So what are you training for?

[Rocket-Boy]

And the eddies behind your arms and ears suddenly cool you right back down!

 

FFS. I need to get a road bike again (whaaaaaaaaaat!?)

j0000000000000h!11

Someone must have been using Myles' account for that post

[hayleyearth]

Most people in my circles don't get it. My answer to the idiotic questions is a question. What did you do this morning? We went shopping, We watched the rugby, We slept late etc are met with rolling eyes. I train/ride because I love that flat euphoric feeling after a big morning. Knowing I've been out there. This morning i saw what people can't really relate to.

 

Not riding makes me depressed, having to go to the shops (especially when the sun is out) makes me fuming!  Don't know how people do that weekend after weekend!

[Frosty]

My goals change, brought on by a number of factors:

 

current form/fitness, family, work, club commitments, race commitments, etc. and in no particular order. Family does come first, but family knows certain weekends are dedicated to racing/organising/riding.

 

I enjoy long distance endurance rides, but also enjoy adrenaline-filled racing as well as the occasional "bragging rights" when sprinting for a certain point on a club ride.

• Short term - For now, it's training for the Maluti Double 90.
• Long term - our annual club Tour to Durban in October and also the 947 Double lap. 947 is my fun event for the year, I never take it serious - I start where I start and my goal will change from year to year - sometimes to race it, other times to chill and do a coffee/beer stop along the route. It's more about enjoying the full road closure and "gees" around the event.

Then there's the club - trying to help develop the less-experienced guys that want to race. It started in EL bunch at last year's Emperors and almost everyone is now ready to race AL (which means I'm free to start racing Vets again at certain races).

 

In order to race in my age category, I know the effort required to be able to race. I'm never going to beat the top-dawgs, and I'm okay with that - but if I get half-a-chance, I'll (try) take it. I'll do what I have to to stay at the front (or near the front), but I'll usually sit up near the finish if it's a bunch sprint - 10th vs 40th makes no difference to me, as long as I stay upright and get to ride another day.

[hayleyearth]

I ride for fun these days. Done enough events in last 5 years and spent enough money on them too. Now I just enjoy a ride (or 5!), being outside and exploring my area without having to worry about how many K's I have done or what my average time is etc etc.

 

I have done plenty of rides the last couple of months (on the road) through towns or neighborhoods and on roads that I have never been to/on with my car. The one weekend I rode to Potch from JHB on the Saturday (before brunch) and back the Sunday and all the roads I rode that whole weekend I have never driven with a car (accept in Potch itself). I can remember how special that alone felt to me.

[Cheese]

My goals change, brought on by a number of factors:

 

current form/fitness, family, work, club commitments, race commitments, etc. and in no particular order. Family does come first, but family knows certain weekends are dedicated to racing/organising/riding.

 

I enjoy long distance endurance rides, but also enjoy adrenaline-filled racing as well as the occasional "bragging rights" when sprinting for a certain point on a club ride.

• Short term - For now, it's training for the Maluti Double 90.
• Sounds Lekka. Would not mind to be part of a Group doing a Tour to Durban like you say
• Long term - our annual club Tour to Durban in October and also the 947 Double lap. 947 is my fun event for the year, I never take it serious - I start where I start and my goal will change from year to year - sometimes to race it, other times to chill and do a coffee/beer stop along the route. It's more about enjoying the full road closure and "gees" around the event.

Then there's the club - trying to help develop the less-experienced guys that want to race. It started in EL bunch at last year's Emperors and almost everyone is now ready to race AL (which means I'm free to start racing Vets again at certain races).

 

In order to race in my age category, I know the effort required to be able to race. I'm never going to beat the top-dawgs, and I'm okay with that - but if I get half-a-chance, I'll (try) take it. I'll do what I have to to stay at the front (or near the front), but I'll usually sit up near the finish if it's a bunch sprint - 10th vs 40th makes no difference to me, as long as I stay upright and get to ride another day.

 

[Pikey]

To beat myself, and have fun. 

 

Latest goal is to do the half Oceans next year. Main goal though is to be generally fitter and more healthy. But that's not WHY I train. I train for the pain (DOMS) and I train for the feeling I get whilst I'm training. That high. The hard breathing. The new records. To beat myself all the time. And so that, when I get to the office in the mornings and climb the stairs, I can think to myself - Ah, last night's session was a good one - when I feel the burn.

