Fun, sizing, and training

 Greeting cycling enthusiasts. 

We are here to discuss the idea of fun in cycling. Harken your minds back to when you were young(er) and first learning to ride a bike. What a magical time it must've been. A time of burgeoning independence, or perhaps a moment to become on par with some older inspiration in your life. No matter the context the idea of freedom and fun was no doubt paramount in your mind. Obviously after the sheer terror and consequential mistrust you had at your adult for letting go of the bicycle even though they probably said they wouldn't. It can be hard, but do forgive if you can. Cue the freedom, not actual freedom because, let's be honest neighborhoods in reality aren't amazingly huge, but to a kid riding to a friends house down the road is a big deal. Bikes were fun, riding bikes was fun, testing out new terrain, testing out riding down hill for the first time, testing out the difficulty of riding uphill and perhaps the first time out of the saddle to try and generate the necessary power. All in all cycling was fun. 

This notion is not a foreign concept, but it is one that is seemingly disappearing from my cycling life. Fast-forward 25 plus years to where I am now. Nearly 34 and locked in what I can only describe as a grueling training regime for marginal fitness gains and the intention of going faster and further than before. I'm not even sure if the intention is my own, but it's definitely there, nagging and reminding and chipping away at what was pure freedom and fun. It is now efforts, heart rate and power numbers. Don't get me wrong, the transition from four year old carefree learning to ride to 33 staring at the computer screen of Zwift watching a timer count down the 15 minute interval on erg mode at 108 percent FTP isn't something that happened overnight. Though, I cant say it is a frog in a boiling water type of situation either because, well because of this post. Frogs in steadily rising temperature water don't ever realize, I don't think, or if they do, then it's too late. This is a potentially horrible comparison to make because it's either too late in which case, horror or some form of sublime bliss of release. I don't think I like this frog analogy anymore. So where was I, ah yes, locked into a training programme with the intent on getting faster, fitter, and stronger. Though, I can't say for sure that stronger is necessarily happening because, truth be told, the more time I spend on the bike the weaker I seem to be getting. Weaker in that general sense of health which is very important.  

Today I had a race, 24/07/2022 and it was terrible. I rode a new bike one built from a frame supposedly my size. I ride this bike and my back hurts, my neck hurts, and my arm/hand often goes numb or gets the pins and needles. The race was disastrous and brutal. Maximum effort 100% of the time. Winds, horrible winds and hills, well one hill but it is a massive hill. to begin with, one ten kilometer loop of riding with cross winds. This worked out alright, until the hill began. The hill was not a success. to give you, the reader context, the hill is around 300 metres elevation in roughly three kilometers, o you know how steep that is. Following this was a rolly section with a massive crosswind, made more massive by the elevation. Thankfully, it ended in a rather pleasant tail wind, but not be before riders of the previous grade came upon me in hot pursuit. The riding was enjoyable, after all a 100 plus kilmeters in one day is never something to scoff at or feel bad about. So here's the point, obviously I'm not great at racing, I don't really care for racing to be honest. I am surrounded by people who are and this often results in a blind sweep towards such things. I think I have an answer to this problem. 

The answer is gravel. Long rides, scenic tracks, hopefully not a blistering pace. What do you all think?