No Excuses

Having just got back from today’s ride I was asked “how was it today” being very cold and very annoyed I very quickly I said shit.

But as I was stood in the shower trying to thaw out my body, despite the many layers I was wearing, I started to think back over the session, was it really as bad as I thought?
If you look back at the numbers then yes. If you look at the experience I have gained from what at first appears to be a non-event session then No – here’s why

Riding along the World famous Banbury 13 Time trial route starting my winter training an easy session planned today (60mins at 65% - 75% so Max heart rate of 141bpm) I came to the first small incline, I took a look at my Garmin 310xt my all singing all dancing training partner for today’s, session it said “ave speed 11mph, heart rate 160”, every time I tried to put power through the pedals my heart rate shoots up, every time I raise my cadence my heart rate shoots up all my thoughts went back to this time last year when I was ramping up my training for Challenge Roth in July. I was riding the 13 as a tag on to the end of a 4hr ride, on the same incline I was sitting on an ave speed for the ride of 17.5mph and my heart rate was a very comfortable 135 beats per minute. So what has happened to make this so poor today here came the excuses?

Well, in February I broke my ankle that kept me out of action for ages, yep good one
Well, I have been on lots of courses with work, also good
Family tragedies, good, well not good but an excuse anyway
Uummm Illness, it’s an excuse....hummm anymore?
Oh I really did not have the time to train today, clutching at straws now.
Ahh yes the Weather always a good excuse...Or was it

At this point I started to think should I be looking at excuses why I did not train or should I look at why I’m making these excuses.
We are all good at listing reasons why we do not do something and we are all good at finding ways of ways to explain why. But if I really wanted to do I could.
I wanted to look at these excuse a bit more in depth –

Broken ankle – yes could not train, but did I really have to sit around eating crap all day? No but did I YES, so my fault – not an excuse.

Courses with work – I was down in Kent at RAF Manston, they have a well equipped Gym with a treadmill, spin bikes a gym which runs Circuit classes – did I use it No - so my fault – not an excuse.

Family issues – Never a good time, but when your head is spinning with problems, does a Swim, Bike, Run make these thoughts worse, do they help to give you some time for yourself, do they allow you to think more clearly. Yes – did I, No my fault – not an excuse.

Time – just don’t know where today went did not have a chance to do anything, oh so after I woke up at 06:30 and had a couple of cups of coffee watching Breakfast TV before anyone else got up, Could I have used the turbo in the garage for 30 mins, could I have slipped out for an hour in the afternoon or just after evening meal? Yes – Did I? No my fault – not an excuse

Weather – Oh we have loads of snow on the ground its -5 I can’t train in this, Ok so maybe not a great idea to run out side, do I have a turbo trainer? Umm yes, did you use it? No my fault – Not an excuse

By this time the hot water had started to thaw, my saddle soreness had declined a little, I caught a glimpse of the M-dot tattoo I have, and I thought about the reason I had it done, to me it represents the journey I have had and the highs and lows during my time as a Triathlete, there will always be times when it’s hard, the will be times when it’s easy, what counts is how you react to the hard times. Consistency in training is something that’s earnt it’s not given, you have to use the time you have, and use it well,
Not every session can be a epic event but sometimes the small ones are just as important to the bigger picture. I have just started a new part of my Journey.

Today’s session:
Duration 1hr 3mins Dist 15.2miles
Ave Spd 14.3mph
Ave Hr 157