 

i think our reasons are very similar,except sometimes I do doubt my sanity whilst riding or running. But the best feeling is after you finished and satisfaction that you pushed all the way.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

i think our reasons are very similar,except sometimes I do doubt my sanity whilst riding or running. But the best feeling is after you finished and satisfaction that you pushed all the way.

Yes. 

 

Or, going back to my heavy training days - the inability to turn the steering wheel. LOL. 

[Pikey]

And when cr@p at work gets to much,nothing can change your mood like a ride. Leave as the incredible sulk and come back being as happy as Larry.... there is no better stress reliever.

[hayleyearth]

There are mornings where I wake up feeling horrible (mostly due to sinus) and I just don't feel like riding and then later in the day when I feel better, I kick myself.

 

What I do is enter fun races like Berg and Bush etc where the distance is out of my comfort zone.  Then when I wake up on a Saturday feeling horrible, I still go ride because I "have" to train.

 

What normally happens is that 15 minutes into the ride I get the blood flowing and start feeling better and really enjoy myself.  So for me having a goal is just a little bit extra motivation to go.

 

Vitality Rewards is really working for me.  This morning if I didn't need points I would have gone straight to work and worked an extra hour (loads of pressure).  Instead I went for a run in the rain.  It was AWESOME and I am now in a really good mood.

 

Occasionally I'll do rides that are more specific to the training I need, but I won't turn down a group ride (even if the pace will be slow) as I really enjoy riding with others and not worrying about how fast / far I am going.

 

You are a very talented rider and from riding with you on and off during Sani that one year it was clear that you love riding! Inspiring.

 

 

[shaper]

Because I can as I prefer to feel fit and healthy

 

Oh and because have Durbs 70.3 in June, a few road races later in the year, EL 70.3 in Jan 2017 and PE full Ironman in April 2017.

[Guest notmyname]

I've always believed that the hardest thing about getting on the bike is actually doing just that. Within the first 5 minutes I'm mentally kakking myself out for even thinking I'll just have a few more Z's.

[bullet77]

I've always believed that the hardest thing about getting on the bike is actually doing just that. Within the first 5 minutes I'm mentally kakking myself out for even thinking I'll just have a few more Z's.

So true, I really had to force myself at 4:45 this morning, kept on thinking oh I'll get on the IDT a bit later which I know probably won't happen. Was very stoked I had a ride to test the new oval ring.

[hayleyearth]

So I can drink beer and eat pizza and have things to look forward to other than a glass of wine or another rubbish tv show?

 

The option to do adventures, do Iron Man, do Expedition Africa, go paddling on a Saturday and not die..... The endorfins, the brotime, the laughs, the challenge.

 

Lazy people don't get it.

 

Getting up at 4 am to meet the team for a cycle... Meeting the team in the pouring rain tonight at 6 to go up table mountain... absolute joy.

 

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

What am I training for? To not be rubbish at life

 

Until the beer at night becomes the reason you don't get up at 4:15am to ride in the morning     Worst is if your training buddy also likes beer 

 

Just last night I said that I had to have a double training day (that road the morning and MTB the afternoon) on Tuesday to justify eating chocolate etc - otherwise it will be huge amounts of guilt that kicks in and the toys throwing starts 

[hayleyearth]

the route along the coast to hout bay in a pre-dawn mission is gobsmackingly gorgeous, and it actually gets better during the winter months. The air is crisper, the weather is of course more dramatic, and the sunrises just incredible. There's something personally gratifying about fighting a near instinctive desire to not venture out when it's bad weather. But once done, the warmth of that 'achievement' is what thaws the marrow in the bones.

 

As you (and many others know) I hate hills, but lately I find suggesting to have the hilly rides in the mornings so I can get to see a bit of a view (yes even here in JHB) but unfortunately the last couple of weeks means we are back home even before the sun is out, so no more sunrises on rides....but I love morning rides for this reason mainly (oh and maybe the 'high' at work for the rest of the morning).

[NotSoBigBen]

And when cr@p at work gets to much,nothing can change your mood like a ride. Leave as the incredible sulk and come back being as happy as Larry.... there is no better stress reliever.

 

This for sure (not only work even personal/family issues), my kids reckon I solve the 'worlds problems' while I'm out riding .... exaggerated but I do often come home from rides with ideas/solutions to some of our issues at home 

[Vega]

Even when I train my first priority is to enjoy every ride. Lately I try to take a pic on every ride, just to focus a bit more on my surroundings.