win the race

by resting

Rolling on a trainer

Again and again and again.

I spin my feed and sip my drinks and listen to the training music.

There’s no wind in my hair.

No mud in my eye or sights to see.

It’s been a hell of a winter, locked up in a basement, imagining doing something unimaginable.

How do you imagine ultra endurance cycling?

How would you imagine ultra endurance anything?

Take something that you don’t hate doing.

Then?

Do it without stoping for thirty six hours.

Eat while you do it.

But for the love of god, neither stop nor sit down.

And I don’t even think that comes close to what an endurance bike ride will be like.

In order to enhance my imagination, I’ve watched endless videos about how to train and how to prepare for ultra endurance events.

One I’ve liked is a lady who calls herself Watt Wagon.

There are many perverse, mean and terrible jokes that one could make about someone with such a strange name, I will entrust both your ruthless dark sense of humour and your cruelty to you. I believe in you, mock this terribly named Watt Wagon.

But then?

I like her videos. She seems like a trust fund kid who likes bikes:

I travel the world racing the biggest gravel and bikepacking ultra races. I'll bring you along with me. Follow me for all things bikes, food, travel, and cats.

She also was a competitive cyclist racer.

I could be acting petty or mean. If so, I’m so sorry Ms Wagon.

Anyway.

In this video she talks about having a flexible approach to her training. She’s not rigid with her schedule and has learned that the most important part of training is listening to and knowing your body.

After watching her video, I decided that I needed to rest and that a few days off to let my old man body recover would probably be a good idea mid training routine.

So the wind in my hair and mud in my eye is going to have to wait while I spend some time with my arse on the couch.

Who knew that the best way to train for an ultra endurance race would involve insisting on resting?