The year is now 2016. Some things have changed.
- I now have two gorgeous young ladies that bring me boundless amount of joy.
- I still ride bikes and love every moment that I can get on two wheels.
- I don't run as much or as far as I did. I do still run, but only as cross training.
- I now train under a coach.
- I am recovering from a serious illness.
So to catch up since last post:
I have completed the 3 Peaks in 2012, 13 and 14. But 2015 I did not compete. I MISSED THE DRAW! The number of applicants for this highlight of my year always surpasses the number of entrants allowed. Last year I missed the cut and sulked a lot. This was a double whammy because I had trained hard under a coach for the year up to this event. Hopefully this year will be different.
Cyclocross
What started as a laugh has become a focus for my cycling. I love this discipline and am getting quite good sometimes. It is a strange combination of fitness, power and recovery over 40mins along with bike handling skills and a bit of luck. It is an excellent release for competitive urges and of course an excuse for new kit. This year I have built up my Ritchey Swiss Cross which I have to say I am very proud of.
Finished bike with FMB tubs, Force 1x10, TRP cable discs and of course Ritchey finishing kit.
Extra bits included gutting the left lever to make true 1x drivetrain
Lovely when clean and shiny, but usually looks like this:
Training with a coach
Thought I would see what all the fuss is about and it is all true.
- I have somebody who will listen to me and look at what I do and what I want to do
- He pushes me in sometimes strange directions
- He tells me when to go hard and when to go easy
- He explains the macro and the micro
- He praises me and challenges as well
Yes it costs money, but I think it is worth it. I am stronger, more powerful, faster and recover better than ever before. I still have a way to go but I am on the road.
Recovering from Serious Illness
This bit is a bit personal and really hard to talk about, but I want to get it out there to help myself and perhaps help others as well. It seems strange to be posting on the internet stuff that I have not spoken to many people about.
During 2015 I suffered from some kind of breakdown. It seems that the years of stress and demands of work had built up to the point that I had to have some time off work - quite a bit of time. I was diagnosed as suffering from anxiety and depression (oh how on trend) and have received various types of treatment to help me gain control of my life again.
I have done counselling, am on a long term course of medication and obviously use cycling as a type of meditation.
How did things get so bad? Well I don't know really. I guess you can liken it to ivy growing over a building - it grows slowly and you never really notice what is happening until there is a major problem.
What have I done? Changes have been made to my work which are all positive (except financial) and I am becoming better at understanding myself in terms of "moods" and how I react to situations. Gone are daily panic attacks, gone are dark moments and self-doubt. Positive thinking is my aim.
The few friends that do know about my illness have been soooooo supportive, never judgemental and positive. My immediate family have always listened and helped me through my periods of darkness.
I succeeded on both counts, good group riding of various speeds and well controlled climbing. (Controlled in this context means not dribbling snot on to my stem and having to stop to pick up my lung.)
