Sometimes getting out the door can be the hardest part…

With each new day comes a different challenge – that’s what makes life so interesting. My challenge on Sunday was to get out of bed after a really fun afternoon/evening attending a friend’s wedding, and head out on my bike for my training session. It is fair to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the wedding, and there were significantly less hours slept on Saturday night compared to normal, so I was feeling a little jaded!

My planned session was 1.5hrs…but to get myself out the door, I decided I would aim for an hour – that would be better than nothing. I also knew that once I got out there I would likely continue for the scheduled time…I just had to take the first step! And sure enough after about 20mins I started to find my rhythm – this ride was feeling good. I can and I will do my set 1.5hr session. I also turned my attention to my surroundings and focused on the present moment. I literally smiled and thought it doesn’t get much better than this. I have the sun on my back, the views are stunning across the Canterbury Plains and I’m fortunate to have the freedom to be able to make this part of my day.

The first hour of my ride was strong, but the legs did start to fatigue towards the end as I was doing my best to push harder on the return. Perhaps the 3hrs of solid dancing from the night before was starting to catch up on me! That must count as training too right…?!

While I felt tired when I got home, I was proud of myself for completing my session and sticking to my plan, and I felt good as a result, which lead on to a very productive afternoon.
I could have stayed in bed, or lay on the couch resting and thinking “it’s only one session, it won’t matter”, but that’s not me. Getting out the door and turning those pedals over signified much more than just hours on the bike and getting the heart rate up. It reminded me I can overcome challenges, I have mental strength and I can push myself. And those three elements are going to be vital as I build up to what is going to be a physically and mentally demanding 3 days of cycling!

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
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