Off the beaten tracks...

Last night I went exploring. After being stuck inside firing off job applications and the sun gloating at me through a stamp of an office window, when the clock struck 5, I was more than ready to plonk my crotch in the saddle. However, much to my dismay the leglings refused to click into play. Going up Belmont Hill, my quads quaked, my calves cried and my shoulders stiffened.

I met my cycling friend at the top, in a mood fowler than a turkey's in December. I can't stand it when my legs don't want to work. That endorphin itch that builds slowly over a day being sat at a desk, remains unscratched and unsatisfied. Flat, smooth tarmac turns into 5% gradients, potholes morph into craters and hills induce a leg to lead transformation. In essence, it ain't fun. My friend led out on the lakes, cars and tractors zipping past, barely able to hear the work gossip on Sandra messing up the expense claims and Andy buying the wrong size printer paper at work again. Such a shame...

We stopped to reset. My friend suggested testing out a different route, ditching any familiar roads and climbs. We turned off up a steep climb, heading towards Bath. The view that greeted us at the top was spectacular. Gradient silhouettes of layered forests, interjected with maize fields, shrouded in a hazy, humid mist. Our cycling lenses exacerbated the cloud patterning, defined, rippling outlines, and light seeping around the edges. And just like that the tension and aching evaporated. We spun on, up and down the twisting roads, through the very aptly named village of Temple Cloud. Sailing past beautifully idyllic cottages and farms, and riding into the sunset, finally, I was hit with that intense bolt of freedom only found whilst riding a bike. We ended the ride with a rapid (sort of) TT down the Bath Cycle path and a couple of near misses with silly foetuses on e-motorbikes. 80km down, back home for the XCC highlights and a random shake with more E numbers than Twitter has MVDP poo jokes.

I got to thinking. Always very dangerous. That ride was incredible. If I'd kept going on the usual lake loop, I would have turned back, giving into the sore legs. I would have missed out. I would have kept my stress and tension. I wouldn't have felt that freedom I so desperately needed. Moving the ride to slower, unfamiliar twisting lanes reduced my brain activity down from a Canyon Speedmax to a 20-year-old Brompton. So what is the point of this post? I guess what I'm saying is even when you're not feeling relaxed or effortless, just change the aim of the ride. Accept you're not going to be claiming any segment trophies on Strava. Change off the usual routes where you know your times and usual pace, and remove that pressure. Just ride your bike and be content that you have the capability to do so. A friend of mine from BRC said to me recently,

"If you have your health and can still turn those pedals, what are you worrying about"