Now normally I wouldn't feel so glum to get a call from Si but the thing is he is really quick. Not only did he win the Archer GP road race last year but he also rode both the Tour of Ireland and the Tour of Britain. And now he wanted to come training with me........oh great, not only will my legs hurt from grinding into the block head wind for hours I've now got to try and hang onto Simon's wheel and try my best not to get dropped. My motivation dropped another notch.

Well after four very painful hours later I was hanging my bike back up in the garage feeling completely drained mentally and physically, but thats when my motivation suddenly started to come back. You see I had to move my new race bike, a Madone dripping with carbon Bontrager gear to get my training bike back on the hook. And thats when it hits you, you see its funny how its the small things that get your mojo back. Because you know that come the Spring when the roads are dry and the sun is shinning, pinging along on my Madone will be bliss. My mojo meter was starting to climb again.

Later while laying on the sofa with a nice double shot espresso and the latest copy of Rouler and ROAD to read my mojo click again up another notch. Reading about races like the Tour of Flanders and seeing images of the pro's in a whole world of pain as they fly up the Bosberg got me all excited about the fast approaching season and yep my motivation meter was back too full!

You see thats the great thing about it, your motivation my disappear over night, especially in the winter but it doesn't take much to get it back, well not for me anyway.

What a looker!!