“The trouble with cycling is that it takes up so much time”.
”I know”, I replied, “isn’t that great”.
My bike is my circuit breaker it allows me to get away from whatever is going on in my life.
Sitting on my backside, pedalling away for hours is how I like to relax. It gives me time to think and after a few big days in the saddle I am tired, I have a sense of achievement and I am very appreciative of what I have.
The only thing that can change this is when I am training for an event. Rather than enjoying being out and about on my bike I can start to resent doing another ride on the same roads just to get my fitness to the required levels.
Last year my training for France was really motivated by the nerves I felt about riding the whole tour. Until you actually go and do it you just don’t know how you will respond. Having got round last year, and really enjoyed myself in the process, this years training has been as challenging but without the nerves. I have been clocking up the km’s over the last month and I have enjoyed every moment.
Having my folks visit from the UK for a month also provided some balance. They have been regular visitors to see us in Sydney and have also seen a fair bit of this “big brown land”, but one place they had never been was down to the Victorian Alps. So the whole family went on a road trip to Bright to take in the mountain air.
Lets face it everybody knew it was so I could ride my bike up the mountains, but they were quite happy to indulge me. The feedback I always get is that when I ride my bike it makes it more manageable for everybody. The family get some time and space away from me and when I get back I am often tired, content and therefore more compliant to whatever they need me to do. Everyone’s a winner!
We had a great week together in Bright and then spent the second week of the school holidays back in Sydney. I’d get up early and ride, then we’d explore the city and all sit down for dinner in the evening. Perfect.
Now with 8 weeks until I ride in France I am in a good space. Having said goodbye to Mum and Dad and with the girls back at school, the routine of work and family life has started again.
This time last year the whole family was counting down the weeks before we made the trip over to the UK and France. This year I’ll be on my own, without all the excitement. Just my kit, my bike and the time and space to ride for 12 glorious days, on some of the best roads in the world. I can’t see any trouble with that at all.