Get Out There

SOMETIMES THE FIRST STEP TO EUPHORIA… IS THE FIRST STEP.

SOMETIMES I DON’T FEEL LIKE A RIDE; BUT I NEVER REGRET ONE.

Just the other day, I awoke to the sound of trees flailing in the wind, and the pitterpatter of rain on the roof. My Strava had told me that I needed just 2½ hours of riding to put me over the 10-hour mark for the week, and that sounded like a fair goal.

But the elements were playing with my mind, and even the prospect of a singlefigure weekly training block seemed a fair compromise for staying in, perhaps justifying a little indoor session on the spin bike later in the day.

But somehow, in among the doubt, I managed to turn off the naysayers in my brain and head out the door.

I’ll give it half an hour, and if I’m hating it by then, I’ll turn around and go home, I told myself.

I started slowly, easing my body and mind into the prospect of the ride. This was all about managing my head and not my limbs. I needed to feel the love before I put my body under any real effort. intervals or times. It was just about riding.

So I rode. And then I stopped, and had a coffee and a plain croissant. And then I rode back home.

It had turned into a stoke ride, and I was relieved that I had overcome my early doubts and made it outside. If I’d listened to my internal voice earlier, I’d never have left the house – and I would have missed out on all this.

Incidentally, along the way I met my mate Dave. He was also riding alone, finding his stoke after a stressful week at the office. He hadn’t felt like riding earlier either; but like me, he’d forced his unwilling frame out the front door.

We chatted for a long time: philosophising about the healing properties of a lone ride, and the need sometimes to avoid the group.

Then I meandered my way home, and Dave set about another loop on the singletrack.

So when doubt creeps in, I make sure I remind myself about this ride. That sometimes the hardest step to take to guarantee a great ride is the one that gets you out the door. As winter approaches, we will face these demons daily. But my motto to myself is this: if in doubt, get out! J In a country with so many needs, we cyclists are often privileged to be able to experience some amazing races. But our plea in 2017 is to for you to cycle for More Than Yourself.

This year, together with our partners Old Mutual, we are embarking on a project to help raise money – by sponsoring a rider, getting sponsored, or even making a donation to a worthy cause as cyclists.

The sign- up process is simple. Go to www. morethanyourself.co. za could feature as one of the More Than Yourself heroes! to register, and you