Motivation in isolation
How to keep riding while the country is in lockdown
The Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown has affected all aspects of daily life. While advice in the UK has been to maintain a regular exercise regimen where possible, the ability to engage in routine road training sessions, meet up for club runs or spend hours in the saddle working on stamina or skills has understandably been curtailed. Professional, elite, amateur and recreational cyclists around the globe have had to find new ways to train and stay physically and mentally in shape as their goal events have been cancelled. Your motivation to train may well have waned, but for many the lockdown provides an opportunity to shift focus – to work on improvements to their bikes in the garage or their fitness on the turbo, or to plan new routes for when the ‘all clear’ finally sounds.
To make the most of isolation and ensure you don’t fall behind in fitness or focus take these tips on board. 01 TAKE THE HIT
Those events and targets you had are now gone, or rescheduled. First of all, it’s okay to be upset. These things were a part of your life that has now been taken away from you. Don’t feel guilty because of ‘bigger issues’. You can be upset about both. There is no normal way to feel during this period, no right or wrong. 02 RE-SET GOALS
Regain some control of the situation with those Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timed (SMART) goals. These don’t have to be performance-based. I have a number of clients who are getting into gravel riding. One of their goals during this period is to discover new trails and put together some training loops, ready for when we start to build their fitness again. So you could create the perfect training loop that’s 50 per cent off road, with 1500m of elevation, by the end of the month. 03 WORK ON WEAKNESSES
You should have long and short-term goals still. Short-term ones may well have gone – such as the next few months of racing – but you can give yourself some intrinsic goals that work towards the bigger ones. If your long-term goal is to win a time-trial series you could improve your position on the bike by becoming stronger and more flexible. 04 SCHEDULE TRAINING
Motivation to train may wane if you’re unable to commit to the levels or distances you’re used to but that’s no reason to give up entirely. We humans crave structure and routine and if you’re working from home this can be difficult as the environment and distractions may be quite novel. Make yourself a specific work area and give each day a schedule – work your training and riding into this, creating a daily slot. 05 STAY IN TOUCH
We’ve evolved to be social creatures so isolation and lockdown can be more than just unsettling, it can be harmful to your mental wellbeing too. Make time to connect with friends and loved ones in the safest way you can. Keep in touch with cycling buddies via social media or
“MO T I V A T I O N T O T R A I N MAY WA N E I F Y O U C A N ’ T
C O MMI T T O T H E D I S T A N C E S YOU’RE USED TO”
Zwift. It adds weekly structure and lets you connect with your friends. 06 REST ASSURED
While the temptation to stay up later or sleep longer may rise, and your work hours aren’t so strict that you run the risk of unsettling your body clock, the resultant risk of weight gain or a dip in sleep quality and duration can suppress your immune system. Where possible, stick to your usual sleeping hours to stay rested and healthy. 07 KEEP FIT
Even if cycling isn’t an option, use this time to push yourself a little – the rush you get from a hard workout helps combat stress and ease anxiety. Try a challenge with cycling friends – maybe a bodyweight session of push ups or turbo session challenge.