Reflections, Restart, reset, reeboot

29 weeks to go to the start in gerrardsbergen.

The last 4 months have been interesting.  I have essentially done nothing.  I’ve had a couple of false starts in training, but I’ve had zero mojo, and no desire to ride

As a result, I am unfit and fat, by far the worst condition I’ve been in over the last 5 years.

Historically I have had a week or 2 in lanza in Feb/March that gives me massive mojo to train over the winter.  However I subsequently run out of steam in June.

So I’ve gone back to basics and mapped out my year, and an initial basic week that I will try to follow each week.

• 2 turbo sessions a week
• Permission to skip a bike commute in order to hit the turbos
• Room to add in some fun sessions, and some yoga too
• Steady, but relatively short rides at the weekend (at the moment)

I have no lanza trip this year, (as I have no holiday) so I have no pressure to be on it at the end of Feb.  So let’s go easy and build slowly over the coming months so I am strong and still fresh in May, ready for my big sessions in May and June

So instead of loading myself with pressure (expecting to knock off 6 hr rides in Jan and failing to get out the door) I am going to start slowly in January with an aim to rediscover the mojo, and get some basic fitness back via frequency.

Long rides start at a heady 2 hrs….and build to 4 by February.  It’s all about getting out, not the distance for me at the moment.  short duration but going at steady or faster

I have also been pressing the self destruct button regularly over the last 4 months

• All the focus and dedication I use for training has gone into my work.  wtf…?
• I have regressed in my pc gaming habit.  Consumes massive amounts of time for not a lot of reward
• I’m not sleeping.  Regular 4-5 hr sleeps mean no mojo to get up in the morning and ride.
• Why no sleep?  Work stress and being up till 3am gaming.
• Drinking way too much
• Weight is 83kg and climbing
• I feel shit
• Thinking about the end goal is currently demotivating me (I normally find that having a major target massively motivating as it drives me in the preceding months.  However, I know what’s coming and it’s too big and far away at the moment – its more a mill stone than giving me wings)

Is all of the above going to change on Monday Jan 4th?  Realistically no, but I have to get work under control, so I can leave on time  and start training.  That makes me tired so I sleep.

I can work more slowly on the alcohol over the coming months, cutting back / out on school nights.  

I need to focus on each week and month and have faith in my plan to get me firing on all cylinders in May.

All sounds very easy, but it will take a lot of focus and commitment to get back to normal.

Plus points

I started route planning 😀   that is concentrating the mind a bit.

Diet is not too bad.  I am just eating too much.

I watched inspired to ride…. That’s getting me going again.

I got into the tcr.  Again.

Update

So the first week of January was going well, then I got derailed again, as we had a death in the family.
No training for a week…..  but its time to crack on again……