Since returning from France I have found it difficult to train hard. I have been riding but the same burning desire to ride and train is gone. I have talked to riding friends and they said that a certain amount of focus loss after a big goal is normal. However my goal has been to ride faster, or to keep improving my speed so I am asking myself why can't I focus.
I think the answer can be found in the fun of riding. Having a goal gives training focus but is not necessarily fun. Accomplishing the ETape goal was fun, a ton of work, and the actual ride was an awesome experience. Now, I am back in Chicago where there are no hills and the terrain is flat, flat, flat; so where is the fun, where are the cafes and the where are the French cheering me on?
This is what I have learned since the weather changed. Fun is riding slow for the sake of riding slow, a change of bikes, or a change of scenery like the Des Plaines River trail. Fun is breaking the routine, riding for ridings sake, and riding on a cold crisp morning. Fun is trying to ride hard and discovering I have more left in the tank. But most of all fun is riding with friends. Friends make time fly and help me ride faster because like my friend Dennis says; "1 bike is a ride and 2 bikes are a race." So I have rejoined my friends and I am back to doing group rides and I am having fun. So stop me if you see me, lets ride together for awhile.
