cycling winter blues

The weather has gone fucking cold, but I prepared myself early for this. I built a cx bike to not only use off road but to also use as a safer way to ride out when there's a bit of frost, or muck, or even snow on the roads. Then Paul lent me winter tyres, the ones with lil spikes, to use on the mtb, allowing me to safely get about and keep fit without using the turbo. But the one thing that I forgot to prepare for was the lack of self motivation I tend to suffer from.

Someone should have warned me that lack of motivation leads to ass growth, ever disappearing fitness and more lack of motivation.

In two weeks I have barely been out, and haven't once yet set up the turbo. And now I feel like crap. So disappointed in myself and pissed off that Ive spent all this money to ensure I keep my fitness and here I am, sat on my sofa, writing a blog after a weekend full of takeaways and Xmas party dinners. I feel like one of those people with all the kit and no fucking clue.

I could blame so many things. Being unemployed is becoming a bit of a let down. I set foot in the Job centre for the first time last week and felt and was treated like scum of the earth. My hands have been so fucking sore lately that its finally starting to keep me up at night again. Im tired of riding on my own. I suck. But I know the main reason is because I have just gotten lazy.

So how do you motivate yourself? Its -5 outside, there's snow, and turbo numbs my already failing brain. Whats the trick?

I didn't want this winter to be like last years. I spent the majority of my time fighting off illnesses and when It came to spring I was so unfit it took all bloody summer to get to a point where I was sort of becoming confident.

I cant ride in groups because everybody is way stronger then me. I wanted to use this winter to train hard so I wasn't dropped all the time. So I wasn't ashamed of my riding ability. So what can I do?

Where do you start? When Its so easy to make excuses, how do you change your train of thought?

I am suffering from some serious cycling winter blues.

MTB and CX winter style

Winter is here. The frost on the windscreens was the first clue. Lucky I ride a bike so I don't have to scrape the cold stuff off to see out. But the first part of winter wasn't to bad, mostly cold, rainy and well muddy.

So the second time I went off on the cx bike I tried riding in mud. I SUCK! Well my tyres weren't the best, and I'm still not great at handling a bike in the mud, my back end was sliding around like a fat lady covered in oil on a slip n slide. I need to learn to trust myself, but I always panic, scream, and put a foot down. And by the way, putting your foot down in mud is a stupid idea!! And the sound it makes when you pull your foot out of the mud, well if you've had crazy wet sex you know exactly what I mean :-/

The cx bike also needs new tyres, riding through grassy fields and sheep shit and I collected all of it on my front tyre and had to scrape the shit off with a stick. Oh and as I'm sure I wrote in a previous blog, I couldn't fucking stop! So muddy feet, sheep shit, grass, cold air and I was still happier then a kid in a candy shop.

So the first major snow fall and learning to ride a mtb in snow was the next step. Hmmm not to clever in mud, will snow be any different? Yep you don't get as dirty when you fall on your ass! And wow do you fall on your ass!!! But hey at least its a soft landing.

I didn't think snow would be that hard going, but it was. Another back end wobbly. How the hell do you control your back end?? They should make Imodium for bikes :) or maybe I should stop being such a loser? I did have good riding partners though.

So yesterday after some studded tyres were fitted on the mtb I chose to ride to Brockhole to watch a cx race. Riding on hard crusty snow, sucks! All over the place, getting stuck in icy rutts, vibrating over icy footprints, then sliding around in the slushy parts, and it wouldn't seem to me it would be a soft landing. Good thing I stayed upright!!

Oh and winter riding. How many fucking layers? I now say, enough so you can still kinda pedal! I was cold, cold, cold. Next time Im wearing more layers! I don't care if I look like a blimp! As long as I can pedal!

So riding in the winter, FUN!!! Sometimes scary! Always cold. But hey if your pedalling then who the fuck cares.