I can take on anything

You know how somedays you feel like you can take on the world and be a winner. Your training feels right, your racing feels right and you just feel fantastic. Maybe it was something you heard, something you saw, someone close to you or just something within, but there was that "something" that gave you a positive vibe that is locked into your mind!

The funny thing is that "positive vibe" is not in a jar or a packet or wrapped in certain clothes you wear or only available in limited quantities. It is right within you and you have it all of the time..........and even on down days, if you think deeply enough you can find it.....even just a glimpse of it, hiding behind the cloud of negativity and self-doubt that sometimes tries to overpower it.

There is no magic solution to controlling the negativity other than to put it into perspective. Racing against a young guy yesterday, who seemed to be having a flat day, I asked him what was wrong and he proceeded to give me a list of excuses, busy, no training, had the flu, too this too that. I said to him, they sound like a bunch of excuses, when really all you need to say is that you are having a bad day on the bike.

If you have had the flu - you will get better
If you haven't trained - you can fix this
if you have had life stresses - you will accept the fact that life does have stresses and maybe train for a break from stress or re-prioritise for a while
if you have mechanicals - Get your bike checked...and then again if necessary

We will all have bad days, but we can choose to not let our bad days form a dark cloud over our cycling. Think of where you are now and where you have been in the past. I am not a great hill climber, but I am much much better than I used to be and if I keep training, I WILL improve.

Bike riding and racing is hard work - IS hard work, it is constant and sometimes, we just don't want to play....but we know the benefits - the improved fitness, the better racing, that feeling you get in races which is just like "YEAH - THIS IS FUN - I AM SPEEDING ALONG A ROAD IN A BUNCH AND ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN - A BREAK - A SPRINT - A HILL - I COULD EVEN GET DROPPED - BUT THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT - FUN FUN"

I have had a great week, I got most of my planned 13 things DONE - excpet the stretching after my race and yes I took my camera and yes I forgot to take pics! Raced yesterday, times for our time trials are not posted yet.......waiting waiting.....the road race I was 5th of about 15 riders and I did a lot of work during the race so that was good. I have been training and I am regaining some fitness. I had a crap post-race ride this morning - but you know what? That is OK, the big picture is that I am improving and cant complain about that one bit.

So I guess I am writing this to remind us all how important it is to reflect on where we are with things in life and where we came from, not to get stuck in making excuses on why things are going bad............Now if you excuse me I have a voice in my head nagging me to do some stretches........I really need to improve there and sitting here is not going to help me flexibility one bit.......then I am going to make a plan for the week.......there must be some things I need to do, things I have been making excuses for and now will set a plan to get them done......